If you own a static caravan, of course, you will want to protect it in the best way possible – and that means static caravan insurance.

To identify the most appropriate insurance cover for your own unique needs, it makes sense to compare static caravan insurance quotes – not only to check the policy offers the cover needed by your particular holiday home, but also to get the most competitively priced static caravan insurance.

Comparing static caravan insurance enables you to make an informed choice about what may constitute the most appropriate static caravan cover for your particular, individual circumstances.

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive on the subject of static caravans and insurance – they might help you in knowing what to look for when comparing cover.

Don’t forget, of course, that you can always contact us to find the most appropriate caravan insurance quote for you – we are here to help.

Do I need static caravan insurance?

The answer is simple – there is no legal obligation to have insurance for your static caravan, but:

• static caravan insurance naturally offers the safeguards you are likely to want to protect your investment against all manner of loss or damage; and
• an important condition frequently imposed by the management of caravan parks is that any home pitched there has static caravan insurance;
• If you have a loan on your static home, then your loan provider may require that you have adequate insurance in place at all times.

Can I live in my static caravan permanently and what are the insurance implications?

Caravan sites or parks fall into two broad categories – those for seasonal or holiday use and those in which residents may make their permanent home the year-round.

Both types of caravan park must be licensed by the local authority – and you risk being told to leave a site on which you plan to live the whole year round if the park doesn’t have the necessary residential licence.

Parks for static holiday homes may be licensed to open for only a restricted number of months in the year and any residents must vacate their caravans during that closed season. A condition of the lease of a static caravan pitch is likely to include a requirement for the caravan owner to maintain a permanent address and place of main residence elsewhere.

Static caravan insurance reflects the limited period of residence offered by a holiday caravan – and, if you decide, for whatever reason, that you need to move permanently or semi-permanently into your caravan, you may be putting your cover at risk.

Are static caravan insurance and park home insurance the same?

This helps to explain a critical distinction. Although they might look the same and be sited on similar caravan parks, there is a world of difference between a static caravan used as a holiday or second home and a park home in which you live the entire year-round.

Because of that difference, static caravan insurance is not comparable to or interchangeable with park home insurance. If you have a static caravan as your holiday home, you need static caravan insurance.

Given that some caravans are located in rural areas that are well known as holiday destinations, it is also perhaps worth pointing out that if you let out your static caravan to generate income, then you may need further insurance. Standard static caravan insurance may not cover the use of your caravan for commercial purposes including holiday lets.

What lease conditions call for insurance?

When you sign the lease allowing you to site your caravan on ground at a particular park or resort, there is almost certain to be a condition relating to your need for a minimum of public liability insurance.

This is designed to provide your indemnity against claims that may be made by those on neighbouring pitches, visitors to the site or members of the general public who suffer an injury or have their own property damaged through action – or inaction – for which they hold you responsible.

Since this type of claim – especially if severe injury or even death is involved – may assume significant proportions, public liability insurance typically offers at least £1 million of cover, and not infrequently, £5 million.

Do I have to buy static home insurance from the park management?

Although there may be a condition in your lease requiring some form of insurance for your static caravan and your ownership of it, it is very rare for any site management to insist that the cover may only be bought from the park management – although it is equally certain to be offered to you.

Instead, you are likely to be free to choose to buy your static caravan insurance from wherever you choose – including ourselves here at Cover4Caravans, of course – and simply furnish a copy of the insurance document to the site management company as proof of your cover. (Note that the site management may charge you a small admin fee for sight of your cover, but overall, you may still save money).

What are the principal elements of static caravan insurance?

In addition to any public liability cover, of course, is protection for your caravan itself against loss or damage.

There may be considerable variation in the benefits offered by different insurers. For increased peace of mind, for instance, you might want to choose a policy that provides for the replacement of your caravan with a new one of equivalent make and model in the event of a total loss – this is typically restricted to caravans below a certain age and you might want to choose a policy that offers this benefit for the longest period possible.

