Woodbridge: UNLONDON by the river
After you’ve travelled from London to Ipswich on the Intercity train, a small district line will take you to your final destination, the quiet picture perfect riverside market town of Woodbridge.
As you look to the right and see the estuarial river Deben come into view you’ll feel the weight of London be lifted from your shoulders.
Where is Woodbridge in England
Market town Woodbridge lies beside the river Deben in Suffolk, just 10 miles east of Ipswich in the East of England. Woodbridge can be reached by train, via Ipswich, in just an hour and a half.
What makes Woodbridge special
Woodbridge is England’s Origin story, just like Marvel. The Romans had left, the Anglo Saxons came and created the idea of England. Angle-land. And the very epoch of it, as we know it, was the burial ground of the King of the East Angles, Raedwald, at Sutton Hoo, full of immense wealth, gold and treasure. The bling of its day.
Local markets, local food
Just a few miles outside Suffolk’s capital town Ipswich and eight miles to the sea along the river, Woodbridge is a hidden gem, with superb independent shops on The Thoroughfare, fabulous pubs and restaurants serving local, seasonal produce, and there are frequent markets for food, crafts and vintage on Market Hill next to the majestic Shire Hall.
On the edge the Suffolk Coast & Heaths National Landscape, Woodbridge has a history of rope-making, sail-making and boat-building - Sir Francis Drake had his fighting ships built at Woodbridge.
Woodbridge Tide Mill Museum is a must-visit location – it’s one of only two in the UK and the earliest. This iconic building, now a living history museum, lets you get up close to how the flow of the water lets the wood and metalwork grind the grain into flour. Milling and turning days are scheduled throughout the summer and autumn months with the mill open daily until the beginning of October.
Take a Deben River Trip
Stay at The Crown at Woodbridge, camp at Secret Meadows glamping or Run Cottage Touring Park or head to the rural upmarket idylls of Seckford Hall Hotel and Spa or Milsoms Kesgrave Hall.
Visit Easton Farm Park or take a Deben River Trip on the Gina and explore the upper reaches of the river. Departing from Woodbridge Town Steps you will enjoy a sailor’s view of Woodbridge, passing the historic site of Sutton Hoo en route. Gina carries up to 12 people and trips will be running between May and October.
England’s Valley of the Kings
Ah yes, the absolutely unique Sutton Hoo, the most important Anglo Saxon site in the UK and home of the biggest and most exciting archaeological find in British history. This is England’s ‘Valley of the Kings’, the 7th century cemetery for the royal dynasty of East Anglia, the Wuffingas, who claimed descent from the god Woden.
It’s thought that many of the 18 or so burial mounds were looted over time, but in 1939, in the King’s Mound, amateur archaeologist Basil Brown discovered the richest burial ever found in northern Europe, that of King Rædwald, laid to rest in a 90ft long ship, surrounded by his extraordinary treasure.
Now immortalised in Netflix movie ‘The Dig’ starring Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan and Lily James, Sutton Hoo is a joy to visit – discover how the Anglo Saxons lived, climb the viewing tower to get a sense of the scale of the site and enjoy refreshments in the café.
Walking with the ghosts of Anglo Saxon Royalty on the banks of the Deben – you can’t get more UNLONDON than that.
Where to stay in Woodbridge
It’s got to be The Crown in the town centre or Kesgrave Hall just outside.
Getting to Woodbridge by train from London
You can get to Woodbridge by train from London Liverpool Street station, the journey takes around 1 hour 33 minutes, and has 1 change at Ipswich station. Our trains are accessible and feature free Wi-fi and plug points in-between seats. First Class and catering are available on most of our London to Ipswich intercity services.
If you’re planning to stay overnight, you should check out our Weekender ticket, which lets you travel out on a Friday or Saturday, and return on a Sunday or Monday.
Book train ticket to Woodbridge
FAQs about Woodbridge
Around an hour and a half, changing at Ipswich.
The riverside market town is a delight to visit, with the working Tide Mill Museum, and National Trust Sutton Hoo is nearby. The town has great shops, pubs and places to eat.
Yes, very much so, with much of the town focused on The Thoroughfare.
Yes it does, a food and produce market every Thursday containing a number of local vendors selling fresh bread, pastries, cheese, pies, fresh flowers and plants, fruit and vegetables, preserves, packaging free whole foods and fresh fish.
Photography courtesy of Visit East of England