Guidebook for Suffolk
Food Scene
Two Magpies Bakery Southwold
88 High StArtisan bread and cakes/pastries
Pub with popular restaurant. We like to get there early and eat in the bar by the wood stove.
21 locals recommend
Anchor at Walberswick
The StreetPub with popular restaurant. We like to get there early and eat in the bar by the wood stove.
Plants, shop, lunches and vey attractive kitchen garden.
16 locals recommend
Darsham Nurseries, Shop & Café
Main RoadPlants, shop, lunches and vey attractive kitchen garden.
Hideout Cafe
ThoroughfareLight lunches, coffees, tables and chairs out on the street.
Sutherland House
56 High StVery good restaurant.
Delicious breads, often recommended in national press. Café. Good to combine with a walk around the very pretty village and longer marked walks along the river which is as stunning in winter as summer.
39 locals recommend
Pump Street Bakery
1 Pump StDelicious breads, often recommended in national press. Café. Good to combine with a walk around the very pretty village and longer marked walks along the river which is as stunning in winter as summer.
15th century coaching inn. Good food. Particularly renowned for Sunday lunches, booking well in advance required.
20 locals recommend
The White Horse Inn
Low Street15th century coaching inn. Good food. Particularly renowned for Sunday lunches, booking well in advance required.
Busy and popular café for lunch and coffee. Bungay is a 20 minute drive away and has some interesting little independent and antiques shops in Earsham Street.
11 locals recommend
Earsham Street Cafe
11-13 Earsham StBusy and popular café for lunch and coffee. Bungay is a 20 minute drive away and has some interesting little independent and antiques shops in Earsham Street.
Drinks & Nightlife
Popular local pub, local craft beers and ciders and Adnams.
Food and log fire. Twice yearly beer festivals.
The Star Inn station
Popular local pub, local craft beers and ciders and Adnams.
Food and log fire. Twice yearly beer festivals.
Cosy pub popular with locals and visitors moored up on the river. Wood stove in winter and also great for sitting outside in summer looking across the river towards Walberswick. Good fish and chips and Adnams beer.
17 locals recommend
Harbour Inn Southwold
Cosy pub popular with locals and visitors moored up on the river. Wood stove in winter and also great for sitting outside in summer looking across the river towards Walberswick. Good fish and chips and Adnams beer.
16th Century pub. A real Suffolk country pub serving food from local butchers and markets. Last time we went there for about £8 or £9 a head (special lunch menu) we had pie and chips and blackberry eton mess (because blackberries were in the hedgerows). If there's a local sitting on his own in the corner he may well chat with you.
7 locals recommend
The Rumburgh Buck
Mill Road16th Century pub. A real Suffolk country pub serving food from local butchers and markets. Last time we went there for about £8 or £9 a head (special lunch menu) we had pie and chips and blackberry eton mess (because blackberries were in the hedgerows). If there's a local sitting on his own in the corner he may well chat with you.
15 min drive. Cosy pub in winter with woodburner and courtyard in summer. Widely recommended food lunchtime and evening. Combine lunch with one of the circular walks on their website.
9 locals recommend
Sibton White Horse Inn
Halesworth Road15 min drive. Cosy pub in winter with woodburner and courtyard in summer. Widely recommended food lunchtime and evening. Combine lunch with one of the circular walks on their website.
Parks & Nature
The forest is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is in the area known as the Suffolk Sandlings. Lovely walks, cycle trails, bird watching. We like to fit in a tea and cake stop at Dingle Hill Tearooms (check opening hours at different times of year)
9 locals recommend
Dunwich Forest
The forest is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is in the area known as the Suffolk Sandlings. Lovely walks, cycle trails, bird watching. We like to fit in a tea and cake stop at Dingle Hill Tearooms (check opening hours at different times of year)
Church Farm Marshes, owned by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, is on our doorstep. You can walk out of the gate and follow the track across heathland and down to the marshes without meeting a road. Lots of birdlife.
