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Southwold

Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the English North Sea coast in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk. It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is about 11 miles (18 km) south of Lowestoft, 29 miles (47 km) north-east of Ipswich and 97 miles (156 km) north-east of London, within the parliamentary constituency of Suffolk Coastal. The 2011 Census figure gave a total population of 1,098 for the town.

Southwold
The lighthouse from the North Parade
Southwold
Location within Suffolk
Area2.68 km2 (1.03 sq mi)
Population1,098 (2011 Census)[1]
• Density410/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
OS grid referenceTM510763
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townSOUTHWOLD
Postcode districtIP18
Dialling code01502
PoliceSuffolk
FireSuffolk
AmbulanceEast of England
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Suffolk
52°19′37″N 1°40′48″E / 52.327°N 1.680°E / 52.327; 1.680Coordinates: 52°19′37″N 1°40′48″E / 52.327°N 1.680°E / 52.327; 1.680

History

 
Crews rush to their 3.7-inch guns, 127th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, 9 October 1944

Southwold was mentioned in Domesday Book (1086) as a fishing port, and after the "capricious River Blyth withdrew from Dunwich in 1328, bringing trade to Southwold in the 15th century",[2] it received its town charter from Henry VII in 1489. The grant of the charter is marked by the annual Trinity Fair, when it is read out by the Town Clerk. Over following centuries, however, a shingle bar built up across the harbour mouth, preventing the town from becoming a major Early Modern port: "The shingle at Southwold Harbour, the mouth of the Blyth, is ever shifting," William Whittaker observed in 1887.[3]

Southwold was the home of a number of Puritan emigrants to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s, notably a party of 18 assembled under Rev. Young, which travelled in the Mary Ann in 1637.[4] Richard Ibrook, born in Southwold and a former bailiff of the town, emigrated to Hingham, Massachusetts, along with Rev. Peter Hobart, son of Edmund Hobart of Hingham, Norfolk. Rev. Hobart had been an assistant vicar of St Edmund's Church, Southwold, after graduating from Magdalene College, Cambridge.[5] Hobart married in America Rebecca Ibrook, daughter of his fellow Puritan Richard Ibrook. The migrants to Hingham were led by Robert Peck, vicar of St Andrew's Church in Hingham and a native of Beccles.[6]

A fire in 1659 devastated most of the town, creating spaces that were never built on again. Today this "series of varied and very delightful village greens"[7] and the restriction of expansion by the surrounding marshes, have preserved the town's tidy appearance.

On the green just above the beach, descriptively named Gun Hill, six 18-pounder cannon commemorate the Battle of Sole Bay, fought in 1672 between English and French fleets on one side and the Dutch (under Michiel de Ruyter) on the other. The battle was bloody but indecisive and many bodies were washed ashore. Southwold Museum has a collection of mementos of the event. These cannon were captured from the Scots at Culloden and given to the town by the Duke of Cumberland, who had landed at Southwold in October 1745 having been recalled from Europe to deal with the Jacobite threat.[8] In World War II they were prudently removed, reputedly buried for safety, and returned to their former position after hostilities.[9]

On 15 May 1943, low-flying German fighter-bombers attacked the town and killed eleven people.[10]

Governance

Up to 1 April 2019, Southwold was part of the Southwold and Reydon electoral ward in the Waveney District Council area. The ward population at the 2011 census was 3,680; the resident population of the neighbouring village of Reydon was more than double that of the town of Southwold.[11] Although the town lost its independent Municipal Borough status in the Local Government reforms of 1974 and consequent incorporation in Waveney District, it continues to have an elected, non-partisan Town Council and Mayor, based at Southwold Town Hall.[12]

With the 1 April 2019 amalgamation of the Waveney and Suffolk Coastal districts into a new East Suffolk district, Southwold became an expanded ward with Reydon and Walberswick, represented by a single councillor. Previously, the Southwold and Reydon ward, under Waveney District, elected two councillors.

Economy

 
Adnams Brewery

Once home to several industries, Southwold's economy centres on services: hotels, holiday lets, catering and tourism. With surrounding areas largely given to agriculture, the town is an important commercial centre, with independent shops, cafés and restaurants and a market on Mondays and Thursdays, although there has been a recent trend for retail chains in food and beverages, clothing and stationery to take over the independent units.[13]

Adnams Brewery remains in Southwold as its largest single employer. The fishing fleet is much diminished, but Southwold Harbour remains one of the main fishing ports on the Suffolk coastline. In 2012, additional fleet facilities were constructed there as part of the repair and reinstatement of the Harbour's North Wall.

