KEEN motorists from 16 counties across the UK and Belgium have been won over by Suffolk during a weekend behind the wheel.

Paul Dunningham, from Clare, who is a member of the Morgan Sports Car Club, organised a navigational rally through Constable Country for fellow members starting and finishing at Stoke by Nayland Hotel.

In total, 102 people – including a couple from Belgium – in 51 cars took part in the rally which took in the county’s “gentle landscape”, picturesque villages and the coast.

On Saturday, the group followed a route to Woolverstone Marina, where they enjoyed a trip aboard the Orwell Lady, followed by lunch at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club, and then carried on through villages including East Bergholt and Flatford.

At Flatford they had tours around settings John Constable captured in his paintings.

Then on the Sunday, the fleet of Morgans – ranging from three-wheelers to Drophead Coupes and modern V6 varieties – headed out via Polstead, Hadleigh and Kersey to Lavenham before motoring back to the hotel.

Mr Dunningham, 72, who has owned Morgans for more than 41 years, said: “People said how pretty and delightful and stunning the villages were and some said they never knew they were as nice as that and they might be coming back.”

On Saturday night Suffolk author Charlie Haylock gave a talk to the group and there was also a dinner dance with live music from +5, the car club’s own band.