The Ship, Dunwich T

he Ship offered the perfect family escape earlier this year. This cute and cosy coastal pub with rooms, located in Dunwich village, is just a pebble’s throw away from the beautiful Suffolk coast. We arrived early so took the opportunity to explore.

What I instantly loved about the nearby beach is its accessibility; from the carpark you are literally there, surrounded by sand, shingle and waves as far as the eye can see. My mind wandered to the summer months, thinking this would be the perfect spot to unload the kayak or paddle ‘

‘ board and be instantly ready to enjoy the water. What I loved even more was the fact we were literally the only people on the beach; we had it all to ourselves. This was a cool, breezy spring Saturday, but all nicely wrapped up and full from our ‘car picnic’, we decided to walk the 2.3 miles to the National Trust Dunwich heath and beach. The usual disgruntlement from the children of being asked to walk was negated with playing ‘tag’, pebble skimming and nature spotting.

We arrived at the tearooms which are set in a stunning location overlooking the heath. Revitalised with hot chocolates and brownies from the lovely café, we set off back to The Ship along a coastal path.

Walking through the heath is a spectacle in itself, the gorse was flowering a bright vivacious yellow but I can only imagine how stunning the pink/purple haze of the flowers look during the summer months. This is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that offers peace, tranquillity and a chance to spot species in their precious habitat (unfortunately, no quiet reflection for us with two children in tow). From here we continued into woodland where the boys loved playing hide and seek and den building.

On leaving the woods you continue along the coastal path to a stunning clifftop location steeped in history, which has the remains of a 13th century monastery called Greyfriars Medieval Friary. You can walk freely amongst the ruins and see the last remaining gravestone on the cliff top, with the most impressive of views looking out over the beach and sea below.

Back at The Ship we stayed in Blackfriars room which is an upstairs room with low ceilings and is

“The boys raced in to choose their beds and raided the biscuit selection, whilst I appreciated the luxurious Bramley bathroom range.” beautifully decorated. It was spacious and also the perfect layout for families, allowing parents their own room and alone time. The boys raced in to choose their beds and raided the biscuit selection, whilst I appreciated the luxurious Bramley bathroom range. Dinner was delicious and beautifully presented, we had a warm and friendly welcome and the service was impeccable. The menu centred on hearty, classic coastal and locally inspired produce. I chose grilled sea bream with a lobster bisque - a perfect choice. Both boys unsurprisingly opted for the sausages and mash and devoured these in minutes. The evening was spent enjoying the lovely wine that had been recommended and playing board games.

Film makers have a proclivity for putting disasters on the big screen so maybe one day they will turn their attention to the lost town of Dunwich - Britain’s Atlantis.

As someone who loves nothing more than a sunset or sunrise I woke up early (leaving everyone else fast asleep in what I can only describe as the most comfortable beds ever), to get one more beach walk in before leaving to go home. Too much cloud cover meant there was not the perfect sunrise on this occasion, however, the setting was still magical. Our escape was capped off with a delicious cooked breakfast served in the Orangery. Sadly, normal life resumes and we ran out of time to explore the surrounding area any further, but we totally loved our 24 hour Suffolk Coastal sleepover at The Ship at Dunwich.

A fierce storm in 1328, which fatefully diverted the River Blyth northwards, all but obliterated the settlement. Before this destruction it had been an important Saxon and Norman port exporting wool and grain to Europe. It had a population of around 5,000, about 10 churches and two friaries.

A cinematic drama needs interesting characters and there may well have been many in affluent Dunwich. Merchants were rich men earning profits from wine, stone, wool and salt trades. How many of them survived?

To add a supernatural element to this story it is said you can still hear the bells of the sunken churches pealing beneath the waves on a stormy night. The sea has been reclaiming Dunwich and its surrounds at the rate of around a yard per year but what intrigues historians is the likelihood that, as the cliffs recede and the coastline rolls back, buildings that have been submerged will gradually be exposed and may well be reasonably intact.

Kate Cotterill