Education

Primary

Southwold Primary School, adjacent to St. Edmund's Church, currently caters for children aged 2 to 11 years. As a member of the Yoxford Valley Partnership of Schools, it works in partnership with Yoxford and Peasenhall Primary School in Yoxford and Middleton Primary School, near Dunwich.[14]

Secondary

The nearest secondary school for Southwold children was Reydon High School until it closed in 1990. Thereafter, most pupils were bussed to the Sir John Leman High School in Beccles or to Bungay High School. These schools have been joined by SET Beccles School, opened in 2012 and catering for pupils aged 11–16.

In line with a 2019 decision by Suffolk County Council on changes to free school transport, the default 11–16 secondary school for Southwold and Reydon students is Pakefield High School at Lowestoft.

Private education for pupils aged 2–18 is offered at Saint Felix School, a private school in nearby Reydon.

Landmarks and features

Railway

 
The lighthouse

The narrow-gauge Southwold Railway connecting the town to Halesworth ran from 24 September 1879 to 11 April 1929.[15]

In 2007 the Southwold Railway Society submitted plans to build a new line between the parish of Easton Bavents and Henham Park, to link the town to the nearest mainline service at Halesworth.[16] However, these plans were criticised for having no relation to the original route of the railway and for environmental and other reasons. In July 2007 the plans were rejected by Waveney and by Suffolk Coastal District Councils.[17] In December 2008 the Society introduced a new proposal for a Railway Park, including railway track and a museum, on a site at present occupied by a car-breaker's yard, next to the local sewage works.[18] That proposal was superseded by another, in which a short section of railway, together with other attractions and facilities, would be constructed in the village of Wenhaston, a few miles inland from Southwold and once a stop on the Southwold Railway. The plan did not meet with universal approval.[19] In February 2016, the original Railway Park proposal for Blyth Road, Southwold, on the site of the town's former gasholders, was revived, and a new planning application was submitted and approved. Construction of the Railway Park began in 2017.

Lighthouse

Southwold lighthouse was commissioned in 1890 and automated and electrified in 1938.[20] It stands as a prominent landmark in the centre of the town and is a Grade II listed building.[21] It is 31 metres (102 ft) metres tall, standing 37 metres (121 ft) metres above sea level. It is built of brick and painted white and has 113 steps around a spiral staircase.[22]

The lighthouse replaced three local lighthouses that were under serious threat from coastal erosion. It suffered a fire in its original oil fired lamp just six days after commissioning but survived and today operates a rotating 150-watt lamp with a range of 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi).[20][23][24][25] From 2023, Trinity House has arranged that tours of the lighthouse are offered by the Adnams brewery, which stands close by, and may be booked with that company.[26]

Brewery

Adnams brewery was established in the town by George and Ernest Adnams in 1872 with the purchase of the Sole Bay Brewery, which had been founded in 1818.[27][28][29] In 1890 the brewery was re-built on its current site in the centre of the town. The brewery is the town's largest employer[28] and has been modernised and expanded in recent years, with development of an energy efficient brewery, a distribution centre in the nearby village of Reydon, and a distillery.[27][28][29] In 2011 it received the Good Pub Guide Brewery of the Year Award.[30]

Pier

 
Southwold Pier in the summer sunshine

Southwold Pier was built in 1900. At 247 metres (810 ft) it was long enough to accommodate the Belle steamers that carried trippers along the coast at that time. In World War II, it was weakened by two breaches, and in 1955 a large section was destroyed by a gale. The pier was entirely rebuilt and restored in 2001 and is now about 190 metres (620 ft) long. While many English seaside piers are in decline, Southwold Pier is enjoying renewed popularity, helped by a collection of modern coin-operated novelty machines made by Tim Hunkin and the occasional berth of paddle steamers such as PS Waverley and the MV Balmoral.

A model boat pond adjacent to the pier is used for the Southwold Model Yacht regattas that have been held since the late Victorian period.[31] Some of the boats entered are up to 80 years old and include replicas of beach yawls. Regattas are usually held in the spring and summer with the largest, the annual regatta, held at the end of the summer season.[32]

Water towers

The Old Water Tower, in the middle of Southwold Common, was built in 1890. The tank held 40,000 gallons of water and was powered by huge sails. On St Valentine's Day 1899, George Neller, a respected local man, died when his coat got caught in its machinery. In 1937 a new 150,000 gallon capacity Art Deco water tower was built next door. The then Southwold Borough Council bought the Old Water Tower before it came into the hands of successive water companies. It was returned to the Town Council for a nominal fee of £100 in 1987. The Old Water Tower has since been used as the Lifeboat Museum and was later used by Adnams for a number of years.[33]