What steps do I need to take to mitigate the risks of loss or damage?

A typical condition of your static caravan insurance relates to the security measures you are required to take.

Many of those precautions are likely to be a matter of common sense. They might range from the need to lock windows and doors whenever you leave the caravan unattended, for example, and you may gain reductions in the cost of premiums by upgrading those locks and by installing fire alarms and intruder detectors.

Other conditions may extend to ways in which you must ensure the security of your caravan and minimise the risk of loss or damage when it is left unoccupied for any length of time – say, during the park’s closed or winter season.

What are some guidelines on buying my static caravan insurance?

To identify the most appropriate insurance cover for your own unique needs, it makes sense to compare static caravan insurance quotes – not only to check the policy offers the cover needed by your particular holiday home, but also to get the most competitively priced static caravan insurance.

Comparing static caravan insurance enables you to make an informed choice about what may constitute the most appropriate static caravan cover for your particular, individual circumstances.

Isn’t saving money about buying the cheapest static caravan insurance?

One of the world’s most potentially misleading words is “cheapest”.

In one sense, it is relatively easy to define. If you have a caravan policy that costs X amount and another that costs X plus 10%, then clearly the first policy is the cheapest.

Yet things can become a little more complicated. The simplicity of the measure doesn’t communicate the nature of the cover provided. Instead, you may wish to consider the value for money offered of the caravan insurance policy. You may wish to look for a selection of static home insurance policies that give you all the elements and levels of protection you need, and then compare the prices.

It is only by cross-comparing one policy against another, perhaps with the help of a specialist provider such as ourselves, that you might eventually reach some degree of confidence that you have identified the most cost-effective and appropriate static caravan insurance solution.

How can I reduce the cost of my insurance?

But make no mistake about it, static caravan insurance that is good value for money is competitively priced. When you shop around for your insurance, you are comparing different policies and options to single out the one that is cost-effective and represents good value for money.

Our expertise and experience here at Cover4Caravans will help you to find a policy that is appropriate for you. Don’t worry if you prefer not to use the internet for this type of business as we also run a telephone service.

Other factors which may influence and help lower the cost of your static caravan insurance premiums include:

• agreeing to a higher excess on the policy (this is the first part of any successful claim that you are financially liable for);
• installing additional security devices around your caravan to reduce the risk of theft and vandalism; and
• removing highly valuable contents from the caravan that might increase the cost of your contents cover (some policies might not actually cover such items including things such as cash, jewellery, and electronic devices).

Responsible insurance providers – such as ourselves at Cover4Caravans – will always be willing to offer you advice as to how you might benefit from any particular discounts offered according to the precautions you have taken.

Is it worth comparing static caravan insurance quotes?

Static home caravan insurance quotes will clearly vary according to the type of caravan you have and how you intend to use it. Quotes then need to conform to those requirements and be relevant to your individual circumstances.

In short, it is always worthwhile being perfectly clear as to the nature of your caravan and the way you plan to use it, before seeking caravan insurance quotations.

You must be sure that the cover you buy fully protects the investment that you have made in your static caravan, and to do that, any insurance quote needs to be compared with others so that you can weigh up just what is on offer before making your decision one way or the other.

Do you have any tips on carrying out a static caravan insurance comparison?

