Cool Place of the Day: Dunwich, Suffolk

Every day, a new place to discover or explore in the UK, from coolplaces.co.uk

Dunwich: Its museum tells the story of this once-great port

Dunwich is probably the strangest and certainly the eeriest place on the Suffolk coast, a large port during the Middle Ages that has steadily been lost to the sea – indeed the whole of the medieval city now lies under water, the last bit of which toppled over the cliffs in 1919. It's said you can still hear the peal of bells from the church under the waves, and on a more humdrum note there are regular surveys and diver-assisted searches for the remains of what has tantalisingly become known as 'Britain's Atlantis'.

You can swim from the stony beach and look for yourself, or just park up at the sprawling, seashore car park and visit the excellent Flora Tea Room, a well-patronised fish and chip café that makes for a great stop on the lovely Suffolk Coast Path. There's a nice pub – The Ship - just a few yards from here, a museum just beyond which tells the story of the once-great port, while just inland and freely accessible from the main road are the ruins of a thirteenth-century Franciscan Priory and leper hospital, with a handful of impressive Norman architectural details.

Afterwards, either walk south towards Dunwich Heath and the stunning RSPB reserve Minsmere, or south to Walberswick, where more pubs, crabbing and the odd A-list film director await.

Martin Dunford is Publisher of Cool Places, a new website from the creators of Rough Guides and Cool Camping, suggesting the best places to stay, eat, drink and shop in Britain (coolplaces.co.uk)