Exploring the most Picturesque & Historic parts of England..

Pictures of Southwold

in the county of Suffolk

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.

Planning a visit to Southwold?
Please support the Pictures of England website by booking your Southwold hotels & accommodation through this site.

Add town to favourites

History of Southwold

Recommended towns & villages near Southwold

	Thorpeness (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... Information \| Pictures (23) \| Hotels \| Holiday Cottages
	Beccles (10.6 miles, 17.0 km, direction NW) A town of picturesque buildings, with many relaxing places in which to quietly roam... Information \| Pictures (79) \| Hotels \| Holiday Cottages
	Lowestoft (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... Information \| Pictures (328) \| Hotels \| Holiday Cottages
	Aldeburgh (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... Information \| Pictures (99) \| Hotels \| Holiday Cottages
	Toft Monks (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... Information \| Pictures (1) \| Hotels \| Holiday Cottages

All towns in Suffolk
Complete A to Z of towns in England

Recommended attractions near Southwold

	Westleton Heath Nature Reserve (5.1 miles, 8.3 km, direction SW) Westleton Heath NNR is part of the best remaining tract of heathland in Suffolk. In mediaeval times a large area of heath known..... Information \| Hotels
	Benacre Nature Reserve (6.2 miles, 9.9 km, direction N) Benacre National Nature Reserve contains over 100 species of breeding birds, such as the marsh harrier, bearded reedling, water..... Information \| Pictures (3) \| Hotels
	Minsmere Nature Reserve (6.4 miles, 10.2 km, direction SW) Minsmere Nature Reserve offers a unique opportunity to enjoy an abundance of Mother Nature's rich bounties. It encompasses a..... Information \| Pictures (7) \| Hotels
	Leiston Abbey (8.3 miles, 13.3 km, direction SW) These are the evocative remains of an abbey founded when the order of the land was God first, followed by King and country. The..... Information \| Pictures (14) \| Hotels
	Lowestoft Museum (10.4 miles, 16.7 km, direction N) This pleasurable museum can be found located in Broad House, a delightful castellated building situated in Nicholas Everitt..... Information \| Pictures (1) \| Hotels

All attractions in Southwold
All attractions in Suffolk
Complete A to Z of attractions in England

Hotels & Accommodation in Southwold

Our Southwold pages are sponsored by Your Business Here.

Southwold Hotels Southwold Cottages Southwold Bed & Breakfast

	The Swan Hotel Southwold, Suffolk, England (0.1 miles, 0.2 km) This 4-star hotel is in Southwold town centre, 200 metres from the sea. It has free parking, a bar offering local Adnams ales, and an à la carte restaurant with 2 AA Rosettes. Parts of the Swan Hote... More info and book online.. Price from £99.00
	The Anchor Walberswick Walberswick, Suffolk, England (1.1 miles, 1.7 km) In a 1920’s building, the Anchor Walberswick is on the Suffolk Coast, 400 metres from the beach at Sole Bay. It boasts fine seasonal food, an award-winning wine list and free Wi-Fi.... More info and book online.. Price from £100.00
	The Ship At Dunwich Dunwich, Suffolk, England (3.9 miles, 6.3 km, direction SW) In the heart of Dunwich, this traditional inn offers home-cooked food and real ales. There is free private parking, and the beach is a brief walk from The Ship. The traditional rooms at The Ship inn ... More info and book online.. Price from £97.00
	The Westleton Crown Westleton, Suffolk, England (6.0 miles, 9.6 km, direction SW) Midway between Southwold and Aldeburgh, this modernised, rustic inn has an excellent restaurant and refurbished, stylish rooms. It is an ideal base for exploring the Suffolk Heritage Coast.... More info and book online.. Price from £80.00
	Satis House Hotel Saxmundham, Suffolk, England (8.2 miles, 13.2 km, direction SW) Set in an 18th-century, grade II listed building, the Satis House Hotel has 3 acres of parklands and is located just off the A12. Free Wi-Fi and free on-site parking are available.... More info and book online.. Price from £79.00

All Accommodation in Southwold..

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)