If you are making a comparison of static caravan insurance quotes, you might find the following tips helpful:

• keep the price in context – as we have already suggested, try to focus on your options in terms of the cover they provide and the conditions they apply, as ultimately this may prove to be far more important to you than a relatively modest price difference between two similar policies;
• read the terms and conditions carefully – sometimes, potential policyholders overlook these, and this may have dire consequences, given the fact that the “T and Cs” may eventually govern whether or not you will be able to make a claim in any given circumstance;
• note your obligations – an insurance policy typically highlights conditions you must meet as part of your side of the contract bargain and if you fail to do so, simply because you have not read the policy, you may discover this through the painful experience of having a claim refused;
• look for discount potential – when making your static caravan insurance comparison, it might be worthwhile paying particular attention to the relative scope for discounts offered by the policies under comparison, as some may be far more flexible in this respect than others;
• think about expertise – some insurance providers such as ourselves specialise in caravans, and that is worth noting as they may be rather more familiar with the issues and challenges associated with maintaining adequate caravan insurance cover;
• shop around – the caravan insurance marketplace, like many others, is extremely competitive and it may pay to resist any pressures applied by people, such as site owners, to take their insurance simply because it is the first one that comes to hand – by using our online quote service, you can get several quotes all from one place;
• allocate sufficient time to do justice to the comparison – trying to squeeze a static caravan insurance comparison into a spare five minutes you have one evening may be unlikely to allow you to compare a number of options in the detail required and this may be a pity as it may mean that you miss some very suitable deals.

Alternatively, please get in touch and speak to one of our friendly staff – or use our online caravan insurance service – to easily see what your static home insurance options are. We’d be only too happy to help!

Can you tell me more about static caravan insurance quotes from Cover4Caravans?

Using our online service to find out about static caravan insurance quotes may give you some peace of mind in knowing that you have appropriate cover for your caravan.

We consider all our static caravan insurance quotes to be competitively priced. Differences between policies might make some options more cost-attractive than others – but what one caravanner considers cheap, of course, may be different from another’s.

Our insurance policies offer what we believe are generous and attractive terms and conditions about the new for old replacement of any static caravan up to ten years old – regardless of the number of previous owners – that becomes a total loss after an insured incident. Other insurers may offer new for old replacements in such circumstances – but only if the caravan has had only the one owner from new and is less than just three or five years old.

Further questions?

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be delighted to help!

Here we round up some of the latest UK caravan and camping news stories …

National Caravan Council relaunches TowCheck website

If you are new to caravanning, thinking of buying a new ‘van, or simply out of informed curiosity, one of the most important considerations is the type of car you will need to pull whatever caravan you have. Naturally, it’s important to get it right – both from a safety and a legal point of view.

Therefore, it is welcome news – revealed by the Caravan Times recently – that the National Caravan Council has relaunched a website and user-friendly online tool that finds you the perfect match for the caravan and the vehicle you’ll need to tow it.

The online TowCheck tool finds the right match in accordance with the respective weights of the caravan and your car, together with adjustments for any towing experience you may have.

If the car/caravan combination you input turns out to be unsafe – or even illegal – the tool will instead give you a selection of alternative caravans. Wherever possible these alternatives will be the same make as the original manufacturer you had input. The result is a far more informed choice about your car/caravan towing combination.

Coachman revamps Acadia range in 2025

The Hull-based UK manufacturer of caravans and motorhomes has revamped this year’s range of popular Acadia ‘vans, announced Practical Caravan on the 19^th of August.

The new line-up sees the introduction of an all-new Acadia 460, a streamlining of the Laser models into a single range, and the inclusion of an additional third option in its upmarket, luxury Lusso range.

The revamped Acadia range principally involves changes to the interior in a bid to achieve a more modern and contemporary ambience, with furniture and fittings that weigh less.

The CAMC gets Gold in the Green Tourism accreditation scheme

For the third year running, the Caravan and Motorhome Club is participating in the nationwide Green Tourism accreditation scheme, it announced last month.

The scheme is run by the Green Tourism organisation. This aims to give practical advice to its members in the tourism and hospitality sector on sustainability options and business activities.

For 2024, The Caravan and Motorhome Club has achieved Green Tourism’s Gold awards for 122 of its caravan sites and also its headquarters at East Grinstead House. The Club’s remaining campsites have all received Green Tourism’s Silver awards.

The future of motorhomes: Do they have to be electric from 2030?

