Ipswich is the charming county town of Suffolk, located on the estuary of the river Orwell, presumed to be the inspiration for author Blaire to change his name to George Orwell.

Replete with well-preserved and quaint one-storey buildings, including the 15th century ‘Ancient House’ in the Buttermarket area, Ipswich offers a pleasant contrast to the bustle of London, which is only 100 kms away.

Wander around the town centre – The layout of the town centre can only be described as adorable, with local pubs, vegetable market, town churches et al jostling for your attention. Take a stroll around the buttermarket area, gaze at the heritage buildings, peep into adorable homes, grab a lunch at Zizzi’s, watch the latest movie, drop into the reading room, hear the church bells toll while you savour a pastry from Patesserie Valerie.

Meet the Giles Family – The town of Ipswich is steeped in history, Charles Dickens stayed at the Great White Horse Hotel when he wrote ‘Pickwick Papers’; Dr. George Birkbeck founded one of the first ‘Mechanics’ Institute’ which operates to this day as the Ipswich library and reading room. One such famed icon was cartoonist Carl Giles who lived in Ipswich and whose popular satirical cartoon was widely loved. He is commemorated with a statue of Grandma and the ‘Giles family’ menagerie in Queen Street, overlooking the window of the newspaper office where he worked.

Picnic at Holywells Park – The Holywells park much like the rest of Ipswich has history going back thousands of years. Tools from the Stone Age, as well as Bronze Age axes and Roman Coins have been discovered at this 67 acre park. The beautiful park is home to a large number of birdlife and is ideal for a summer picnic. On the way back to the town, head to the pier at sunset for a romantic walk under the shimmering lights of the waterfront.

Visit Cambridge – The famed university town of Cambridge is a short train ride away from Ipswich and visit it you must. Cambridge’s architecture and gardens are spectacular; Punting in Cambridge is a wonderful way of looking at the beautiful ‘Bridge of Sighs’ and the ‘Mathematical Bridge’ while on the river Cam. I especially enjoyed musing over the sculptural and entirely mechanical ‘Corpus Clock’.