Electric Picture Palace

The Electric Picture Palace cinema was opened in 2002, as a pastiche of the original 1912 cinema that stood nearby in York Road.[34]

Museum

Southwold Museum holds a number of exhibits focused on the local and natural history of the town. The museum is owned and managed by the Southwold Museum & Historical Society. It is part of the Maritime Heritage East programme which unites more than 30 maritime museums on the East Coast.[35]

Sailors' Reading Room

 
Southwold Sailors' Reading Room Interior

The Southwold Sailors' Reading Room is a Grade II listed building on the seafront at Southwold. It was built in 1864 as a place for fishermen and mariners to read, as an alternative to drinking in pubs, and also to encourage the pursuit of Christian ideals. The room has a number of historic displays of model boats and other maritime objects in glass cabinets.[36]

Golf club

Southwold Golf Club was founded on 4 January 1884 as a Golf and Quoit Club. At the time there were only three other golf clubs in East Anglia – Cambridge University, Yarmouth and Felixstowe. The first game on the nine-hole course was played on 28 August 1884. Originally membership was not accepted from shopkeepers or manual workers, but in 1925 Mr J. B. Denny successfully persuaded the committee to form an Artisans' Section, which was originally restricted to 30 members.[citation needed]

St Edmund's Church

The Grade I listed parish church of Southwold is dedicated to St Edmund and considered one of Suffolk's finest.[37] It lies under one continuous roof, and was built over about 60 years from the 1430s to the 1490s; replacing a smaller, 13th-century church that was destroyed by fire. The earlier church dated from the time when Southwold was a small fishing hamlet adjacent to the larger Reydon. By the 15th century Southwold was an important town in its own right, and the church was rebuilt to reflect that power and wealth.

Harbour

Southwold Harbour lies south of the town on the River Blyth. Vehicle access is via York Road and Carnsey Road to the west and Ferry Road to the east. The harbour extends nearly a mile upstream from the river mouth and is mainly used by fishing boats, yachts and small pleasure boats. The clubhouse of Southwold Sailing Club is on the north side of the harbour adjacent to The Harbour Inn. The quay and area in front of the inn and clubhouse is called Blackshore; although the name has often been used incorrectly for the whole harbour in recent years.

 
Southwold Lifeboat Station

At the seaward end of the harbour is Southwold Lifeboat Station, operated by the RNLI. The former Cromer lifeboat shed houses the Alfred Corry Museum, which features the Southwold lifeboat "Alfred Corry", which was in service from 1893 to 1918. An extensive and now-complete restoration to her original state has been carried out by volunteers over several years.

The river can be crossed on foot or bicycle by a public footbridge upstream from The Harbour Inn, which leads to the village of Walberswick. This bridge is known as the Bailey Bridge and rests on the piers and footings of the original iron Southwold Railway swing bridge. It had a central swinging section to allow the passage of wherries and other shipping on the Blyth Navigation, but this was largely removed at the start of World War II under the precautions against German invasion.

Towards the mouth of the Blyth, a rowed ferry service runs between the Walberswick and Southwold banks. It has been operated by the same family since the 1920s, when it was a chain ferry that could take cars. The chain ferry ceased working in 1941, but some vestiges remain at the Walberswick slipway.

Beach

 
Southwold Beach huts

The beach is a combination of sand and shingle. In 2005/06 it was further protected by a coastal management scheme which includes beach nourishment, new groynes on the south side of the pier and riprap to the north.[38][39]

It is overlooked by brightly painted beach huts.

Culture

Film and television

The fictional Southwold Estate, seat of the equally fictional Earls of Southwold, is the country estate of the family of Lady Marjorie Bellamy in the ITV British drama Upstairs, Downstairs.

The town and its vicinity has been used as the setting for numerous films and television programmes, including Iris about the life of Iris Murdoch starring Judi Dench, Drowning by Numbers by Peter Greenaway, Kavanagh QC starring John Thaw, East of Ipswich by Michael Palin, Little Britain with Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and a 1969 version of David Copperfield.[40]

The BBC children's series Grandpa in My Pocket was filmed in Southwold, Walberswick and Aldeburgh.[41] Only exteriors of buildings were filmed, e.g. the Lighthouse – no acting was done there. An ITV1 drama, A Mother's Son, first broadcast in September 2012, was filmed on location in Southwold.

