We’ve made this trip from London 6 times now – and we are going again next year – so it’s quite obvious that I absolutely love it! It’s the first holiday I took as a Mum. It’s where I go with my parents and its so child friendly. Here are my recommendations for a perfect break!
Accommodation
Wheatacre Hall Barns is a warm and welcoming place to stay with children. There are eight converted self-catering barns on a working farm. We always stay in the Mallard barn as its all on one level, very spacious, overlooks the duck pond and has a great garden. There is a soft play room for younger kids and a games/movie room for older children. My boys love visiting the cows and taking their granddad’s dog for a walk – with a stop on the swings. The farm is so beautifully quiet and sitting having dinner on a warm summers evening with the ducks peeking in the large open doors is bliss. You also get homemade cakes on arrival and can order home cooked meals which are absolutely delicious!
Top tip: bring black out blinds if you use them at home.
Where to go
Southwold is one of the most beautiful beaches I have visited in England and I would definitely recommend it for children. Off peak it’s lovely and peaceful too. It’s about a 30 minute drive from the barns and there is a large car park as well as some residential road parking. We always have lunch on the seafront at Suzie’s Beach Café. Once the boys get fidgety, we watch them play on the beach with a lovely cup of tea. We then walk up to the town for a look around the shops and stop to take in the beautiful view of the beach huts lining the golden sand. I can’t wait to go back again!
Great Yarmouth is the quintessential British seaside experience with lots of fun for a family day out. As well as a large, well-kept beach, there are activities to keep everyone occupied in most types of weather. My boys love the Merrivale Model Village with its animated scenes and model railway – and they can even feed some very big koi carp. We always have lunch at their tea room but on a lovely day it can get very busy. The model village itself probably takes about an hour/hour and a half to get round which is enough for young children. Then what is better to end the trip than an ice cream on the pier!
Top tip: Maybe give the Sea Life Centre a miss. It’s quite expensive and not the best example of conservation – I don’t think anyway.
Beccles is a very cute little town which has lovely boutique shops as well as the shops you might need when on a break with children. It’s also home to our favourite lunch spot – The Waveney House Hotel. They are very child (and dog!) friendly and serve beautiful food. What better way to occupy your children than sitting eating their lunch waving at all of the boats passing down the river.
If you have any questions on anything I have written, just drop me a message.
Thank you for reading!
My Family Travel Diary 