If we had a pound for every time we heard about a rough old boozer that had been reinvented as a gastro-pub with rooms, we'd be, well, er, comfortably off.
And once upon a time, the Crown was a notoriously rough pub – yes, even Woodbridge has its rough corners. However, for the last few years its restaurant has helped to put the town on the Suffolk foodie map, and the rooms upstairs provide perhaps the town's most enticing place to stay, with ten commodious and lovely doubles on its upper floors, each of them individually designed with fresh and simple colours and a deliberately coastal feel.
They call it a 'lazy bolthole', and that about sums it up, with comfy rooms that you won't want to leave, unless it's to amble down to the bar or the excellent restaurant, which alone is worth travelling to – comfy yet relaxed, with a modern British style and a passionate attachment to English traditions and local suppliers, including a great-value monthly ‘Eat the Seasons’ menu.
The Crown is a nice place for a weekend treat, and Woodbridge itself is a good place for a weekend away, with a busy town centre and lots of stuff to do on your doorstep, from the Anglo-Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo to the footpaths and UFO intrigue of Rendlesham Forest.
The hotel has also teamed up with local spa Bathsheba to offer great-value spa breaks.
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