Pictures of Southwold

in the county of Suffolk

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About Southwold

With colourful beach huts fetching up to £40,000 this delightful seaside resort became the recent topic of conversation everywhere! A substantial price that history will no doubt record for posterity.

This delightful town has a history deeply rooted in Saxon times when it was a simple Saxon fishing village and the Domesday book shows that by the 11th-century Southwold was a prosperous fishing port doing a good trade. Medieval times saw a great deal of expansion to the harbour and an increase in trade. The town has delightful red brick and flint cottages and houses colourwashed in traditional suffolk colours of pink and blue, all interspersed around seven greens that camne into being following a great fire in 1659. Mostly, the town spreads out from the magnificent church of St.Edmund, King and Martyr. The church is a typical Suffolk church with huge windows, an impressive west tower and a two storey south porch. It is a richly decorated church with a rood screen across the whole of the front and contains a seven sacrement font with a cover dating 1930. St. Edmunds is a beautiful church and well worth a visit.

The beach here is of sand and shingle, it is safe for swimming except around the harbour entrance. The restored pier is a great attraction with an amusement arcade at the shore end. An imposing white lighthouse soars 100ft skywards, it was built in 1890 and can be seen from every part of the town. It is a distinctive landmark for mariners in the daytime and at night its beam can be spotted from 17 miles off shore.

You can be forgiven for thinking that a faintly malty smell pervades the sea air, this is solely due to Adnams Brewery, beer has been brewed in Southwold since the 16th-century, and continues to this day. The present brewery incorporates the old brewery building and retains a sense of history.

In this lovely resort town there are many reminders of the towns ancient and seafaring past and several figureheads survive in the Sailors Reading Room on the seafront.

Southwold, is on the beautiful Suffolk Heritage Coast in an area of great charm and beauty at the mouth of the River Blyth. It is an enchanting place that has much to interest and entertain the visitor. Shopping is good with a mix of quaint shops and those providing for modern day living, there is also a weekly market. The town has an annual fair and sailing regattas take place in May and August.

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Planning a visit? Please see below for other recommended towns, attractions and recommended hotels nearby.

Distances and directions below are approximate. For true driving distances please visit the AA Route Planner

Recommended attractions near Southwold

Dunwich Museum	(3.0 miles, 4.9 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Covehithe Church	(3.8 miles, 6.0 km, direction N)	Pictures
Westleton Heath Nature Reserve	(5.1 miles, 8.3 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Benacre Nature Reserve	(6.2 miles, 9.9 km, direction N)	Pictures
Minsmere Nature Reserve	(6.4 miles, 10.2 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Africa Alive	(6.6 miles, 10.7 km, direction N)	Pictures
Leiston Abbey	(8.3 miles, 13.3 km, direction SW)	Pictures
Heveningham Hall	(10.0 miles, 16.0 km, direction W)	Pictures
Lowestoft Museum	(10.4 miles, 16.7 km, direction N)	Pictures
The Moot Hall Museum	(11.5 miles, 18.6 km, direction S)	Pictures
The Red House	(11.8 miles, 19.0 km, direction S)	Pictures
Sparrow's Nest Gardens	(11.8 miles, 19.0 km, direction N)	Pictures
Lowestoft Lighthouse	(12.1 miles, 19.4 km, direction N)	Pictures
St Peter's Hall	(12.1 miles, 19.4 km, direction NW)	Pictures
Mettingham Castle	(12.3 miles, 19.9 km, direction NW)	Pictures

All attractions in Southwold
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Recommended towns near Southwold

Walberswick, in the county of Suffolk (1.0 miles, 1.7 km)
Info | Pictures | Hotels

