If you’re starting to make plans for the weekend in and around the Sudbury area these suggestions may spark your interest.
Be aware that thundery showers and strong winds are forecast over the weekend.
•Michaelmas weekend, Kentwell Hall, Long Melford CO10 9BA
Step back in time to see every day life as it was in Tudor times with more 100 costumed re-enactors about the manor and in the grounds.
This is one of Kentwell’s smaller recreation events, with a much more intimate feel.
The Feast of St Michael and All Angels falls in September and was an important time for Tudor folk because it was usually the time to celebrate a harvest which, they hoped, was both good and had been brought safely in.
An additional attraction at this time of year is the walled garden, which has an abundance of apple and pear trees.
All of the activities will go on, whatever the weather, on the Front Sward, in the main house, in the Moat House and some undercover in the gardens and farm areas.
The visit can be made into a day out with lunch served in the Stableyard Restaurant.
The event is on Saturday, September 22, and Sunday, September 23, from 11am to 5pm.
For tickets see here.
•Day out with Thomas, Colne Valley Railway, Castle Hedingham CO9 3DZ
Bound to be a favourite with families with small children, a ‘Day Out with Thomas’ is coming to Colne Valley Railway.
As well as the chance to ride on Thomas’s train, you will be able to ride in other Thomas characters and meet the Fat Controller.
Activities will include temporary tattoos, colouring, children’s games, play trains, large indoor model railways and signal box visits.
A woodland walk will give you a chance to stretch your legs and for lunch there is a picnic area and the buffet carriages will serve hot and cold food and refreshments.
Souvenirs can be bought for a lasting memory of the day out.
The event is on Saturday, September 22, and Sunday, September 23, from 9.30am to 5pm. Last entry is 3pm.
Advance ticket sales have closed. For more information see here.
•Tales from the High Seas at Melford Hall, Long Melford CO10 9AA at 2pm on Saturday September 22
Visitors can meet in the library of this National Trust house to hear a naval history expert recount tales of the naval exploits of the Hyde Parker family.
From the Baltic to the Caribbean or from the Indian to the Atlantic Oceans, the Hyde Parker family were a sea-faring dynasty.
The Dominic Serres naval paintings and Beatrix Potter sketches are just some of the wonders at this piece of heritage.
Devastated by fire in 1942, the hall was nurtured back to life by the Hyde Parker family and it remains their family home to this day.
The event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue.
For more information call 01787 379228 or see here.
•Gainsborough’s House, 46 Gainsborough Street, Sudbury CO10 2EU, Saturday and Sunday
If you’re thinking of indoor activities to avoid the rain, don’t overlook Gainsborough’s House, a museum and exhibition space at the childhood home of the artist Thomas Gainsborough.
Currently there is an exhibition on show by Anne Desmet, an artist who specialises in wood engravings, linocuts and collages.
It brings together selected highlights from her Italian prints with the addition of some new works including a sequence of special wood engravings created this year to raise funds for the Gainsborough’s House capital project.
Many of the works on show here are for sale along with a special limited edition version of the facsimile sketchbook presented in its own cloth-bound box with a related limited edition wood engraving created, printed and signed by the artist.
Gainsborough’s artwork is always a draw, there being nowhere else in the world such a comprehensive collection of his work, and the work of those he inspired, can be seen in a single setting.
The house is open from 10-5pm on Saturday and 11-5pm on Sunday.
For more information see here.
•Lavenham Sinfonia concert in Lavenham on Sunday
For those seeking musical relaxation this weekend - and hoping to keep out of the rain - Lavenham Sinfonia are performing ‘The High Baroque’ at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Lavenham at 7pm on Sunday.
Set in a fine East Anglian church, the musicians aim to engage all of your senses, offering a “richer experience than listening to music at home”.
Tickets are £14 on the door or £12 in advance. See here for more information.
•Boat trips along the River Stour, from the Granary, Quay Lane, Sudbury CO10 2AN, on Saturday and Sunday
If there is a break in the rain, why not head out on the River Stour for a laid-back activity, either through a scheduled trip or hire a rowing boat and go at your own pace.
The River Stour Trust offers a Henny Swan lunch cruise, which departs at 11am from the Granary and travels through Great Cornard Lock for midday arrival at the Henny Swan pub. The return trip leaves at 2pm to arrive back by 3pm.
Return trips are also available from the Henny Swan and from the Granary Tearoom in Sudbury.
For more information and tickets see here.
Rowing boats are available to hire from the Riverside at 43 Cross Street, Sudbury CO10 2DL, from £10. People can just turn up or pre-book on 01206 700707 or see here.
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