Autumn may be knocking on our door, but I thought this would be a great opportunity to research a little further and discover fun, local days out in our area.

Here are some examples of the feedback I've had from my mini research project, in no particular order:

• Walk through the water meadows in Sudbury for beautiful morning views over the river. And why not pop to The Mill Hotel , have a cuppa and take a look at the weird mummified cat buried in the wall?

• While on the riverbank, take a look at  Sudbury River Trips for boats between Sudbury, Great Cornard and Great Henny. The season ends at the end of October and starts again in April. I absolutely recommend stopping off at the wonder Henny Swan. Great food, great beer and lovely owners.

• Pop over to Long Melford and journey back in time at  Melford Hall - There are often special events taking place. Their website has more details. 
  

• Just a few miles from Sudbury is Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf and Spa. You don't need to be an out of town visitor to enjoy their facilities. You can enjoy Pay and Play golf, a delicious meal at their bar and restaurant or indulge in a spa treatment. Their newly opened Sports Bars offers breakfasts and lunch too. If the weather is favourable, you might want to take  walk around the area. You can read some walking ideas here

• Get your camera out and take a photo of the church in the reflection of the Kersey splash, in the centre of Kersey village

• Children big and small will love Hollow Tree Farm Shop . The farm trail is great fun for all, plus there’s a great range of locally grown vegetables inside. And their Halloween Trail is awesome!

• You'd be surprised all the events taking place in Sudbury and you can find out what's happening locally or further afield at the Sudbury Tourist Information Centre, based at Sudbury Library. And did you know you can buy Greater Anglia Train Tickets from them AND tickets to Colchester Zoo (at a lower price than their own website)

• If it’s raining and your little ones are driving you up the wall, the soft-play centres around the region could help them run off their excess energy.  Rainbow Fun and Little Kingfishers at the Kingfisher Leisure centre do the trick. 

• A short drive from Long Melford, is the beautiful village of Hartest. Pop into The Crown, have a pint of beer brewed by their sister brewery, BrewShed, eat some seasonal locally sourced food and enjoy their lovely beer garden

• Why not visit the Quay Theatre in Sudbury? This intimate venue hosts some great theatre and stand-up comedy events, and all on your doorstep

• Get your  5 a day at Sudbury Market, running every Thursday and Saturday. There are also excellent farmers markets in the area including the last Friday of every month in St Peter's Church, Sudbury, and Lavenham Farmers’ Market on the fourth Friday of every month
  

• Go to Lavenham and wander around all those wonky historic buildings and lovely art galleries. See if you recognise any of the buildings featured in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows!
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• There's nothing like walking or cycling around some of our beautiful countryside. Locally we have some fantastic woods; Wolves Wood near Hadleigh and Arger Fen near Assington to name just two. For more walking routes around Sudbury and the surrounding area just ask  Discover Suffolk or the Suffolk Wildlife Trust
  

• Gainsborough House  in Sudbury is a great museum and gallery, celebrating Sudbury artist Thomas Gainsborough. It offers some great courses, and Art Smart , classes for children aged between seven and 12 is particularly good, and great value. But it's about to undergo some refurbishment and will be closed for 18 months, from the end of October.

• The small but perfectly formed town of Clare is a great place to visit.  Clare Castle Country Park is delightful while the town itself has great tea rooms, boutique shops and galleries. You could walk from Clare to Long Melford along the disused railway track or climb to ruins of Clare Castle.

• Unleash your creativity at Mandy's Jewellery and Gifts on Station Road. They offer drop in jewellery making classes, perfect for all ages and you don't need to book.

• Ever thought about keeping hens in your garden or learning to tell stories?  Assington Mill in the village of Assington offers some really interesting courses, from cider making to keeping pigs or bees

• Discover Sudbury by doing the Talbot Trail. See where Dodie Smith's 101 Dalmations had an over night stop in Sudbury & other treasures. A great article's been written here by Nicola Miller. Or perhaps you'd like to do a bit of research into the town - here are 14 unusual facts

• Belle Vue Park Play Area  in Sudbury is a lovely place to take the children, have a picnic and let the little ones blow off some steam.