Why I Live In Suffolk: 'We're no longer a sleepy back water'

This week, Katy Stephenson, associate director of residential sales at Savills in Suffolk, shares her story.

How long have you lived in Suffolk?
I have lived in Suffolk on and off since I was five years old. We moved here as a family when my father joined a local doctor’s practice in the 1980s – specifically Bury St Edmunds.

Describe your first home in Suffolk.
We lived in a lovely Grade II listed mill house which had about an acre of land, a tennis court and the old mill to one side.

Have you stayed in the same area?
As I grew up I moved away, going to University in Oxford where I studied English and History and then moving to London for work. But I moved back in my 30s to settle down, get married and have children.

Katy moved to Suffolk when she was a child, after her father got a job in Bury St Edmunds (Image: markroper)

Why did you choose Suffolk to move back to?
I realised having lived elsewhere that Suffolk was a great place to raise a family so decided to come back to settle here.

I was living in London at the time so it was more affordable to buy a property, schools were better and I was also moving back to be closer to family.

What do you think has changed the most?
To its benefit I think there are now far more things going on. That’s true right across the county.

You’ve obviously still got the beautiful coastal areas and peace and quiet of the rolling countryside, but on the other hand you also have the regeneration of towns such as Ipswich and Felixstowe, while the likes of Bury St Edmunds, Hadleigh, Needham Market, Stowmarket and Sudbury have plenty happening.

They all have great communities and there’s so much to do – we’re no longer a sleepy back water.

There is something for everyone – music and food festivals, art and literature, craft fairs, exhibitions and much more besides. The last two years in particular have brought Suffolk onto even more people’s radar.

What do you like most about life in Suffolk?
You can take life at a gentle pace but at the same time there is lots to get involved in if you want that too.

There’s also plenty of good schools and opportunities for young people, which has been great for raising a family. It’s also easy to get to London and other parts of the UK and abroad.

There is something for everyone, says Katy, from music and food festivals - like Stowmarket Food Festival, pictured here - to art and literature, craft fairs and exhibitions (Image: Archant)

What advice would you give to someone looking to relocate here?
Do your research and view as many properties as you can.

Drive around and spend weekends in the areas you are thinking about living in – the more time you spend investigating schools, work opportunities, etc, the better informed you are to make the right choice.

If you would like to share your story, get in touch with me at rebecca.macnaughton@archant.co.uk