Visit Suffolk

Explore Southwold, Suffolk

There are few seaside towns quite so quintessentially British as Southwold. With its sandy beach and beach hut-lined promenade, Southwold offers a wonderful environment for holidays and weekends away, as well as a thriving market town atmosphere.

Situated just off the A12 between Aldeburgh and Lowestoft, Southwold is the perfect destination for young and old, families and couples. Whether it's relaxation or exhilaration you're after from your break away, this picturesque seaside town is the perfect year-round destination.

Food and drink are an integral part of the Southwold experience. The town has a number of award wining pubs, restaurants and cafés, most of which offer a selection of locally produced food and drink. Fresh shellfish and wet fish, Salt Marsh Lamb, Red Poll Beef, an array of fungis, fruit and vegetables and much more are local to the area, and available in restaurants, delis and at the weekly farmers market.

Southwold is home to the Adnams brewery, winner of The Good Pub Guide 2011's ‘Brewery of the Year'. The brewery itself is very much the focal point of the town with its brewing rooms set just behind the high street and adjacent to the town's lighthouse. Brewery tours are on offer throughout the year and there is no shortage of pubs and restaurants at which to sample the variety of Adnams beers on offer. Since late last year it's also had a distillery, which, as well as its wine shop, guarantees your favourite drop will be available.

Southwold Pier is another focal point of the town's landscape. Refurbished in 2005, the pretty pier offers a wide range of shops, eating places and amusements from traditional two penny pushers to Tim Hunkin's eccentric inventions. Make sure you also pay a visit to the Amber Museum and Shop, the only purpose-built museum explaning the history and story of Amber in detail.

Southwold's sandy beach, with its brightly coloured beach huts and sprawling dunes, is one of the most popular in the area. The beach has a full lifeguard service during the busy summer months and is Blue Flag accredited. By the summer months it doesn't take bravery to swim in the North Sea, after the initial shock to the system, but some might prefer a quick blast on Coastal Voyager instead.

There's a great choice of accommodation too - from bed and breakfasts to self-catered beach houses, to static caravans and tent pitches, to 4 star hotels, Southwold has no shortage of places to stay throughout the year. 

At the southerly end of town you will find Southwold harbour. Once a sizeable fishing port, the harbour is still a thriving hub of boat building and fishing commerce that makes for a fascinating and relaxing stroll. Fresh fish, caught daily by local fishermen, is sold from wooden shacks and visitors can enjoy a choice of refreshments from one of a variety of cafés and pubs that line the waterfront. The harbour even offers its own rowing-boat ferry service over to neighbouring Walberswick, home of the Annual Crabbing Championships.

Southwold Beach Huts, SuffolkSouthwold, Suffolk
Stay a while
The Swan in Southwold, Suffolk

The Swan

Ideally located in the heart of Southwold The Swan has been welcoming guests for over 350 years. Just yards from the Adnams Brewery the hotel has been awarded 4 Stars by The AA and two Rosettes for the food in the restaurant. Just a short stroll from the hotel is the beach at Southwold with its rows of colourful beach huts and the town has a wide selection of individual boutique shops to browse. More info...

The Crown, Southwold

The Crown

An exciting and intimate combination of small hotel, wine bar, pub and restaurant, Adnams Crown Hotel is always buzzing with a lively informality. The food is famously good and the wine list wonderful. You don't have to take our word for it - The Crown is an award winning hotel and was named ‘Wine Pub of the Year' by the Morning Advertiser, ‘Central & East Anglia's Best Hotel of the Year' by Les Routiers and ‘Suffolk Dining Pub of the Year 2009′ by the Good Pub Guide. More info...

Why not try ...
The Amber Museum in Southwold

The Amber Museum and Shop

The Amber Museum in Southwold is the only purpose-built museum explaining the history and story of Amber in detail, with wonderful exhibits from all over the world. The museum attracts visitors from countries as far afield as New Zealand, America, Russia and the whole of Europe. It is an absolute MUST for everyone visiting Suffolk and it is FREE. Exhibits regularly change enabling visitors to come back time after time. Our visitors book is full of appreciative remarks so please do visit and add your own comments. More info...

Southwold Pier

Southwold Pier

We love playing together as a family, eating ice cream, playing on the 2p pushers, enjoying yummy food - and that's what it's all about on Southwold Pier! We've got the cheekiest clock in the world, beautiful shops that you wouldn't expect, scrumptiously home-made food in three different places being served all day AND we have the Under-the-Pier-Show which will make you laugh and laugh! We don't have any gambling machines in the big arcade, it's just friendly fun with prizes to win. What's more, if you forget anything for playing on the beach - we have it all here. More info...