Thorpeness: The attraction here was the 'house in the clouds', but the guidebook also mentioned a tea shop overlooking the lake, which was enough to persuade me to visit. After sampling the best cream tea Suffolk had to offer (at least out of the cafes I went to), I wandered around the village to the 'house in the clouds' by following the signs to the adjacent windmill. The windmill was closed and the 'house in the clouds' appears to be a private residence, but it was a pleasant walk and there are several other architecturally interesting buildings around the town.

Dunwich: Dunwich used to be one of the main towns in East Anglia during the twelfth century, but due to coastal erosion over the last eight hundred years it has all but been washed away by the sea leaving just a handful of houses. There is an interesting museum charting the demise of the town over the centuries. A short walk through some woodland leads to the ruins of a Blackfriars Monastery.

Orford: All that remains of the Orford Castle is the Keep, but that is in very good condition and very well built. English Heritage, who maintain it, have created a superb audio guide which leads you around. After leaving the castle I had a leisurely stroll through the town, via the church, to the quayside.

Framlingham: Framlingham Castle is also run by English Heritage and again an audio guide is provided, but all that remains of the original castle is the Curtain Walls and although it looks impressive from the outside, I found the inside a bit of a disappointment. However it is worth taking the tour if only to obtain some idea of the history before visiting the excellent neighbouring church, where many of the former inhabitants of the castle are buried. A nice touch in the church was the Welcomer, who handed me a 'Cheeseboard' Guide. This had information about the church, the tombs and the people buried in them. Furthermore the Welcomer was happy to answer any questions about the church and generally chat.

Bungay: Bigod Castle in Bungay was the most ruined of the three castles I visited. However the both entrance fee and a guidebook were relatively cheap. The guidebook is necessary to be able to appreciate the ruins fully. Bungay has a Town Trail which I was planning to follow, but I sprained my ankle while climbing on the walls within the castle. Well, it was more due to falling off. Perhaps there's a moral there. Anyway, I managed to limp around two of the churches and look through the gate of the town well before leaving.

A much more in depth description of the churches mentioned above and indeed all the churches in Suffolk can be found at http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/.