Yoxford, in the county of Suffolk (8.3 miles, 13.3 km, direction SW)
Delightfully situated close to the meandering River Yox, this lovely village was once an important stagepost on the road between London and Yarnmouth.
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Sizewell, in the county of Suffolk (8.4 miles, 13.6 km, direction S)
In latter day history Sizewell is perhaps best known for the huge nuclear power stations built here in the 1960's.
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Thorpeness, in the county of Suffolk (10.2 miles, 16.4 km, direction S)
Thorpeness's quaint village sign gives the visitor some hint of the surprises to come, it depicts the House in the Clouds and Windmill, for which the village is most noted.
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Beccles, a Historic Market Town in the county of Suffolk (10.6 miles, 17.0 km, direction NW)
A town of picturesque buildings, with many relaxing places in which to quietly roam.
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Barsham, a Picturesque Village in the county of Suffolk (11.2 miles, 18.1 km, direction NW)
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Lowestoft, in the county of Suffolk (11.3 miles, 18.2 km, direction N)
This is now a sunny holiday resort but for many years fishing played an important part in the history of the development of Lowestoft.
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St Peter South Elmham, in the county of Suffolk (12.1 miles, 19.4 km, direction NW)
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Aldeburgh, in the county of Suffolk (12.2 miles, 19.6 km, direction S)
Aldeburgh is a seaside retreat with boundless charm. The history of the resort quite possibly reaches back to Saxon times, certainly during the Middle Ages it was a prosperous port and later it became known as a fishing centre.
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Toft Monks, in the county of Norfolk (12.9 miles, 20.8 km, direction NW)
This is a village whose charm is equalled by its quaint name. It is ideally situated close to the beautiful Norfolk Broads in a picturesque region famed for its great pubs, restaurants and attractive shops in pretty market towns.
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Somerleyton, a Picturesque Village in the county of Suffolk (13.3 miles, 21.3 km, direction N)
Found nestling in a corner of the north-east Suffolk countryside is the charming, tranquil village of Somerleyton.
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Snape, in the county of Suffolk (13.3 miles, 21.4 km, direction SW)
Snape is not simply unique for its beautiful location at the head of the River Alde, it is also unique as a village with an international reputation for music.
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Bungay, a Historic Market Town in the county of Suffolk (13.5 miles, 21.8 km, direction NW)
Bungay is an attractive historic market town in Suffolk and is situated on the river Waveney in the Norfolk Broads National Park. The town has several historic attractions...
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Homersfield, a Picturesque Village in the county of Suffolk (15.2 miles, 24.5 km, direction NW)
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Reedham, in the county of Norfolk (17.1 miles, 27.5 km, direction N)
Reedham is ideally placed for cruising the waters of the Broads National Park, exploring the North Norfolk and North Suffolk coastlines and for discovering the historic city of Norwich.
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Nearby travel help

Darsham Station	(7.4 miles, 12.0 km, direction SW)
Halesworth Station	(7.6 miles, 12.3 km, direction W)
Norwich Airport	(29.4 miles, 47.3 km, direction NW)
Cambridge Airport	(64.4 miles, 103.7 km, direction W)
M11 Junction 9	(66.2 miles, 106.6 km, direction W)
M11 Junction 10	(67.2 miles, 108.2 km, direction W)
Southwold to London	(95.7 miles, 154.0 km, direction SW)

Hotels & Accommodation in Southwold

Hotel Name	Approximate distance from Southwold center
The Swan Hotel	(0.1 miles, 0.2 km)
The Westleton Crown	(6.0 miles, 9.6 km, direction SW)
The Carlton Manor Hotel	(8.9 miles, 14.3 km, direction N)
Hotel Victoria	(10.0 miles, 16.1 km, direction N)
The Thorpeness Hotel	(10.4 miles, 16.7 km, direction S)
Best Western Hotel Hatfield	(10.4 miles, 16.7 km, direction N)
The Royal Court Hotel	(10.4 miles, 16.7 km, direction N)
Kings Head Hotel	(10.4 miles, 16.8 km, direction NW)
Waveney House Hotel	(10.6 miles, 17.1 km, direction NW)
Wherry Hotel	(10.6 miles, 17.1 km, direction N)
All hotels in Southwold