Mice are not everyone's favourite furry animal, but the dormouse is rather sweet and, you might be pleased to hear, much happier living in the hedgerows than in the house!

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has carried out a study of populations of the species in woodland and hedges in the south of the county. With a 64% decline since the 1970s, the Trust is determined to do more to protect the dormouse. This year they will be working with farmers to create a series of hedgerow corridors with nesting boxes to link the woodland areas where dormice currently live.

One of the lovliest architectural jewels of our English built heritage, Lavenham sits proudly in the undulating countryside of Mid Suffolk. A plethora of medieval and timbered buildings, the town is a delight to stroll round. This was the heart of the cloth country, and villages all around produced the cloth that made the merchants of Lavenham wealthy, and in turn produced so many magnificent 15th century buildings.

In the very heart of Constable Country where the peace is palpable lies a jewel in the valley of the Stour, Stoke-by-Nayland and its close neighbour Nayland. Timber framed houses, some of which date back to the 14th century, a magnificent Guildhall, and a classic Suffolk church – much painted by John Constable - its 120 foot tower visible from Harwich on the Essex coast.

The following article first appeared in the Summer 2008 issue of Green Pebble magazine (www.greenpebble.co.uk). Published with permission.

Constable Country is something of a gourmet's delight with some excellent pubs offering really good food.

It being a reasonable sunny Sunday, we decided to have a walk along the Stour Valley from Flatford Mill and then find a good pub for lunch.

We don't go in for booking and simply drove through Nayland until we reached the river. The Anchor Inn stands in an attractive position right beside the bridge.

Cavendish is a picture postcard village in the Stour Valley,18 km from Bury St Edmunds and 23 km from Newmarket and 35 km from Cambridge

Suffolk has few more spectacular sights than the church of St Peter and St Paul in its manicured churchyard at the top of the hill in Lavenham. It is excessively large for the size of the village and with a tower standing 141 ft (43 m) high lays claim to being the highest village church tower in Britain.

Located side by side on the south side of the Stour - at the point where the river starts to widen into a broad estuary - Manningtree and Mistley are small places with big histories, and so pleasingly easy to reach by train at that…

The train ride from London’s Liverpool Street Station to Manningtree takes a mere 60 minutes - enough time for a refreshing snooze, quick cup of coffee and a bit of time spent thinking about the next few days’ sojourn.

A mecca for antiques enthusiasts owing to its excellent range of shops (and appearances in the Lovejoy television series), Long Melford also boasts the longest village high street in the country, a church of cathedral-like proportions, two historic mansions and an atmosphere that will have you planning your next visit before you’ve even departed…

It’s amazing to think that the peaceful village of Long Melford is only about 53 miles away from the hustle and bustle of London.