Surprised to learn that England has great beaches?
Michael Brooks/Alamy
Travelers in search ofEnglandsclassic seaside townsoften head to Devon and Cornwall, southwest of London.
Heres how I spent a long weekend there recently.
Southwold, one of Suffolk’s most popular beaches.Credit:Michael Brooks/Alamy
When I arrived mid-morning, it was nearly empty, except for a few families building sandcastles.
Its popular summer calendar includes child-friendly Shakespeare and comedy acts.
The sitting area had a dramatic brick chimney that corkscrewed from floor to ceiling.
A seafood spread at Butley Orford Oysterage.Jemma Watts
Saturday
After breakfast, I paddled around my private lake in a rowboat.
Aldeburgh, perhaps Suffolks best-known town, was my next stop.
Spent from the day, I took my mille-feuille dessert upstairs to my room.
The restaurant at the Suffolk inn.Courtesy of The Suffolk
The sound of the North Sea, which I could see from the window, lulled me to sleep.
I found impressive sculpture, too: three of the bronze figures from Barbara Hepworths famousThe Family of Man.
(All nine of the figures were originally installed at the center in 1976.)
From left: The Butley River, in Suffolk, England; the Greyhound Inn, a pub and hotel in Pettistree, one of Suffolk’s smallest villages.From left: Emma Croman; Courtesy of The Greyhound Inn
For lunch, I headed to theGreyhound Inn,in the village of Pettistree.
These days, its best known for the pastries atPump Street Bakery.
There, I had a dozen creamy oysters grown in the nearby Butley River.