A beautiful area of gently undulating heathland which at one time ran unbroken almost the whole length of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths area, Suffolk Secret’s self-catering cottages in an area known locally as the Sandlings sit on one of Britain’s rarest habitats, ecologically important on a world scale.

When it comes to self-catering cottage breaks in the countryside, our Sandlings holiday homes are perfect. This wild landscape was created thousands of years ago when its sandy, free-draining acidic soils led to the development of a characteristic heathland flora, dominated by heather, as farmers cleared ancient trees and introduced sheep to graze the land. The Suffolk heathland is as important for wildlife as it is beautiful to look at, so this area is carefully managed and as a result many rare and endangered species can today be spotted here, making the Sandlings a must for wildlife enthusiasts and birdwatching holidays.

Tinkers Cottage, Dunwich

But there are plenty of other things to see and do in the Sandlings area too. This unspoilt part of the Suffolk coastline is home to a number of our cottages set in its picturesque villages including our Dunwich holiday homes – once a prosperous port and an important Middle Ages centre for the wool trade – which has been reduced from a town to a village due to centuries of coastal erosion.

South of Dunwich you can find our Westleton self-catering cottages. Centred around a large green with two good pubs and a restaurant, this is a perfect location to explore the RSPB Minsmere Reserve – a mixture of heath, woodland, reed beds, marsh and shallow lagoons which are home to a great variety of birdlife.

3 Ebenezer Row, Westleton

Another favourite coastal location for walkers is our seaside cottages in Eastbridge. Eastbirdge is home to a charming 16th century ale-house, much frequented by travellers over the ages. Nearby are freshwater marshes and a scenic bridleway which leads to the sea. Further south is Leiston, site of the picturesque Leiston Abbey, another great place for those interested in the Suffolk Heritage Coast.

For more information visit www.suffolk-secrets.co.uk/

Photo credit: Karen Roe