Thorington
Church Farm Marshes, owned by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, is on our doorstep. You can walk out of the gate and follow the track across heathland and down to the marshes without meeting a road. Lots of birdlife.
Lovely walks across heather-covered heathland. Tea and cakes in the tearoom. National Trust owned. Pay and display parking unless an NT member.
Coastguard Cottages
Minsmere RoadLovely walks across heather-covered heathland. Tea and cakes in the tearoom. National Trust owned. Pay and display parking unless an NT member.
Circular walks by the river. Soaring Suffolk skies. Birdlife and good food afterwards at The Jolly Sailor or Butley Orford Oysterage. Out of season we park by the castle to walk straight on to a 7 mile circular walk which includes some lane walking, riverside paths and a track down to Butley Creek where Pinneys' oysters and fish are brought in (some to be smoked at the smokery you pass) before being taken to Butley Orford Oysterage and Pinney's shop in the village. This no frills restaurant is often written up the national papers.
70 locals recommend
Orford
Circular walks by the river. Soaring Suffolk skies. Birdlife and good food afterwards at The Jolly Sailor or Butley Orford Oysterage. Out of season we park by the castle to walk straight on to a 7 mile circular walk which includes some lane walking, riverside paths and a track down to Butley Creek where Pinneys' oysters and fish are brought in (some to be smoked at the smokery you pass) before being taken to Butley Orford Oysterage and Pinney's shop in the village. This no frills restaurant is often written up the national papers.
Shopping
Focus Organic Ltd
14 ThoroughfareOrganic and vegetarian groceries, coffee shop, gifts and cards
Very large centre where lots of antiques dealers sell their specialist items. Furniture, vintage garden items, china, clothes etc. Outside at the back are beach huts filled with more treasures.
10 locals recommend
Yoxford Antiques Centre
Very large centre where lots of antiques dealers sell their specialist items. Furniture, vintage garden items, china, clothes etc. Outside at the back are beach huts filled with more treasures.
Co-op Petrol Station, Food & Grocery Store, Saxons Way, Halesworth
Saxons WayEssentials
Waitrose & Partners Saxmundham
Church HillTesco Superstore
1 Church StEntertainment & Activities
Traditional pier entertainment. Tim Hunkin's famous eccentric amusements and the clock tower with a surprise. Coffee outside with view back to Southwold beach huts and promenade.
89 locals recommend
Southwold Pier
North ParadeTraditional pier entertainment. Tim Hunkin's famous eccentric amusements and the clock tower with a surprise. Coffee outside with view back to Southwold beach huts and promenade.
35 minute drive from us. Old fashioned independent cinema by the river. Good restaurant attached and good pub (The Anchor) opposite. There's also a lovely riverside walk starting and ending at the cinema. Woodbridge is an attractive town with independent shops and cafes.
16 locals recommend
The Riverside
2 Quayside35 minute drive from us. Old fashioned independent cinema by the river. Good restaurant attached and good pub (The Anchor) opposite. There's also a lovely riverside walk starting and ending at the cinema. Woodbridge is an attractive town with independent shops and cafes.
Arts & Culture
10 mins drive or bus from end of our road. Local theatre and cinema in converted maltings building. Local art and ceramic exhibitions. Cafe with coffee, tea, cakes and light lunches. Home to The Halesworth Arts Festival, Suffolk Herring Festival and INK Festival.
New Cut
New Cut10 mins drive or bus from end of our road. Local theatre and cinema in converted maltings building. Local art and ceramic exhibitions. Cafe with coffee, tea, cakes and light lunches. Home to The Halesworth Arts Festival, Suffolk Herring Festival and INK Festival.
Not really just a museum. The Reading Room was set up in memory of Captain Charles Rayley, a naval officer at Trafalgar, to provide a place of refuge for sailors and fishermen away from the pubs where they could read and receive religious instruction.
Southwold Sailors' Reading Room
42 East StNot really just a museum. The Reading Room was set up in memory of Captain Charles Rayley, a naval officer at Trafalgar, to provide a place of refuge for sailors and fishermen away from the pubs where they could read and receive religious instruction.