Novels

Julie Myerson set her 2003 murder novel Something Might Happen in an unnamed Southwold – "a sleepy, slightly self-satisfied seaside town". She said that setting a murder in the car park made her feel as if she were "soiling something really good". She holidayed in the town as a child and remarked in an interview that everything else in her life had changed, but her mother and Southwold had stayed the same. She still owns a second home there.[42]

Other books set in Southwold include Esther Freud's novel Sea House (2004), with Southwold as Steerborough.[43] Southwold native Neil Bell in Bredon and Sons (1933) about boat-building people). Forgive us our Trespasses (1947), based on a true story of twin boys lost at sea, renames the town Senwich.[citation needed] The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (1978) drew on her experiences working in a Southwold bookshop in the 1950s.[44]

An earlier book thought to be set in Southwold is Beside the Guns (1902) by the Christian author Mary Elizabeth Shipley.[citation needed] The German writer W. G. Sebald describes Southwold in The Rings of Saturn, an account of a walk through East Anglia. Two recent additions are A Southwold Mystery (2015) and Shot in Southwold (2017) by the Herefordshire author Suzette A. Hill, both murder mysteries set in the 1950s.

George Orwell

 
Orwell's home in Southwold
 
Southwold from the end of the pier

The writer George Orwell (real name Eric Blair) spent periods as a teenager and in his thirties in Southwold, living at his parents' home. A plaque can be seen next door to what is now a fish and chip shop at the far end of the High Street.

After his departure from Eton College in December 1921, Orwell travelled to join his retired father, mother and younger sister Avril, who that month had moved to 40 Stradbroke Road, Southwold, the first of four homes in the town.[45] In January–June 1922 he attended an educational crammer in Southwold to prepare for Indian Police Service exams and his career in Burma. In 1929, after 18 months in Paris, he returned to the family in Southwold and was based there for most of the next five years. He tutored a disabled child and a family of three boys and wrote reviews and developed Burmese Days. He also spent nearly 18 months teaching in West London, until struck by a bout of pneumonia. His mother then insisted he stay at home instead of teaching. He spent the time writing A Clergyman's Daughter, which is partly set in a fictionalised East Anglian town called "Knype Hill". His final visit to Southwold was in 1939.[45]

Cultural events

The town has long hosted summer repertory theatre by various companies. For several years, Suffolk Summer Theatres have offered a varied programme of plays from July to September, staged in Southwold Arts Centre (formerly St Edmund's Hall). Every November the "Ways with Words" literature festival is held, with notable speakers appearing at various venues.

In 2014 came the inaugural Southwold Arts Festival, which was repeated in future years. It offers a mix of literature, music, film and art exhibitions, with the main events over an eight-day period in the summer, bringing entertainers of diverse backgrounds together.[46]

In 2005, Southwold launched Suffolk's "answer to the Turner prize", the "Flying Egg" competition. This event also ran in 2006 and 2007, but not repeated in 2008.[47]

Notable people

 
PD James 2013

In alphabetical order:

