Southwold – East Anglian magic

There can be only be a handful of places in the UK that provoke, almost without exception, the reaction, “Oh what a wonderful place, so charming, so… special. And it’s not just the rather more senior generation that responds like that. The town attracts families of all ages. Southwold is one such place.

Southwold's famous beach

It’s been a family favourite for several decades, and as children grow up and have kids of their own, so another generation returns to the beaches, the annual crabbing competitions, the ferry across the river, Adnams ales and some of the friendliest people you’ll meet anywhere. In the summer, parking can become a distinct problem and the sensible visitor leaves his or her car on the outskirts or near the Common where there’s plenty of space. At the moment, residents only have to struggle with parking during the summer months and then only in the streets around the High Street.

A new look?

Architecturally, the town has changed little for many years, which is all part of its charm. The town’s buildings are essentially rural so, for me, the look of the new development, Tibby’s Triangle, and the Adnams Cellar and Kitchen Store located on the site of the old Adnam’s distribution centre, is completely out of character with the rest of the town.

The front of Cellar & Kitchen, Tibby’s TriangleA local resident commented recently, “I’m all for architect-led, contemporary and sustainable development but Tibby’s Triangle appears to be a 90′s throwback – too dense, retro-building technologies, and with no understanding of the local vernacular.”

The Cellar and Kitchen Store is clad in shiny corrugated aluminium and the front of the building is sliced away at a weirdly acute angle and frankly, it’s hard to believe it ever received planning consent, so little does it blend in with it’s surroundings.

The front of Cellar & Kitchen, Tibby's Triangle

This is industry plonked down in the heart of a traditional-looking East Anglian coastal town. In addition, why there is a four-storey apartment block in the heart of the development is quite beyond me. Prices in the development are in the region of £489,995 for a 2-bedroom terraced house.

The High Street

Fortunately Tibby’s Triangle is sufficiently near the outskirts of Southwold that I’ve found it possible to hurry past and into the High Street. These days, the shops range from smart delis to uber chic women’s boutiques, but there are plenty of old friends such as the Amber Shop, Denny Clothes and Bookthrift that blend in with the quiet nostalgia of the Market Square.

Property prices

In earlier real estate downturns, property prices in the town stayed fairly level, dropping only slightly and once again, this seems to be true. Southwold is definitely a desirable niche for homebuyers and while some homes get stuck in the estate agents’ windows for a while, on the whole there’s quite a decent turnover of houses and flats.

Southwold's famous lighthouse

A 4-bedroom terraced house at the pier end of town sold recently for £500,000 while a 2-bedroom first floor flat overlooking South Green is on the market for a guide price of £410,000. Renting and buying beach huts is certainly a costly affair with prices for one of the larger huts starting anywhere in the region of £40-50,000.

A family home

To me, Southwold seems to have a micro-climate. Drive round Ipswich on the A14 on a horrible day with a gale blowing, the rain lashing down, the windscreen wipers fighting all the way. Then take the A12 north east towards Lowestoft and you’ll notice a slight brightening of the sky.

It’s about 30 miles from Ipswich to Southwold and by the time you go over the level crossing at Darsham the rain will probably have ceased and the wind eased off. Turn right onto the B1126, the sky will have cleared and the lighthouse will have appeared in the distance.

The ferry across to Walberswick from Southwold

If you have time, turn off to Walberswick from the A12, drive down to the harbour and enjoy looking back at Southwold before going off to the Anchor for lunch.

This part of East Anglia has so much to offer  visitor or second home owner alike, it’s no wonder that over the years so many people have returned to Southwold time after time.