Southwold

Southwold Sea Front
Southwold Lighthouse

Southwold is an unspoilt seaside town in Suffolk.

Understand

Described in the Doomsday Book as a fishing port, over time a shingle bar built-up across the harbour entrance preventing the town becoming a major port. A fire in 1659 severly damaged the town and even today the town has many village greens where some destroyed areas were never rebuilt.

Today the town is well known due to the Adnams Brewery which is the town's largest employer.

Get in

By road

Southwold is about 35 miles from Ipswich and a similar distance from Norwich. 6 miles E of the A12 main road, 14 miles S of Lowestoft.

By train

By bus

It is not served by public transport so you may need to pre-book a taxi. Alternatively you can travel by train to Halesworth where there is a connecting bus service to Southwold.

By bicycle

The town is at the S end of Regional Cycle Route 31 which runs N to Beccles where it joins Regional Cycle Route 30 (to Lowestoft to the E and to Harleston and beyond to the W) as well as joins National Cycle Route 1 (Shetland to Dover) to Norwich and beyond to the N and Ipswich and beyond to the S.

Get around

The town is small enough to walk around by foot.

See
Southwold Pier

Do

Walk along the pier and visit the lovely shops along it, or stop for lunch or a snack in the restaurant.

Walk to the river and take ferry over to Walberswick.

Shop in the many boutiques, gift shops, delis etc. There is a lovely Adnams Kitchen shop which sells a huge variety of wines, as well as unusual kitchen equipment. There is also a nice cafe at the back.

Take a walk on the beach.

Play golf on the very pleasant nine hole course. Visitors welcome and does a very good fish and chip meal.

Visit The Sailors’ Reading Room . Ship figureheads, pictures and portraits of local fishermen and seascapes, model ships and maritime memorabilia offer a fascinating history of Southwold’s connections with the sea .

Visit The Alfred Corry museum. The museum building is the 1923 ex-Cromer Lifeboat shed and it houses 'Alfred Corry', the Southwold No1 Lifeboat built in 1893.

Buy

Eat

Drink
The Sole Bay Inn

There are several wonderful pubs. Most the pubs in Southwold are run by Adnams Brewery which is based on East Green in the town. They have a well known logo "Beer from the Coast". Look out for the Lord Nelson, Red Lion and the Sole Bay.

Sleep
The Crown Hotel

Connect
  • 🌍 Post Office, High St, Southwold IP18 6AA. M-Sa 09:00-17:30. Su 10:00-16:00. (updated Jun 2017)

Go next
Routes through Southwold

Ipswich ← Saxmundham ←  SW  NE  → Lowestoft → Great Yarmouth


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