See also

References

  1. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Southwold Parish (1170218950)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  2. ^ Norman Scarfe, Suffolk in the Middle Ages: Studies in Places and Place-Names, 2004:161
  3. ^ W. Whitaker, The Geology of Southwold, and of the Suffolk coast from Dunwich to Covehithe: (Explanation of sheet 49 N.) 1887: "Coast deposits" pp. 45ff; coastal spits and bars are discussed in J. Steers, "The East Anglian Coast", The Geographical Journal 69.1 January 1927.
  4. ^ Roger Thompson, Mobility and Migration: East Anglian Founders of New England, 1629–1640 2009:188, et passim.
  5. ^ ), Suffolk County (Mass (1903). Mr. Richard Ibrooke, Suffolk Deeds, William Blake Trask, Frank Eliot Bradish, Charles A. Drew, A. Grace, Rockwell and Churchill Press, Boston, 1908. Retrieved 23 February 2013.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Peck, Robert (PK598R2)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  7. ^ Scarfe 2004:125.
  8. ^ "Southwold". Pall Mall Magazine. 1893. p. 258. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  9. ^ Southwold Museum (2 February 2021). "Southwold At War - World War Two". Southwold Museum. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  10. ^ Detailed account: Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Southwold and Reydon ward population 2011". Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  12. ^ Southwold Town Council website (27 May 2021). "Southwold Town Council - Councillors".
  13. ^ . Lowestoft Journal. 27 April 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Yoxford Valley Partnership of Schools". Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  15. ^ Mitchell, V.; Smith, K. (1984). Branch Line to Southwold. Middleton Press. ISBN 0-906520-15-0.
  16. ^ . Southwoldrailway.co.uk. 5 July 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  17. ^ "Southwold railway – last hopes dashed". EADT online. 5 July 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2006.
  18. ^ . Norwich Advertiser. 18 December 2008. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  19. ^ . Lowestoft Journal. 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  20. ^ a b Southwold 8 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Trinity House. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  21. ^ The Lighthouse, Southwold, British Listed Building. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  22. ^ See inside a lighthouse 4 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Trinity House. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  23. ^ Application note 32064 – Southwold Conversion 21 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Pelangi. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  24. ^ Discovering Southwold, BBC Suffolk. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  25. ^ The sea – Southwold's lighthouse, Southwold museum. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  26. ^ "Southwold Lighthouse visitor centre | Trinity House". Southwold Lighthouse visitor centre | Trinity House. Retrieved 6 April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ a b Suffolk brewer Adnams starts distillery, BBC news website, 12 November 2010. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
  28. ^ a b c Point 7 – The Brewery, BBC Suffolk. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  29. ^ a b Our history, Adnams. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  30. ^ Adnams claims national title 1 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Eastern Daily Press, 7 October 2010. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
  31. ^ The SMYR Handbook, Southwold Model Yacht Regattas. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  32. ^ "Southwold Model Yacht Regattas – Racing model yachts since 1894". www.southwoldmodelyachtregattas.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  33. ^ "The So Southwold Office at the Old Water Tower". www.sosouthwold.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  34. ^ "About Us - The Electric Picture Palace, Southwold". Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  35. ^ "Welcome to Maritime Heritage East". www.maritimeheritageeast.org.uk.
  36. ^ Official Website of the Southwold Sailors' Reading Room 28 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 July 2018
  37. ^ "Simon Jenkin's top Suffolk churches". Suffolkchurches.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  38. ^ "Southwold Coastal Protection Scheme" (PDF).
  39. ^ "Southwold beach level blow after scheme fails". Eastern Daily Press.
  40. ^ . Old City. 8 November 2004. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  41. ^ BBC press release Retrieved 26 April 2012
  42. ^ . www.penguin.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008.
  43. ^ Kellaway, Kate (5 July 2003). "Mysteries under an open Suffolk sky - once you've got your bearings". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  44. ^ The Independent 24 August 2008, review of her published correspondence:
  45. ^ a b Binns, Ronald (2018). Orwell in Southwold. Zoilus Press. ISBN 9781999735920.
  46. ^ . southwoldartsfestival.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  47. ^ "Telegraph news 01/08/2005". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2013.[dead link]
  48. ^ "William Alwyn Website :: Biography & Works". www.williamalwyn.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  49. ^ . Archived from the original on 21 May 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  50. ^ "Flown From the Nest - Mark Crowe". www.ex-canaries.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  51. ^ IMDb Database retrieved December 2017.
  52. ^ Fellows Remembered, The Royal Society of Literature Retrieved December 2017.
  53. ^ Sister Janet, Mother Maribel of Wantage, SPCK London (1973), p. 10.
  54. ^ "Margaret Mellis: Painter and maker of driftwood collages". The Independent. 24 March 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  55. ^ Russell, Steven. "Suffolk through my viewfinder". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  56. ^ "George Orwell's Southwold home gets fresh plaque". BBC News. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  57. ^ "Martin Shaw - an appreciation by Erik Routley MusicWeb-International". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  58. ^ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900, Volume 55, Strickland, Agnes Retrieved December 2017.
  59. ^ BBC. "The Church of St Edmund, King and Martyr". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2020.

External sources

  • Geoffrey Munn, Southwold: An Earthly Paradise, Antique Collectors Club, (Woodbridge, 2006) ISBN 1851495185

External links

  • A Short History of the Southwold Railway 16 January 2005 at the Wayback Machine
  • Southwold Museum
  • A history of Southwold's shops and trades
  • Online edition of free monthly newspaper Southwold Organ 13 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  • The "Alfred Corry" Museum
  • Southwold Guided Tour
  • Southwold Online
  • Explore Southwold