The government is committed to achieving “net zero”. A transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is a crucial step in that process. The aim is to abolish the sale of all petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles by 2030.

Although the policies extend to motorhomes, petrol and diesel versions of these continue to be made – and they are certain to outlast any abolition that comes into effect in 2030.

Furthermore, most analysts will argue that – in the case of motorhomes – the transition to EVs will be slow and gradual. Not only is there a stock of long-lasting models but EV technology for relatively heavy motorhomes still has some way to go. The operating range of a heavier vehicle using current battery technology means that EV motorhomes are unlikely to attract many users.

Covering some 220 square miles of the county of Hampshire – and a bit of Wiltshire – the New Forest is one the largest remaining areas of unenclosed heathland, forest, and pasture in southern England.

It is one of the latest additions to the register of Britain’s National Parks, but the New Forest is anything but new! It was established way back in 1079 by William the Conqueror as a royal park for hunting deer and wild pigs.

Situated squarely on England’s sunny south coast, the New Forest is readily accessible from many parts of the UK – barely a stone’s throw from London, the Midlands, or the south west. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons for visiting the New Forest.

Natural beauty

The New Forest is renowned for its stunning landscapes, which include ancient woodlands, heathlands, and picturesque villages. It’s a haven for nature lovers, with lush greenery, serene lakes, and open moorlands.

Walking or cycling through the forest trails allows you to immerse yourself in all the tranquillity and beauty of the surrounding forest. The change of seasons brings a variety of colours and scenery, from vibrant spring blossoms to the golden hues of autumn – it’s the ideal year-round destination.

They are so numerous that it’s difficult to highlight the top beauty spots. The 200 acres of Exbury Gardens, for example, have been described as “heaven with the gates open”. The gardens are world-renowned thanks to the unique collection of rhododendrons and azaleas planted by the Rothchild family. In peak bloom the plants tower over visitors in a profusion of flowers from white, to cream, to palest green.

Exbury Gardens also plays host to the Five Arrows Gallery where local artists and photographers display their interpretations of local wildlife and landscapes.

Wildlife

The area is home to a variety of animals, including the famous New Forest ponies, which roam freely across the heathland. Deer, foxes, and many bird species can also be observed in their natural habitat. Birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts will find the New Forest a paradise for spotting rare and interesting species.

Although they roam free throughout the forest, Bolderwood is probably the best place to be certain of viewing at least some of the New Forest’s five species of deer – from the majestic Red deer, to Fallow deer, Roe deer, Sika, and Muntjac.

The enclosure at Bolderwood offers a protected area of the forest and a sanctuary for many types of deer. From a purpose-built platform, you can overlook the meadows in which the deer are grazing and even coordinate your visit with feeding times.

Towns, history, and cultural heritage

The New Forest is dotted with historical sites, including ancient churches, traditional thatched cottages, and remnants of past settlements. The many strands of its cultural history are brought together in some of the best-known towns.

Lyndhurst, for example, became the forest’s “capital” from the earliest years of William the Conqueror’s visits. The small town is today home to the New Forest Heritage Centre – a museum and exhibition hall where you can trace the millennia of forest history. Lyndhurst is also the location of the Verderers Court – first set up in the 13^th century as a court responsible for ruling the forest, with authorisation from the Crown and elections from the County.

Lewis Carroll is probably the best-remembered children’s author, but did you know that the grave of Carroll’s original Alice in Wonderland – Alice Liddell (later Hargreaves) – can be found in Lyndhurst’s churchyard?

Visiting the New Forest means you get to enjoy stunning natural landscapes, serene lakes, picturesque villages, and observe free-roaming wildlife like the iconic New Forest ponies and various deer species. The area also offers rich cultural history, with historical sites, museums, and charming towns like Lyndhurst. It’s a tranquil escape with diverse outdoor activities year-round.

You might not have heard about it but when October rolls around, it is National Home Security Month (NHSM).

