Beccles
A market town with a rich and vibrant history, Beccles is one of the highlights of the Broads and of North Suffolk. Pretty period buildings line the streets and the river meanders past the town. Points of interest include 16th century St. Michael’s church with its 13th-century font. Many of the streets have the suffix ‘gate’, which is thought to come from the Old Norse word for street. Today the town boasts a lively year-round community, as well as attracting tourists. You can walk the...
Halesworth
Halesworth is a lovely market town, around 10 miles inland from the Suffolk Heritage Coast. This an area popular with walkers, bird watchers and cyclists. There’s been a settlement here since around 3,000BC, with a later Roman town. The marketplace is surrounded by attractive period buildings and the central street, called Thoroughfare, is pedestrianised, so you can potter around and take in your surroundings as you wander up to the medieval church and almshouses close by. The town has a...
Bungay
Sometimes described as the jewel in Waveney’s crown, Bungay is partly encircled by the river, with picturesque views over water meadows. The town has a Roman well, Saxon church, the remains of a Norman castle, Benedictine priory and other historic buildings. Much of the town was destroyed by fire in the 1600s and the town was rebuilt, with its attractive marketplace drawing the rich and fashionable to have residences here, giving it the nickname ‘Little London’. An abundance of beautiful...
Loddon
Sitting on the River Chet, Loddon is an attractive town with lots of interesting buildings and the centre is a conservation area. In the past, the river would have had wherries passing up and town carrying cargo but these days it’s more of a tourist and leisure attraction and a popular stop-off for those boating on the Broads. The beautiful staithe has an 18th-century watermill, while Holy Trinity Church dates back to 1490 and has a medieval font.
Southwold and Walberswick
Southwold is practically an island, bordered by the River Blyth, a creek and the harbour and sea. There’s only one road in – but once you’re here, you won’t want to leave! You can also enter the town by way of the footbridge or ferry, both between Southwold and Walberswick, the latter currently run by the fifth generation of the same family. This is an area of outstanding natural beauty and it’s paradise for any nature lover, but there’s so much more to the area too. Southwold is mentioned...
Lowestoft and Oulton Broad
Lowestoft is the most easterly town in the UK – and it’s among the driest too. It’s thought to be one of the earliest settlements in the area, with flint tools discovered dating back 700,000 years. Home to just 16 households in the 1086 Domesday book, it grew to become an important fishing town and port with a thriving herring industry. It’s this that led to the railway line running here, which in turn brought tourists. Today, you can still buy beautifully fresh locally caught and smoked...
Gorleston
Mentioned in the Domesday book of 1086 and noteworthy for its salt pans, today Gorleston is best known for its beautiful sandy beach. It has something of a nostalgic feel, with formal gardens, a promenade and a model boat lake and pier. Bands play in the bandstand in summer, with yacht racing on the bay. It’s the perfect place to fly a kite – and there’s even a paddling pool for the kids.
Saxmundham
An historic market town close to the Suffolk coast, this is a place full of charm. It was once on the main route from London to the Continent, so there are many beautiful Georgian and Victorian houses and even some Tudor and medieval. You can imagine horse-drawn coaches passing through the streets, horses being stabled and rested while their masters refreshed themselves over a pint of beer and a hearty meal. There’s evidence of Bronze age and Saxon settlements too – and why not? It’s a fine...
Leiston and Thorpeness
You get a real sense of history around this area, with the ruins of 14th century Leiston Abbey and the tall tales of smugglers in years gone by, sneaking their wares through tunnels carved out of the marshes. In the 19th and 20th century, Leiston was a hub of manufacturing, with Richard Garret and Sons having the world’s first flow assembly line to make portable steam engines. The company also made tractors and other farm machinery, as well as munitions during both World Wars. The factory...
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh means ‘old fort’, although it’s likely that any fortifications in the original village have long ago crumbled into the sea. Originally a small settlement, it became a thriving port in Tudor times. It was also known for fishing and shipbuilding. But today Aldeburgh is perhaps most famous for its connection to the British composer Benjamin Britten. He started the Aldeburgh Festival of Arts back in 1948 and the annual event takes place at nearby Snape Maltings. Britten, along with his...