southwold, this, article, about, town, england, town, canada, ontario, seaside, town, civil, parish, english, north, coast, east, suffolk, district, suffolk, lies, mouth, river, blyth, within, suffolk, coast, heaths, area, outstanding, natural, beauty, town, a. This article is about the town in England For the town in Canada see Southwold Ontario Southwold is a seaside town and civil parish on the English North Sea coast in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk It lies at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty The town is about 11 miles 18 km south of Lowestoft 29 miles 47 km north east of Ipswich and 97 miles 156 km north east of London within the parliamentary constituency of Suffolk Coastal The 2011 Census figure gave a total population of 1 098 for the town SouthwoldThe lighthouse from the North ParadeSouthwoldLocation within SuffolkArea2 68 km2 1 03 sq mi Population1 098 2011 Census 1 Density410 km2 1 100 sq mi OS grid referenceTM510763DistrictEast SuffolkShire countySuffolkRegionEastCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townSOUTHWOLDPostcode districtIP18Dialling code01502PoliceSuffolkFireSuffolkAmbulanceEast of EnglandUK ParliamentSuffolk CoastalList of places UK England Suffolk 52 19 37 N 1 40 48 E 52 327 N 1 680 E 52 327 1 680 Coordinates 52 19 37 N 1 40 48 E 52 327 N 1 680 E 52 327 1 680 Contents 1 History 2 Governance 3 Economy 4 Education 4 1 Primary 4 2 Secondary 5 Landmarks and features 5 1 Railway 5 2 Lighthouse 5 3 Brewery 5 4 Pier 5 5 Water towers 5 6 Electric Picture Palace 5 7 Museum 5 8 Sailors Reading Room 5 9 Golf club 6 St Edmund s Church 7 Harbour 8 Beach 9 Culture 9 1 Film and television 9 2 Novels 9 3 George Orwell 9 4 Cultural events 10 Notable people 11 See also 12 References 13 External sources 14 External linksHistory Edit Crews rush to their 3 7 inch guns 127th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment 9 October 1944 Southwold was mentioned in Domesday Book 1086 as a fishing port and after the capricious River Blyth withdrew from Dunwich in 1328 bringing trade to Southwold in the 15th century 2 it received its town charter from Henry VII in 1489 The grant of the charter is marked by the annual Trinity Fair when it is read out by the Town Clerk Over following centuries however a shingle bar built up across the harbour mouth preventing the town from becoming a major Early Modern port The shingle at Southwold Harbour the mouth of the Blyth is ever shifting William Whittaker observed in 1887 3 Southwold was the home of a number of Puritan emigrants to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s notably a party of 18 assembled under Rev Young which travelled in the Mary Ann in 1637 4 Richard Ibrook born in Southwold and a former bailiff of the town emigrated to Hingham Massachusetts along with Rev Peter Hobart son of Edmund Hobart of Hingham Norfolk Rev Hobart had been an assistant vicar of St Edmund s Church Southwold after graduating from Magdalene College Cambridge 5 Hobart married in America Rebecca Ibrook daughter of his fellow Puritan Richard Ibrook The migrants to Hingham were led by Robert Peck vicar of St Andrew s Church in Hingham and a native of Beccles 6 A fire in 1659 devastated most of the town creating spaces that were never built on again Today this series of varied and very delightful village greens 7 and the restriction of expansion by the surrounding marshes have preserved the town s tidy appearance On the green just above the beach descriptively named Gun Hill six 18 pounder cannon commemorate the Battle of Sole Bay fought in 1672 between English and French fleets on one side and the Dutch under Michiel de Ruyter on the other The battle was bloody but indecisive and many bodies were washed ashore Southwold Museum has a collection of mementos of the event These cannon were captured from the Scots at Culloden and given to the town by the Duke of Cumberland who had landed at Southwold in October 1745 having been recalled from Europe to deal with the Jacobite threat 8 In World War II they were prudently removed reputedly buried for safety and returned to their former position after hostilities 9 On 15 May 1943 low flying German fighter bombers attacked the town and killed eleven people 10 Governance Edit Southwold Town Hall Up to 1 April 2019 Southwold was part of the Southwold and Reydon electoral ward in the Waveney District Council area The ward population at the 2011 census was 3 680 the resident population of the neighbouring village of Reydon was more than double that of the town of Southwold 11 Although the town lost its independent Municipal Borough status in the Local Government reforms of 1974 and consequent incorporation in Waveney District it continues to have an elected non partisan Town Council and Mayor based at Southwold Town Hall 12 With the 1 April 2019 amalgamation of the Waveney and Suffolk Coastal districts into a new East Suffolk district Southwold became an expanded ward with Reydon and Walberswick represented by a single councillor Previously the Southwold and Reydon ward under Waveney District elected two councillors Economy Edit Adnams Brewery Once home to several industries Southwold s economy centres on services hotels holiday lets catering and tourism With surrounding areas largely given to agriculture the town is an important commercial centre with independent shops cafes and restaurants and a market on Mondays and Thursdays although there has been a recent trend for retail chains in food and beverages clothing and stationery to take over the independent units 13 Adnams