6 Things for Spring!

Easton Farm Park is the perfect place to witness lambs being born! A working farm, Spring welcomes in a range of new lives including; piglets, kids, newly hatched chicks and ducklings. This spring, there will be a fair few extra special arrivals as the farm welcomes donkey foals and cow calves, lambs, chicks and ducklings. Be sure to visit the mini farm trail where children (and grown-ups!) can get up close and stroke the lambs, hug the bunnies and enjoy pony rides.

From 9th - 22nd April, the Spring Babies Carnival will feature fairground rides as well as the appearance of this years spring babies! Plus carnival performers, baby animal meet and greets, inflatable bumper cars, mini coaster, animal encounters, an Easter egg quiz trail and Easter crafts.

For annual opening times and admission prices visit www.eastonfarmpark.co.uk

Open for the season this Easter, Southwold Boating Lake is one of the only remaining Victorian boating lakes in the country, and is idyllically situated just a stone's throw from the Pier and award-winning beach. 

Children will enjoy messing about in pedalos and the whole family can play a round of crazy golf on the new Southwold Heritage Adventure Golf.

The Victorian pavilion tearoom serves a selection of breakfasts, lunches and fresh homemade snacks and observes The Suffolk Coast’s field to fork philosophy, with all food made using local produce wherever possible. 

Treat yourself to a cream tea and enjoy it in the surroundings of the private island located behind the Tearoom pavilion; described as a “perfect haven for Bird watchers”, with willow fencing, its a peaceful and quiet location to sit and watch the world go by and spot migrating birds.

For more information visit http://www.southwoldboatinglakeandtearoom.co.uk/

The phrase “Mad as a March Hare” is an idiom derived from the antics of hares in the March breeding season.

This spring, pay a visit to National Trust Orford Ness and follow the trails lead through coastal grazing marsh and vegetated shingle habitats to the sea, taking in wildlife, ex-military testing areas, buildings and displays.

Scattered across the remote and exposed site, the Ness' Brown Hares are often spotted on the shingle bank from the top of the Bomb Ballistics Building. Be patient and look across the vegetated ridges, and if you're lucky, you'll spot an Orford hare. Often claimed locally as a breed in their own right, the Ness's brown hares certainly tend to be bigger, fatter and healthier than their mainland cousins. 

Another inhabitant of the wild and wet marshes are the rare Chinese Water Deer; Escapees from ornamental deer parks, they've swum the river to a new home.

For more information visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/orford-ness-national-nature-reserve

The bluebell is another sign of Spring and Captain’s Wood near Orford offers one of the most astonishing displays– known as a Bluebell carpet.

The area, known on ancient maps as Cutmore’s Wood has been passed ownership from various wealthy Bishops, noblemen and moneyed families, including in 1550 the Bishop of Norwich. These days, the Wood is owned by The Suffolk Wildlife Trust who purchased the 140 acre site to offer free access to the public. Of this, 50 acres is grassland and the remainder woodland with oak and birch to almost pure hazel, mature Scots pine and sweet chestnut - in fact, 65 recorded botanical species!

Once you arrive at the Wood, you step back one hundred years or more into a habitat of ancient trees and wild flowers where deer roam freely, barn owls hunt the clearings and seven species of bat feed amongst the trees.

The best time to see the reserve is April and May. Due to the wildlife, dogs are not allowed.

For more information, visit www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/reserves/captains-wood

The cuckoo's minor third in April, increasing to a major third or a fourth as the season progresses signals warm weather is on the way and at RSPB Minsmere Nature Reserve you may hear the UK's the first calling of the year from the Island Mere.

Of course, the coastal nature reserve has so much more to offer than just cuckoos and other songbirds but as birdlife returns to the country, there can’t be many better places to view them than here. Something Chris Packham agrees with, associating Suffolk with “rarity, because of the wildlife that is here and nowhere else”.

The reserve is perfect for all ages and families with a range of walks and activities on offer; shorter buggy friendly walks and longer, wider trails and shell speckled beaches, the Wild Zone play area for kids and a café with high chairs and baby change facilities.

There's a range of events planned for Spring including Birdwatching for Beginners, Easter Crafts and Family Nature Walk, Bird Ringing demonstrations and Pond Dipping.

For full event listings, opening times and admission prices visit https://events.rspb.org.uk/minsmere

The four foot ferries of The Suffolk Coast are a unique and popular attraction! Transporting walkers, cyclists and explorers around the coastline, a trip on board is a fun experience for children and adults alike. 

Departing from Walberswick jetty, the Walberswick Ferry takes passengers across the River Blyth from Southwold Harbour to the pretty seaside village. People, bicycles and dogs are all welcome aboard the rowing boat, and the pleasure of making such a trip costs just 90p per person!

Rowing between Butley and Orford, the Butley Ferry is an optional, but enjoyable link on the Suffolk Coast Path and Regional Cycle Route 41, it's said to be the smallest ferry in Europe, so anything bigger than a bike won't be able to board! 

Further south you will find Bawdsey Ferry and unlike Walberswick and Butley, it's a powered vessel, so you may find yourself sat next to a fisherman, making their way out to a boat!

At the southernmost point of the county, you can hop on board Harwich Harbour Ferry. Travelling between the towns of Harwich, Felixstowe and Shotley. The largest of the ferries in Suffolk, it can carry up to 58 people. During a trip on board, you may find yourself sailing alongside some of the monster cargo ships coming into the port at Felixstowe - a sight to be seen indeed!

For more information download the Foot Ferries Guide: