Ipswich is an excellent base for exploring Suffolk. The Suffolk coast stretches north from Felixstowe through Orford, Aldeburgh, and Southwold — each one a distinctive small town worth a day. Constable Country in the Stour Valley (Flatford Mill, Dedham, Nayland) is about 20 km south and feels like stepping into a painting — literally, in many cases.
Sutton Hoo, the Anglo-Saxon burial ground near Woodbridge, is about 15 km east and is one of the most significant archaeological sites in England. The National Trust visitor centre has good interpretation of the Mound 1 ship burial, though the treasures themselves are in the British Museum. Sudbury — Gainsborough's birthplace — is about 30 km west.