The campaign – which was first launched back in 2013 – offers a timely reminder that static caravans and conventional homes built of bricks and mortar have one major feature in common – they are both potential targets for burglars and other criminals.

Fortunately for the static caravan homeowner, there are some steps you can take to deter these criminals.

A quick review of burglar’s psychology

Far be it from us to delve into the minds of your common or garden burglar or thief, but it might be useful to spare just a moment or two to think about the most likely inclination and attitude of such a criminal.

Put in its simplest of terms, the fact is that the vast majority are opportunists – they are on the outlook for and attuned to spontaneous opportunities to easily access a static caravan in order to steal the contents. And it’s not just any caravan, but your static home.

With that in mind, remember that burglars are always on the lookout for things such as open doors and windows, tools left lying around outside (which might be used to gain entry) and potential access points that appear to have no or only limited security.

Make your security obvious

The Metropolitan Police advise any homeowner – and that includes your static caravan – to keep it visible when it comes to the security measures you’ve taken. The more you make obvious the steps you’ve taken, the more secure your home is likely to be. As opportunists first and foremost, burglars will typically move on, looking for caravans that are more vulnerable – because that means less risk of discovery.

So, it only makes sense to install approved professional locks and bolts on all of your doors and windows and to make sure that you don’t help burglars unintentionally by leaving tools lying around outside that they might otherwise use against those same security bolts.

High-tech solutions

You also have the option of installing (or having installed), solutions involving a combination of burglar alarms and cameras – once again these are also likely to have a visibly deterrent effect.

Burglar alarms have been around for a long time and are now very sophisticated. More recently, cameras and video technology have been added to the armoury of security devices.

Today, the cameras are very small and easy to hide around your caravan. Some devices – such as the range of products retailed by Blink (an Amazon company) – can link directly to the internet and will notify you on your phone if they’ve detected someone moving around your property when it should be empty.

They may even be able to use infrared sensors to detect movement in the dark and to film the intruders!

These types of solutions may be installed on a DIY basis or by a professional security solutions provider. Some providers of more sophisticated solutions might augment their provision of security systems with regular patrols and rapid response services.

Insurance issues

Some static caravan insurance providers may require you to take minimum security precautions as a condition of your insurance cover.

Requirements for you to fit locks and bolts to prescribed minimum standards, for example, might be regularly found in policies. In some cases, policies might also require you to use more advanced solutions and, in some instances, they may also extend specified security conditions to include aspects of the services provided by the owners or management of the site or park on which your static caravan is berthed.

Summary

Few if any static caravan owners would want to consider trying to turn their property into an impenetrable citadel. However, a balance must be struck between avoiding doing so and making it terrifyingly easy for thieves to enter.

The level of the measures you choose to adopt will be driven partly by any requirements that might be specified in your static caravan insurance policy and perhaps the extent to which you wish to ensure that the contents of your static are protected.

If you have any doubts about the potential solutions available to you, it would be worth speaking with a local security specialist with the relevant expertise in keeping intruders at bay.

Date of Visit:     July 2024

Overall View

This is a Caravan and Motorhome club members only site. It is situated approximately 3 miles from the market town of Halesworth in the county of Suffolk. It consists of the usual 5 pitches in one field.

Access is recommended from the A12 – please have a look at the Site Arrival Video.  It is advisable not to use the A1120 from Stowmarket due to narrow sections, bridges and villages.

Facilities

The CL site has an Elsan disposal point, clean water tap and the usual refuse and recycling facilities by the entrance gate. The gate is kept padlocked with a security code, given to you upon confirmation of booking.

The site is adults only and dog friendly.   As it is a working farm, dogs must be kept on leads at all times.

Review of Site Pitch

The field on which the five pitches are placed is entirely laid to grass. There are 5 bollards with the usual electric hook-up, 16 amps. These are placed strategically around the edge of the field so as to maximise the sunshine on each of the pitches.