Brewery remains in Southwold as its largest single employer The fishing fleet is much diminished but Southwold Harbour remains one of the main fishing ports on the Suffolk coastline In 2012 additional fleet facilities were constructed there as part of the repair and reinstatement of the Harbour s North Wall Education EditPrimary Edit Southwold Primary School adjacent to St Edmund s Church currently caters for children aged 2 to 11 years As a member of the Yoxford Valley Partnership of Schools it works in partnership with Yoxford and Peasenhall Primary School in Yoxford and Middleton Primary School near Dunwich 14 Secondary Edit The nearest secondary school for Southwold children was Reydon High School until it closed in 1990 Thereafter most pupils were bussed to the Sir John Leman High School in Beccles or to Bungay High School These schools have been joined by SET Beccles School opened in 2012 and catering for pupils aged 11 16 In line with a 2019 decision by Suffolk County Council on changes to free school transport the default 11 16 secondary school for Southwold and Reydon students is Pakefield High School at Lowestoft Private education for pupils aged 2 18 is offered at Saint Felix School a private school in nearby Reydon Landmarks and features EditRailway Edit The lighthouse Main article Southwold Railway The narrow gauge Southwold Railway connecting the town to Halesworth ran from 24 September 1879 to 11 April 1929 15 In 2007 the Southwold Railway Society submitted plans to build a new line between the parish of Easton Bavents and Henham Park to link the town to the nearest mainline service at Halesworth 16 However these plans were criticised for having no relation to the original route of the railway and for environmental and other reasons In July 2007 the plans were rejected by Waveney and by Suffolk Coastal District Councils 17 In December 2008 the Society introduced a new proposal for a Railway Park including railway track and a museum on a site at present occupied by a car breaker s yard next to the local sewage works 18 That proposal was superseded by another in which a short section of railway together with other attractions and facilities would be constructed in the village of Wenhaston a few miles inland from Southwold and once a stop on the Southwold Railway The plan did not meet with universal approval 19 In February 2016 the original Railway Park proposal for Blyth Road Southwold on the site of the town s former gasholders was revived and a new planning application was submitted and approved Construction of the Railway Park began in 2017 Lighthouse Edit Main article Southwold lighthouse Southwold lighthouse was commissioned in 1890 and automated and electrified in 1938 20 It stands as a prominent landmark in the centre of the town and is a Grade II listed building 21 It is 31 metres 102 ft metres tall standing 37 metres 121 ft metres above sea level It is built of brick and painted white and has 113 steps around a spiral staircase 22 The lighthouse replaced three local lighthouses that were under serious threat from coastal erosion It suffered a fire in its original oil fired lamp just six days after commissioning but survived and today operates a rotating 150 watt lamp with a range of 24 nautical miles 44 km 28 mi 20 23 24 25 From 2023 Trinity House has arranged that tours of the lighthouse are offered by the Adnams brewery which stands close by and may be booked with that company 26 Brewery Edit Main article Adnams Adnams brewery was established in the town by George and Ernest Adnams in 1872 with the purchase of the Sole Bay Brewery which had been founded in 1818 27 28 29 In 1890 the brewery was re built on its current site in the centre of the town The brewery is the town s largest employer 28 and has been modernised and expanded in recent years with development of an energy efficient brewery a distribution centre in the nearby village of Reydon and a distillery 27 28 29 In 2011 it received the Good Pub Guide Brewery of the Year Award 30 Pier Edit Southwold Pier in the summer sunshine Main article Southwold Pier Southwold Pier was built in 1900 At 247 metres 810 ft it was long enough to accommodate the Belle steamers that carried trippers along the coast at that time In World War II it was weakened by two breaches and in 1955 a large section was destroyed by a gale The pier was entirely rebuilt and restored in 2001 and is now about 190 metres 620 ft long While many English seaside piers are in decline Southwold Pier is enjoying renewed popularity helped by a collection of modern coin operated novelty machines made by Tim Hunkin and the occasional berth of paddle steamers such as PS Waverley and the MV Balmoral A model boat pond adjacent to the pier is used for the Southwold Model Yacht regattas that have been held since the late Victorian period 31 Some of the boats entered are up to 80 years old and include replicas of beach yawls Regattas are usually held in the spring and summer with the largest the annual regatta held at the end of the summer season 32 Water towers Edit The Old Water Tower in the middle of Southwold Common was built in 1890 The tank held 40 000 gallons of water and was powered by huge sails On St Valentine s Day 1899 George Neller a respected local man died when his coat got caught in its machinery In 1937 a new 150 000 gallon capacity Art Deco water tower was built next door The then Southwold Borough Council bought the Old Water Tower before it came into the hands of successive water companies It was returned to the Town Council for a nominal fee of 100 in 1987 The Old