Things To Do

Leisure Activities

The local area and Suffolk in general has leisure activities to suit all tastes from quiet, relaxing bird and wildlife watching to the more strenuous walking and biking trails or catching that must-see film. Details of some relevant destinations and websites are set out below.

Walks and Trails

Thetford Forest Park, Brandon, IP27 0TJ

Various waymarked trails from the Orienteering course to easy walks of varying duration.

www.forestry.gov.uk/thetfordforestpark

West Stow Country Park, West Stow, IP28 6HG

This parkland surrounds the reconstructed Anglo Saxon village of West Stow and provides a variety of walks through heathland and woodland along the River Lark. Café and Anglo Saxon museum available.

www.weststow.org

Brandon Country Park, Brandon, IP27 0SU

Series of walks and nature trails of varying lengths, visitor centre and café.

www.brandoncountrypark.org.uk

Cycling

There are a number of scenic cycle routes around the area in which Badwell Ash Holiday Lodges is situated, varying in length from 6 miles to in excess of 30 miles.

Bike Loan

We have a couple of bikes available for loan from Reception. Bike loan is particularly popular in the good weather so it's best to book in advance. Bikes are borrowed entirely at our guests' own risk and a disclaimer needs to be signed. Guests also need to provide their own helmets and lights.

Mountain Bike Trails

There are numerous way-marked cycling and mountain bike trails available at Thetford Forest Park and Brandon Country Park (see details above). Bike hire is also available at Thetford Forest Park (High Lodge).

Bird Watching, Wildlife & Nature Reserves

The local area is rich in wildlife including birds both within the Badwell Ash Holiday Lodges site and further afield. There are a number of nature reserves within a short drive from the Lodges including; Lackford Lakes, Knettishall Heath, Redgrave and Lopham Fen and Lakenheath Fen. The Suffolk coast in particular has a number of RSPB and other Suffolk Wildlife Trust sites including RSPB Minsmere and Redgrave and Lopham Fen. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust has described Suffolk's nature reserves as 'some of the richest wildlife areas in the UK.' A little further afield you will encounter a BBC Springwatch favourite at Pensthorpe Natural Park in Fakenham, Norfolk.

RSPB Minsmere

RSPB Lakenheath Fen

SWT Redgrave & Lopham Fen

SWT Knettishall Heath Nature Reserve

SWT Lackford Lakes

www.pensthorpe.com

www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events

www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org

The Coast

The coast and countryside of East Anglia has long been an inspiration to artists - Gainsborough and Constable both painted here in Suffolk. There are numerous bird-reserved beaches along the entire coast. A fishing industry still exists, from small beach-launched boats in Dunwich to the larger port of Lowestoft and the UK's busiest container port at the Port of Felixstowe. The Broads, once a source of peat for fires, are now a watery paradise of lock-free navigable lakes and rivers. And the Fenland waterways of Cambridgeshire and Suffolk meander gently through attractive market towns.

Theatres and Cinemas

Theatre Royal, Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1QR

This sole surviving Regency theatre was restored to its original 1819 glory. It is owned by the Greene King Brewery and leased to the National Trust and is now run by the Bury St Edmunds Theatre Management. It is run as a working theatre with a full programme of events and productions including guided tours and workshops.

www.theatreroyal.org

Apex Centre, Charter Square, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3FD

This (relatively) new venue is located in the Arc Shopping Centre and is a music, entertainment, business and community venue with a full programme of events all year round.

www.theapex.co.uk

Abbeygate Cinema, 4 Hatter Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1LZ

A lovely arts cinema located in the beautiful historic medieval quarter of Bury St Edmunds.

www.abbeygatecinema.co.uk

Cineworld, Park Road, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3BA

Modern chain multi-screen cinema.

www.cineworld.co.uk/cinemas/bury-st-edmunds