The field is on a slight slope and this is more notable at the top of the field and as a result ramps may be required. However, although we were on pitch one at the top of the field, we did not require ramps.

Apart from the request to park your van in line with the bollard, you were pretty much free to place your van in whichever direction you chose. There are no lined pitch markers.

The only minor issue we had with the field was that the grass could have been mown shorter as it was quite long.

There are sheep and horses in adjacent fields but did not cause any issues.

We were a little concerned about some reviews which stated that the Rookery was particularly disruptive and noisy. However, these people had visited at the height of the nesting season and this may well have contributed to this. During our week long stay we had little or no noise from the Rookery as the birds had long since fledged.

The site has a good number of way marked pathways which you can access from just outside the site entrance. Providing your dog is on its lead you are free to take some beautiful and peaceful walks across the Suffolk countryside.

There was no Wi-Fi on site, however mobile wise Vodafone reports good outdoor coverage up to 4G, O2 report good indoor and outdoor coverage up to 4G, EE said good up to 4G everywhere with 5G possible outdoors. 3 (Smarty) was poor inside the caravan but the roof mounted puck ensured a good enough signal at 4G for streaming catch-up TV.

TV reception was fine, the aerial needing to by tilted vertical for the best signal.

Out and About

The nearest town is Halesworth, about a 10 minute drive from the site. Here you will find the nearest supermarket – a Co-op with attached café and adjacent petrol station.

Public transport wise, there is a railway station here with trains to Lowestoft and Ipswich.  You will find your nearest bus stop from the site in Halesworth too. See HERE for service details

There is a Vet in Halesworth as well.

The nearest caravan and motorhome dealership is Farnham Leisure on the A12 towards Felixstowe. It is possible to acquire most spare parts up to and including a brand new caravan or motor home!

Do and See

The county of Suffolk lies on the East Coast of England pretty much sandwiched between Norfolk to the north and Essex to the South. The county town is Ipswich.

The site we had chosen was pretty central for the whole of the county. It should be noted that there are no official motorways and as a result although distances may be short in length, the time to travel to these destinations can be considerably longer. This should not however put you off from visiting as Suffolk is a beautiful county full of picturesque villages, market towns, characterful pubs and seaside attractions as well.

During our stay we toured around many of the main visitor attractions.

One of our first visits was down to Landguard Point at Felixstowe and you are able to sit and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee or tea, light snacks or something more substantial from a viewing cafe. This allows you to watch Felixstowe container port in full swing as the various cranes weave their magical dance unloading and loading the container ships. I am sure people will have seen these ships on the TV screen however, to see them in relative closeness only serves to remind you just how big they are.  Dogs are allowed to sit outside as long as they are on leads and it is accessible with toilets.  https://www.viewpointcafe.co.uk/

Suffolk is well known for picturesque villages and we were certainly spoilt for choice when choosing which villages to go and see. Framlingham has a most beautiful Market Square with lots of independent shops, cafes and various other offerings and on the day we visited the weather was particularly warm and a micro bakery and cafe has opened up in what was obviously a former bank, long since closed. We were able to sit outside in some shade and enjoy our refreshments whilst watching the village go about its daily life.  https://www.framlingham.com/plan-your-visit

Sizewell nuclear power station is based on the coast near the village of Sizewell. We noted as we were nearing the village in the area in question that there is apparently considerable local opposition to the building of Sizewell C. 

Whilst doing some research on places to visit during our stay, we found the East Anglia Transport Museum. It is a few minutes drive from Lowestoft. Parking is available but is severely limited and even more so for blue badge holders. It is however possible to park in the surrounding area and walk into the museum.

You should allow three to four hours to visit the museum. There are the usual cafe facilities and picnic areas should you wish to bring your own lunch. On any particular day that the museum is open  you can expect to see at least one trolleybus, a selection of electric trams and a narrow gauge railway to one side. It is also possible to view the non running buses and trams in their sheds. Dogs are allowed in the museum and almost of the buses and trams including the train. Access to the train is good, however it is not the case for the buses and trams.

