While they often don't get the same hype as some of our favorite travel rewards cards, cash-back cards can hold their own when it comes to deserving a spot in your wallet.
23.04.2024 - 08:25 / forbes.com / Ed Sheeran
Made famous by the painter John Constable, and more recently, by singer-songwriter, Ed Sheeran, Suffolk’s rural landscapes and quintessential British seaside resorts make for an alluring destination for those seeking a holiday in the UK.
The unassuming county, bordering Norfolk to the north, Essex to the south and Cambridgeshire to the west, is often overlooked in favour of coastal hotspots, such as Devon or Cornwall, or the manicured countryside charm of the Cotswolds. But this is all part of its attraction: despite Suffolk being within easy reach of London and the Midlands, as you traverse the idyllic country lanes, and pass by medieval churches, it feels like you have stumbled across a well-kept secret part of the UK that not many have discovered yet.
Of course, this is not exactly the case. Constable first put Suffolk on the map with his bucolic paintings, the most famous being The Hay Wain, which was completed in 1821 and depicts the River Stour in Flatford, with travellers visiting the scene—which remains largely unchanged—ever since. Sheeran’s Castle on the Hill, meanwhile, also put the destination in the spotlight, with the song creating an uptick in 15% more visitors the year after it was released. It has been described as a ‘love letter to Suffolk’ and references Framlingham Castle close to where the singer grew up.
Suffolk’s largest resort town is Southwold, which boasts a traditional pier and a brewery and gin distillery by Adnams, the 650-year-old, Suffolk-based brewer (you can book tours and gin-making activities). The town also boasts a boutique-style hotel, The Swan, owned by the brewery, and which was once a historic coaching inn, dating back to 1659.
From the RSPB Reserve at Minsmere—where you will spot avocets, bearded tits and bitterns, and if you’re lucky, an otter hiding out in the reedbed pools—to the medieval, crooked timbered houses in Lavenham—part of the appeal of Suffolk is its sheer diversity.
Celebrating all of this is the homestay company By Quince, which has a portfolio of individually designed, British holiday homes dotted across Suffolk (as well as in Kent and in the Cotswolds). Founded by Sarah and Peter Wood, the duo have injected an element of joyful design into period houses and turned them into holiday rentals with a difference. The signature aesthetic of the properties includes a mix-match of bright colours, seen in statement wallpapers and pretty textiles, antiques and vintage furniture, as well as the latest modern conveniences such as Nespresso coffee makers, high-end crockery, laundry washer-dryers and well-stocked kitchens.
Found in the seaside town of Aldeburgh, Moorings is one of the brand’s flagship properties and, with five bedrooms (sleeping 10-11
While they often don't get the same hype as some of our favorite travel rewards cards, cash-back cards can hold their own when it comes to deserving a spot in your wallet.
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