England Guide
East Anglia
Orford
The tiny, appealing Suffolk Coast village of ORFORD is a little gem dominated by two medieval buildings. The more impressive is the twelfth-century Castle (April– Sept daily 10am–6pm; Oct– March Thurs– Mon 10am–4pm; £4.70; www.english-heritage.org.uk), built by Henry II. Little but the lofty keep remains, its striking stature hinting at the scale of the original fortifications. Orford's other medieval edifice is St Bartholomew's church, where Benjamin Britten premiered his most successful children's work, Noye's Fludde, as part of the 1958 Aldeburgh Festival.
From the top of the castle keep, there's a great view across Orford Ness National Nature Reserve, a six-mile-long shingle spit that has all but blocked Orford from the sea since Tudor times. The National Trust offers boat trips (early April to June & Oct Sat only; July– Sept Tues– Sat; outward boats between 10am–2pm, last ferry back 5pm; £6.50; 
01394/450 057, www.nationaltrust.org.uk) across to the Ness from Orford Quay, four hundred yards down the road from the church, and a five-mile hiking trail threads its way along the spit. Among other walks around Orford itself, one of the best is the five-mile hike north along the river wall that guards the west bank of the River Alde.
Orford's gentle and unhurried air is best experienced by staying overnight at the stylish 
Crown & Castle Hotel, in a modest-looking building on the main square, Market Hill ( 01394/450 205, 
www.crownandcastlehotel.co.uk ; Price: ₤91-110). Replete with pastel-painted guest rooms and comfortable beds, there's also a superb restaurant; main courses – grilled plaice with toasted almonds and grapes, for example – average around £13 and reservations are advised. The village is also home to the Butley Orford Oysterage ( 01394/450 277; www.butleyorfordoysterage.co.uk ), where they catch and smoke their own fish and shellfish. The end results can be bought at their shop and sampled at their down-to-earth café/restaurant (daily noon–2pm, plus April– May & mid-Sept to Oct Wed– Sat 6.30–9pm; June to mid-Sept daily 6.30–9pm; Nov– March Fri & Sat 6.30–9pm), which is especially famous for its fresh oysters.