Last Updated on October 16, 2023

Suffolk Staycations – Part 1

At London Unattached we are very keen on the ‘staycation’, a chance to get a breather away from the helter-skelter of the ‘Big Smoke’. So, we are very pleased to be running a short series of features about places to stay and to visit around the east coast of Suffolk.

Our first destination is The Crown and Castle in Orford, a gorgeous and historic village on the scenic River Ore with breathtaking views of the Orford Ness nature reserve. The dog-friendly Crown and Castle calls itself ‘a restaurant with rooms’ – 21 to be exact – and with all seven of its first-floor bedrooms newly refurbished and decorated and named after local landmarks, this seemed like the perfect time to visit, especially as the hotel has just won the East of England Tourism Award for Small Hotel of the Year! 

We stayed in one of three ‘superior sea-view rooms at the back of the building with endless views over ‘The Ness’, after which the room was named. With a fresh and contemporary country styling, the room has cream accents, floral fabrics echoing the flowers in the nearby Orford Ness nature reserve, a gorgeous old-fashioned radiator and ‘a sage and silver patterned’ feature wall. There is a modern parquet pattern chest of draws and a side table as well as a flat-screen TV and tea and coffee making facilities. The bed is well-sized and very comfy!

The bathroom with its mother-of-pearl panels, Templespa toiletries and walk-in power shower, also has sea views, which makes having a lounge in the bathtub even more enjoyable. 

The downstairs bar has a sophisticated little aperitif menu suitable for the grown-up clientele and glasses of Lillet and Antica Formula Vermouth set us up very nicely for dinner. 

The Crown and Castle’s Head Chef, Jake Lawrence, has created a modern British menu that majors in local Suffolk produce ‘including Orford landed seafood and locally reared meats.’ They serve pub classics and roasts but there are much more interesting à la Carte, Vegan and, our choice, the Fish Specials menus.

The dining room has dark wood beams, a lovely large fireplace, parchment and teal-coloured walls, wooden tables and floors and pale plaid banquettes. 

What I loved about the restaurant is that its commitment to the ‘local’ is genuine. We nibbled on tangy crisp sourdough bread from the village’s Pump Street bakery with herb-flavoured whipped butter.

We then feasted on smoked fish and shellfish from Pinney’s, another local supplier based in Orford. There was a great selection of smoked mackerel, smoked salmon, Butley Bay oysters, fresh prawns, and a dollop of mayonnaise topped with caviar. 

A good-looking hand-picked crab tartlet encased in a filo pastry case had a perfect balance of brown and white meat. It was studded with peas and came topped with a crisp disc of radish and caviar.

The rich roast peach notes of a bottle of Gavi. La Luciana Araldica, Italy 2020 worked well with our fish main dishes – a beautifully cooked fillet of Orford landed sea bass came with a healthy porting of wild mushroom & truffle tagliatelle slathered with vegetal wild garlic oil.

Crisp-skinned pan-roasted sea trout was served with a healthy combination of heritage tomatoes, earthy sweet Jerusalem artichokes, and roasted beetroot with a kale pesto for added crunch.

For dessert, the playful trio of lightly stewed apple, ginger and cinnamon included a moreish doughnut hot from the fryer with green apple sorbet and candied ginger. Whilst mango and cherry sorbets were not oversweetened and refreshed our palates. I was impressed with our meal with the kitchen showing some impressive technique and a sensitivity to flavour and texture.

After a good night’s sleep, I always feel like a good breakfast. The Crown and Castle offer a selection of fresh juices and a wide selection of teas and coffees to drink. There is porridge made with conservation-grade oats, homemade muesli or commercial cereals, there’s toast and pastries, yoghurt and fruit salad. 

There is also a tantalising range of hot dishes including Eggs Benedict, The Full English and Buttered Kippers but we went for the Eggs Royale – a luxurious plate of the excellent Pinney’s smoked salmon with a breakfast muffin, poached eggs and hollandaise. And the vegan Tuscan beans, a warming dish of slow-cooked cannellini beans with herbs, chilli and topped with some scrambled tofu. 

Breakfast set us up magnificently for a day’s exploring. If you can tear yourself away from the hotel, the village and the surrounding area are well worth investigating and the hotel offers electric bikes for hire, along with a selection of suggested walks and boat trips to the Orford Ness nature reserve.

 Orford village itself is very scenic with lovely lanes, shops and nooks and crannies to explore.

But the highlight of any visit to the village is the must-see 12th-century Orford Castle. The 12th century castle was built by Henry II to assert the Crown’s power over the local Bigod family. As well as a fascinating museum there are wonderful views of the local area. For opening times check www.english-heritage.org.uk.

We loved our stay at the Crown and Castle and believe it makes the perfect base for exploring the area, which we will be doing more of in our second Suffolk Staycation piece.  That will focus on the seaside town of Aldeburgh and its surroundings. So keep an eye out for more about Suffolk!

To discover more about the Crown and Castle visit www.crownandcastle.co.uk or call 01394 450205 

Prices start from around £170 B&B per night for two sharing; dogs are charged extra.

The Crown and Castle
Market Hill,
Orford,
Woodbridge IP12 2LJ
United Kingdom