Thoroughfare, Woodbridge · Inn
A ten-room boutique inn in the centre of Woodbridge, with a two AA Rosette restaurant and Sutton Hoo about ten minutes away.
The Crown sits on the Thoroughfare in the middle of Woodbridge, a market town on the tidal River Deben with a working tide mill, boatyards and a good run of independent shops. The building is old, the interior is not: a comprehensive redesign produced ten individually decorated en suite bedrooms and an open-plan bar and dining space built around a suspended wooden sailing boat.
Bedrooms have goose-down bedding, underfloor heating in the bathrooms and organic French toiletries. They differ in size and outlook, with some tucked under the eaves, so it is worth being specific about what you want when booking. Free wifi throughout, and the smaller room count means the place never feels processed.
Food is a genuine reason to stay. The restaurant holds two AA Rosettes and cooks with local suppliers, including Suffolk pork and fish landed on the coast, with a bar menu for anyone wanting something lighter. Breakfast is generally well reviewed and included in most rates.
Woodbridge is one of the more sensible bases in the county. Sutton Hoo is roughly ten minutes by car, the East Suffolk line runs from the station down to Ipswich and up towards the coast, and Aldeburgh, Orford and Snape are all inside half an hour. Rates are lower than Southwold or Aldeburgh for comparable quality. It suits couples, walkers using the Deben path, and anyone building a trip around the Anglo-Saxon sites. With only ten rooms it fills quickly for summer weekends.