Southwold's shore-front is its main attraction. Amble along the promenade, admire the squat 19th-century lighthouse, then drop by the 190m-long pier, first built in 1899 and recently reconstructed. Its Under the Pier Show (open 10am to 5pm, to 7pm Friday and Saturday) sports a kooky collection of handmade amusement machines combining daft fun with political satire.
Seafront & Pier
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.4 MILES
Norwich's most impressive landmark is a magnificent Anglican cathedral. Its barbed spire soars higher than any in England except Salisbury's, while the…
26.33 MILES
Crowning a hilltop overlooking central Norwich, this massive 12th-century castle is one of England’s best-preserved examples of Anglo-Norman military…
26.44 MILES
Stay on your best behaviour: 14th-century Bridewell is a former house of correction, a 'prison for women, beggars and tramps'. Displays here explore…
21.91 MILES
Somehow missed by plundering robbers and left undisturbed for 1300 years, the hull of an enormous Anglo-Saxon ship was discovered here in 1939, buried…
Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts
27.63 MILES
The region's most important centre for the arts is housed in the first major public building by renowned architect Norman Foster. Its eclectic collections…
17.71 MILES
Wind-whipped, remote Orford Ness is the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe and was once used as a secret military testing ground; now it's a nature…
6.41 MILES
The coast near Dunwich draws ranks of birdwatchers, thanks to RSPB Minsmere. The reserve is home to one of England's rarest birds, the bittern, with…
17.62 MILES
The three square turrets and 18-sided drum design of this slender 12th-century structure not only make it highly unusual, but also very beautiful. It's…
Nearby attractions
0.32 MILES
Worth a peek for its fabulous medieval screen and 15th-century, bloodshot-eyed 'Southwold Jack' effigy (believed to be part of a clock), grumpily…
0.4 MILES
Spend an hour touring the high-tech kit inside this Victorian brewery, indulge in a 30-minute tutored tasting, then select a free bottle of beer to take…
6.41 MILES
The coast near Dunwich draws ranks of birdwatchers, thanks to RSPB Minsmere. The reserve is home to one of England's rarest birds, the bittern, with…
12.13 MILES
Maggi Hambling's sculpture commemorates Aldeburgh’s links with the 20th-century composer Benjamin Britten, who spent much of his life in the town. It…
12.65 MILES
Displays on fishing, shipbuilding, coastal defences and Regency-era tourism in an intricately carved, timber-framed, 16th-century house.
17.62 MILES
The three square turrets and 18-sided drum design of this slender 12th-century structure not only make it highly unusual, but also very beautiful. It's…
17.71 MILES
Wind-whipped, remote Orford Ness is the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe and was once used as a secret military testing ground; now it's a nature…
21.91 MILES
Somehow missed by plundering robbers and left undisturbed for 1300 years, the hull of an enormous Anglo-Saxon ship was discovered here in 1939, buried…