Autumn Breaks

Autumn is a great time of year to take a break, after the crowds of the summer season, the traffic jams to popular destinations and the promise of long hot sunny days not quite living up to our expectations. At least with Autumn you know where you are, you can guarantee that the visitor numbers will be lower than summer, that the leaves will definitely be turning their beautiful golds and russets, and you may just get some decent dry weather.

If you're planning on getting away for an Autumn break, there are many places to visit that in fact are at their best during the Autumn season. Getting out into the rolling countryside where fields have been prepared for their winter crops and stretch for miles like big brown canvasses, surrounded by hedgerows and bushes that are about to berry, providing a constant food source for the non-migrating bird population.

Equally, an Autumn break to the coast can be just as special. The chance to visit your favourite stretch of coast without the summer crowds, and the chance to walk along the shoreline without interrupting the masses of summer swimmers and sunbathers and children playing by the water's edge.

There is something quite magical about visiting the coast out of season, and the Suffolk Coast is no exception. Although a very popular destination at all times of the year, particularly in the summer, the Autumn gives you the chance to see the towns and villages return to their more sedate pace and their regular patterns return, the fishermen fetching their daily catch, the tea-rooms not selling out of your favourite homemade cakes and the antique shops and boutiques less crowded.

Generally, the hotels are a lot quieter at this time of year too, which also means that you can often pick up a good deal. One such hotel that is situated quite literally on the beach in Suffolk is the Brudenell Hotel in Aldeburgh, a small traditional fishing town that has retained it's original quaintness. The Brudenell Hotel can be found at the southern end of the promenade that stretches the complete length of the town, and offers stunning coastal views from just about every window. An AA*** hotel with 42 bedrooms, some with the best sea views around, and a panoramic restaurant overlooking the sea as well as terrace dining, a perfect destination for an Autumn break where you can sit back and relax in a haven of tranquillity.