Southwold Holiday Lets

Mornings on the beach below the huts, a walk out along the pier to the water clock, and lunch at one of the pubs on the High Street. Afternoons split between the Adnams shop, the independent shops along Queen Street, and the crossing over the Blyth to Walberswick, either over the bailey bridge or on the rowing ferry in season.

Southwold rewards slowness. Most people who come once come back, and the ones who book a week rather than a weekend are always the ones who look most relaxed on Friday.

Parking is the single thing guests most often overlook. Central Southwold streets are tight and the free spaces go early in summer, so a property with allocated parking is worth paying a little more for.

Then decide how close to the sea you actually want to be. A cottage on the seafront is glorious in July and exposed in February. Something a couple of streets back is usually warmer, quieter and cheaper, and still a five minute walk to the sand.

If you are bringing a dog, check the beach restrictions for the dates you are travelling, as sections of Southwold beach are seasonally restricted between May and September while the stretch toward Walberswick stays open year-round.

The Lord Nelson and the Sole Bay Inn cover proper pub territory. The Swan on Market Place is the smart end of the town for dinner. For fish and chips there is a queue on the harbour in summer for a reason, and the smokehouses along Blackshore are the thing to bring home.

Book ahead for August and half-term weekends. Southwold fills up completely and walk-ins get tricky after six.

July and August are the classic weeks and the busiest. June and September are our favourites, the sea has warmed up, the light is long and the town breathes again. Winter Southwold, with a wood burner and an empty beach, is a genuinely underrated weekend.