Relocating to Suffolk - Guide to Working and Living in Suffolk
Jobs in Suffolk
Suffolk is a diverse county and is comprised of a number of different places. The county is made up of populated areas such as Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft, thriving market towns, small villages and rural communities.
Suffolk has a lot to offer including a physical environment which is amongst the best in Britain, a high quality of life, and cultural offers of a very high order. Unlike many other historic counties, Suffolk has not been destroyed by its recent growth, and as a result a strong sense of community and partnerships amongst other Suffolk organisations still remain.
The county has a lower than average size economy and is considered small by British standards, however economic change in Suffolk has been positive and is highlighted by the increasing number of jobs opportunities available in the area.
Suffolk is home to many nationally and worldwide recognised companies. These include Greene King, Branston Pickle and Silver Spoon in Bury St Edmunds, Huntley & Palmers Biscuit Company in Sudbury, and BT which has its main research and development facility based in Matlesham Heath on the outskirts of Ipswich. Suffolk is also home to the UK’s largest container port, The Port of Felixstowe, which handles 40% of the UK’s container trade and connects Suffolk with 360 ports in 100 countries worldwide.
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Living in Suffolk
Suffolk is located in the heart of East Anglia, it has borders with Norfolk to the North, Essex to the South and Cambridgeshire to the West. Suffolk is a naturally beautiful county with rolling farm land, budding gardens and quaint villages, making it home to countless areas of outstanding natural beauty and hidden gems, the area is also rich in history which is noticeable in the architecture everywhere. Collectively these make Suffolk a unique and special place to explore.
Suffolk offers a wide range of rare attractions and activities for the whole family to enjoy as well as suiting everyone’s taste and pocket. Suffolk’s coast and countryside attractions are perhaps the county’s major features, including some of England’s best beaches, historic buildings and Golf courses. Whatever your interests, there is much to enjoy in Suffolk all year round - right through to musical events, shops and eating out venues.
Suffolk Villages and Towns often reflect the county’s rich history as a centre for the wool industry in the Middle Ages and Tudor times – timber framed houses, magnificent Guildhalls, opulent stately houses, as well as the humble thatched cottages Suffolk is well known for.
Towns & Villages
Bury St Edmunds is a historic market town located in the heart of Suffolk and houses a population of around 36,000. Few areas in England can match the beauty and history of Bury St Edmunds and the town is well known for its natural, historic and architectural attractions. The town is probably most famous for its ruined abbey which stands near the centre of the town and was built as a shrine to Saint Edmond, Saxon King of the East Angles.
The town is home to a number of nationally recognised companies which include The British Sugar Factory which trades under the names ‘Silver Spoon’ and ‘Tate & Lyle’. The other being Greene King, a leading pub retailer and brewer which has been operating pubs and brewing for over 200 years.
Felixstowe is a peaceful and friendly seaside town, which has an attractive coast line which stretches for over 4 miles. The town boasts a Blue Flag beach and traditional promenade with beautiful gardens, an attractive town centre and tranquil nature reserves.
Felixstowe gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, a member of Hutchinson Port, and is the largest and busiest container port in the UK and the 5th largest in Europe. The port dominates the towns economy and land and is responsible for almost 45% of all employment of Felixstowe with around 3000 people working at the port and another 10,000 working in port related businesses. Many major and well known shipping and transport agencies have offices based in the Port of Felixstowe, these include, Maersk, Johnson Stevens Agencies, China Shipping, Elite Transport and Exim Solutions.
Ipswich is known as the county town of Suffolk and is steeped in old English history with medieval streets and architectural gems. Ipswich proudly boasts many ancient and attractive buildings, these include Christchurch Mansion and Ipswich Museum. Although the town is currently enjoying a major regeneration at the moment, with the waterfront and the town itself bringing modern homes and buildings such as will Willis Building and the new Suffolk College, Ipswich still holds on to its roots.
Ipswich has recently become one of the fastest growing urban towns in the UK and currently holds a population of over 130,000 which is expected to grow by a further 15% over the next 15 years with the creation of some 30,000 extra jobs.
One of the strongest and prime employment sectors in Ipswich is the Finance Sector and it at present provides employment for 21% of the workforce in the town. A number of world wide recognised Insurance firms including AXA (around 1,200 employees) and Willis (around 1,250 employees) have their main offices based here in the centre of Ipswich due to the thriving business community and stable economic base Ipswich has to offer.
The East Anglian economy as a whole is growing at well above the national average and has continued to do so since 2003. And as the regional centre for Suffolk one of the major employment generators for the local economy is that of public services. Indeed, the areas of public administration, health and education are the city’s biggest employers with the latter being the most prominent.
Lavenham is England's finest medieval village with over 300 listed buildings, which includes many timber-framed houses and the landmark Guildhall building in the centre. Today Lavenham is still a thriving village with a strong community spirit. It has a hub of art galleries, some fantastic restaurants and hotels, plenty of cafes and pubs for pit stops, and lots of interesting buildings to visit, including The Swan at Lavenham, which dates back to the 15th Century when it played a key role in Lavenham's wool trade.
Lavenham has a population of around 1800 and a thriving local economy comprising if some 100 business ranging from sole traders to nationally recognised hotels and companies. There majority of overall trade is derived from the local area and county. Tourism generates about a half of all trade and supports hotels, B/Bs, holiday lets, galleries, antique shops and the like.
Suffolk continues to be the home of horseracing, with approximately 3000 race horses being trained in Newmarket at anyone time. Newmarket has long been associated with horses and racing, since successive royal family members came to appreciate the flat land as an ideal location for galloping their horses.
The market town of Sudbury is an ideal centre for both business and pleasure trips to East Anglia. Sudbury is an ancient market town dating back to Saxon times. For centuries the weaving and silk industry has prospered here and many great houses and churches have been built, giving the town a major historical legacy.
Southwold is a charming north Suffolk seaside town on the Suffolk Heritage Coast. With its working lighthouse, beach huts, award-winning pier, busy harbour, cliff top cannon and of course the beach, Southwold is a quintessentially English resort town. Southwold is also famous for its Adnams Brewery, who are well known for their Adnams Beers, Wines, and award winning pubs and hotels.
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