Full of character and interest both to the holidaymaker and the historian, Southwold is one of the most popular resorts on the East coast. But be warned you won't find much in the way of candyfloss or ‘'kiss me quick'’ hats. Perhaps it is its virtual island status - Southwold is surrounded by creeks, marshes and reed beds and flanked to the south by the Blyth estuary - but to enter Southwold is to enter a seaside resort reminiscent of the 1920s.

The quiet understated elegance of its Georgian houses, its 100 foot lighthouse towering above the Sole Bay Inn, its
pier, the first to be built in Britain since the 1950s and cliff top promenade above the sandy beach and of course its brightly coloured beach huts all work together to create this atmosphere of a bygone age.

Pink washed cottages and elegant Georgian town houses are ranged around the series of greens which were left undeveloped to act as firebreaks after much of the town was lost in a disastrous fire in 1659.

William Denny's Buckenham House in the High Street is one of the most elegant and interesting. On the outside it appears to be a classic Georgian town house, but venture inside and you will see evidence of its 16th century beginnings.

Built by a wealthy Tudor merchant, the cellar is now a really good coffee house whilst the ground and first floor contain an interesting art gallery. Many of the original moulded cornices remain and the restored sash windows, Tudor brickwork and heavy ceiling timbers make Buckenham House well worth a visit.

Southwold was granted its charter by Henry VII in 1489, when it was a prosperous port with a good herring trade. But it was the herring trade, which in part led, in the mid 17th century to three vicious naval battles, the first in 1653 off Orfordness, the second in 1664 some 40 miles south-east of Lowestoft and most famous, the third –- the Battle of Sole Bay in 1672 - the opening battle of the Third Anglo-Dutch War. The Duke of York, Lord High Admiral of England and later James II, took Sutherland House (now a restaurant) as his headquarters and it was from there that his fleet (along with the French) set sail.

Moving on in time Gun Hill is worth a visit; one of the many Southwold greens, there stands a set of six 18-pounder guns, captured in 1746, at the Battle of Culloden.
Southwold's maritime past, local archaeology, geology and natural history as well as the history of the Southwold railway are all recorded in the Museum set in a Dutch-style cottage in Victoria Street.

While Southwold Sailor's Reading Room contains pictures, ship models and other items of sea-faring interest. The Lifeboat Museum is now down at the harbour and this contains some fascinating items relating to RNLI rescues – of which there have been many.

For beer lovers Southwold is a must, not only is it home to the famous Adnams brewery, but has some really good pubs. One of its most popular, the Lord Nelson retains traces of a smugglers’ passageway leading to the cliffs.

Last but not least is the church of St Edmund, King and Martyr; it has an imposing flint tower, whilst the screens, the 15th century pulpit, the vast font cover and the richly wrought choir stalls are just some of the glories of this outstanding church.