There are also a selection of shops and workshops set up to reflect the period of time that the museum is based on and there are plenty of notice boards which give you the history out of what you are seeing.

Lowestoft is a typical seaside resort. It has a small pier and the usual attractions. There is ample parking, at cost, behind the promenade. Please note that it appears that in most car parks in Suffolk, blue badge holders will have to pay for parking.

There are shopping areas in the main part of town, with the usual facilities for fuel and supermarket.  It’s main claim to fame is that it is the most easterly town in England and has the most easterly railway station.   

Shawsgate Vineyard is a small family run vineyard about 20 minutes from the CL. The owners are very hospitable and tours can be booked in advance. They offer mainly white wine due to the climate, however, there are some light red wines available. Ample parking is available.

Southwold & Aldeburgh – These two villages can be easily combined into one visit.  They are your typical Suffolk village with a few shops, cafes and restaurants including fish and chip shops.  Aldeburgh has a lovely wide high street where the main facilities are.  Some lovely cafes for coffee and cake.  It was interesting to note that they were all on the sun side of the street, so if you wanted shade – on a particularly hot day, it was in short supply.

Southwold is a seaside village with a large car park at one end of the beach.  There is a small pier, free to go on and totally accessible.  The bonus of this pier is that one side is in the shade for most of the day – given the high temperatures during our visit, this was most welcome.  There is also a lovely café/restaurant near the car park and by the Crazy Golf.  It has a large verandah and dogs are most welcome on leads.  Good facilities too except the toilets which are outside the building.  Public toilets are available near the pier entrance.

Beccles – This is a small town, in two parts, the higher end where most of the shops and services are and the lower part by the River Waveney, about a 10 minute stroll down hill, you pass through some very historic areas, old Maltings factories turned into very smart apartments.  At the end of the road, you reach the River and a lovely café with seating outdoors.  There is also an information room to one side which proved very helpful with information leaflets etc during our visit.  Dogs are allowed to sit outside and are most welcome.  Again, there are good facilities and parking for both non and blue badge holders.

Orford Ness & Havergate Island can be seen via a very pleasant boat trip leaving from Orford Quay.  The boat will only take up to about 15 passengers and there are no real facilities on the boat however this actually enhances the experience as the boat owner is able to give a very informative but not intrusive commentary and answer questions you may have. It takes about one hour and is dog friendly. Disabled access is quite challenging however I would advise ringing ahead to see what accommodation they are able to do.

https://www.suffolkrivertrips.com

It was quite eerie to see the old and obviously no longer used atomic testing areas of Orford Ness. For ornithologists, Havergate island is a site of scientific interest to ensure that the bird population is protected.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/orford-ness-national-nature-reserve

During our stay we visited the Queens Head pub, Bramfield, about a 15 minute drive from the site. This was a very pleasant pub with a range of craft beers, mainly in cans, although there were a few hand pulled craft beers. There was a good menu and they positively welcome dogs. On one visit a local community travelling theatre group performed Twelve Night in the rear garden which seemed very well supported. Parking is not plentiful and therefore you may have to park on the road nearby. This did not, despite it being very busy, prove problematic.

Snape Maltings. A visit to this attraction comes highly recommended. The old maltings factory, alongside the River Alde was bought by Benjamin Britten in 1967 and part of it has been turned into a concert venue and theatre. In addition to this several of the buildings house shops of various types, the usual range of cafes and they allow dogs on the grounds quite happily. Accessible facilities for all are readily available.

Boat trips are also available from here.

Summary

A lovely,  quiet CL in gorgeous countryside.  A secure site feeling with helpful hosts.   Its location is a good recommendation and indeed the site was fairly busy during our week’s stay.  We would return to do more exploring.