About Suffolk
Suffolk is a county in East Anglia in England. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Felixstowe and Haverhill. A large part of the county is in The Broads National Park.
The county is low-lying with very few hills, and is largely arable land with the wetlands of The Broads in the north. The Suffolk Coast and Heaths are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The River Waveney forms part of the county's border with Norfolk and the River Stour forms part of the border with Essex. Suffolk has a long maritime history and has several notable ports, including Felixstowe – Britain's busiest container port, Ipswich and Lowestoft, home of the world's oldest surviving lightship.
Suffolk was settled by the Anglo-Saxons as early as the 5th century AD, and later by the Vikings who invaded from Denmark in the 9th century. Suffolk became part of the Kingdom of East Anglia, which later merged with Mercia and then Wessex. Suffolk was divided into four shires – Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex – in the early 11th century.
Ipswich was made a county town in 1200, and originally served as a centre for trade and agriculture. In the 16th century, Ipswich was an important port for exporting wool; it later became a major fishing port. Felixstowe began to develop as a port in the 19th century; it was initially used for cross-channel trade, but became a major container port in the 20th century.
Bury St Edmunds was once one of the largest towns in England; it was an important centre for the wool trade in the Middle Ages. Today it is a thriving market town with a medieval Abbey at its heart.
Haverhill is a historic market town which grew rapidly in the 19th century as a result of the linen industry. Today it is a thriving community with a lively arts scene.
The county's economy is largely based on agriculture, forestry and tourism; however, manufacturing and service industries are also important. Agriculture is dominated by cereal production; Suffolk is one of the largest producers of wheat in England. The county also has large areas of pastureland, used for sheep farming – Suffolk produces more lamb than any other county in England.
Suffolk has a number of tourist attractions, including several stately homes and gardens, museums, galleries and historic towns. The coastline and countryside are also popular with visitors; Suffolk has several Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including The Broads National Park
