Suffolk, being set in largely unspoiled rolling countryside is a county which we at The Barn Shop love because of it’s huge array of country pursuits. From fishing, to shooting to bird watching it has many incredible spots to tickle your countryside fancy! Located between Norfolk with it’s idyllic coast line and Essex/London with fantastic shopping opportunities, Suffolk is not only ideally situated but offers a huge range of activities for the country man or woman.
First lets take a trip to High Lodge, headed up by multiple World, European and English shooting champion it offers a wide range of shooting activities including several skeet ranges, woodland stands and Down the Line. Voted by the shooters themselves as a top UK shooting venue in a national poll and are hailed as a ‘Premier Plus’ ground by the Official Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (CSPA). The range offers a variety of packages including training for people shooting for the first time and just trying it out, corporate events and regular group and one-on-one training.
Another venue offering shooting is the Suffolk Shooting School, which includes a range managed by fully qualified CSPA instructors. Alongside shooting it also offers a large amount of other activities including fly-fishing, an archery range, quad biking and 4×4 offroad driving. Most impressive however is their simulated game shoots, much like the hunting trips of old several hundred birds (Except it’s clays here) are released above a group of 6 guns and their partners for the more experienced shots out there willing to give it a go.
Suffolk also offers a vast array of fishing opportunities with sea fishing opportunities as well as many quiet lakes full of fish. South Elmham Lakes is one of these, offering 3 secluded, spring fed lakes offering both Rainbow and Brown Trout with catches exceeding 12lb!
Birdwatching is also available in abundance with a large number of wildlife trusts offering reserves in the area including at Minsmere where the BBC programme Springwatch was based in 2014 with a large selection of the finest birds, woodland creatures over marshes, heath and beach a real showcase of the area’s rich variety of wildlife.