Moving to Suffolk

So glad that you are settling in ok Moonshadow and that you are enjoying exploring the area. Southwold is so beautiful, you lucky lady!

I never replied to you all. Sorry, life is busy for us.

Well we moved in October to Southwold which was a bit of a surprise as we never thought we would be able to afford it but we found somewhere that was 10 years old and needed no work to make it suitable enough for my daughter. We love it here , my husband can walk the dog across the marshes to the harbour and into town and I can get into town in about 5 minutes. We are struggling very much with local health and social care systems ( health are very kind though) but we now have some respite care sorted so we can pop out for short walk and a coffee a couple of times a week. For the first 4 months I only left the house twice but since February I have been out twice a week! We Have briefly explored halesworth ( which we knew a bit), beccles, and saxmundham and stopped off at the incredibly posh darsham nursery cafe. I went to the book group in town at the beginning of this month and felt like a grown up again. Not sure when I will be able to do that again TBH but it was lovely.

Brockdish is very nice. It's not too far from Harleston (South Norfolk)about two or three miles. Everybody I know who lives there are very happy. Some villages can be a bit clicky, so you are sensible to do your homework Moonshadow! Good luck.

I live in North Suffolk about 6 miles from Diss. Have you thought of Botesdale or Rickinghall (the 2 villages are joined). There are 2 pubs (there were 3 but one is for sale I gather) a dentist a very good GP surgery and a few shops, including a Co-op. It's about 25 mins to the beautiful Bury St Edmunds and a little longer to Norwich. As others have said though, the roads aren't brilliant and are heavily used. If you want somewhere with a vibrant village community, try Redgrave. Smaller, a little nearer to Diss but worth a look. Good luck and I hope you find what you're looking for!

I live in a remote hamlet, and would suggest you find somewhere with more than just one shop and pub, as they could easily close, and then you'd be stuck.

I think Walsham le Willows in West Suffolk seems a great place to live - it has a lot of thriving local activities/groups, a wonderful open gardens weekend, quite a lively place with several shops, good butchers and DIY store, and pubs, about 11 miles from Bury St Edmunds and Diss. Not sure about a doctors though.

Or how about Halesworth - a small market town, but on railway line and with very friendly atmosphere, great arts centre with U3A etc. Probably larger than you were thinking, but attractive and lots to do. Personally I think a small market town would be less lonely, and you'd be able to fit in easily.

I can't help much with individual villages although my son works in Diss and it seems to be quite a thriving community, with a busy and attractive high street. I live in the north west of Suffolk towards Thetford - moved up from Hertfordshire about 20 years ago. I love the tranquillity and slower pace of life, but I would say to think about what travelling you might need to do. The north of the county can seem a bit isolated with lots if slow-ish roads and limited public transport - this may be a pluspoint for you but with hindsight (as children grew up and we got older) I wish we had chosen somewhere a bit closer to a major town. Hope someone on here can give you some more tips. Good luck with your move.