Water Tower has since been used as the Lifeboat Museum and was later used by Adnams for a number of years 33 Electric Picture Palace Edit The Electric Picture Palace cinema was opened in 2002 as a pastiche of the original 1912 cinema that stood nearby in York Road 34 Museum Edit Southwold Museum holds a number of exhibits focused on the local and natural history of the town The museum is owned and managed by the Southwold Museum amp Historical Society It is part of the Maritime Heritage East programme which unites more than 30 maritime museums on the East Coast 35 Sailors Reading Room Edit Southwold Sailors Reading Room Interior The Southwold Sailors Reading Room is a Grade II listed building on the seafront at Southwold It was built in 1864 as a place for fishermen and mariners to read as an alternative to drinking in pubs and also to encourage the pursuit of Christian ideals The room has a number of historic displays of model boats and other maritime objects in glass cabinets 36 Golf club Edit Southwold Golf Club was founded on 4 January 1884 as a Golf and Quoit Club At the time there were only three other golf clubs in East Anglia Cambridge University Yarmouth and Felixstowe The first game on the nine hole course was played on 28 August 1884 Originally membership was not accepted from shopkeepers or manual workers but in 1925 Mr J B Denny successfully persuaded the committee to form an Artisans Section which was originally restricted to 30 members citation needed St Edmund s Church EditMain article St Edmund s Church Southwold The Grade I listed parish church of Southwold is dedicated to St Edmund and considered one of Suffolk s finest 37 It lies under one continuous roof and was built over about 60 years from the 1430s to the 1490s replacing a smaller 13th century church that was destroyed by fire The earlier church dated from the time when Southwold was a small fishing hamlet adjacent to the larger Reydon By the 15th century Southwold was an important town in its own right and the church was rebuilt to reflect that power and wealth Harbour EditSouthwold Harbour lies south of the town on the River Blyth Vehicle access is via York Road and Carnsey Road to the west and Ferry Road to the east The harbour extends nearly a mile upstream from the river mouth and is mainly used by fishing boats yachts and small pleasure boats The clubhouse of Southwold Sailing Club is on the north side of the harbour adjacent to The Harbour Inn The quay and area in front of the inn and clubhouse is called Blackshore although the name has often been used incorrectly for the whole harbour in recent years Southwold Lifeboat Station At the seaward end of the harbour is Southwold Lifeboat Station operated by the RNLI The former Cromer lifeboat shed houses the Alfred Corry Museum which features the Southwold lifeboat Alfred Corry which was in service from 1893 to 1918 An extensive and now complete restoration to her original state has been carried out by volunteers over several years The river can be crossed on foot or bicycle by a public footbridge upstream from The Harbour Inn which leads to the village of Walberswick This bridge is known as the Bailey Bridge and rests on the piers and footings of the original iron Southwold Railway swing bridge It had a central swinging section to allow the passage of wherries and other shipping on the Blyth Navigation but this was largely removed at the start of World War II under the precautions against German invasion Towards the mouth of the Blyth a rowed ferry service runs between the Walberswick and Southwold banks It has been operated by the same family since the 1920s when it was a chain ferry that could take cars The chain ferry ceased working in 1941 but some vestiges remain at the Walberswick slipway Beach Edit Southwold Beach huts The beach is a combination of sand and shingle In 2005 06 it was further protected by a coastal management scheme which includes beach nourishment new groynes on the south side of the pier and riprap to the north 38 39 It is overlooked by brightly painted beach huts Culture EditFilm and television Edit The fictional Southwold Estate seat of the equally fictional Earls of Southwold is the country estate of the family of Lady Marjorie Bellamy in the ITV British drama Upstairs Downstairs The town and its vicinity has been used as the setting for numerous films and television programmes including Iris about the life of Iris Murdoch starring Judi Dench Drowning by Numbers by Peter Greenaway Kavanagh QC starring John Thaw East of Ipswich by Michael Palin Little Britain with Matt Lucas and David Walliams and a 1969 version of David Copperfield 40 The BBC children s series Grandpa in My Pocket was filmed in Southwold Walberswick and Aldeburgh 41 Only exteriors of buildings were filmed e g the Lighthouse no acting was done there An ITV1 drama A Mother s Son first broadcast in September 2012 was filmed on location in Southwold Novels Edit Julie Myerson set her 2003 murder novel Something Might Happen in an unnamed Southwold a sleepy slightly self satisfied seaside town She said that setting a murder in the car park made her feel as if she were soiling something really good She holidayed in the town as a child and remarked in an interview that everything else in her life had changed but her mother and Southwold had stayed the same She still owns a second home there 42 Other books set in Southwold include Esther Freud s novel Sea House 2004 with Southwold as Steerborough 43 Southwold native Neil Bell in Bredon and Sons 1933 about boat building people Forgive us our Trespasses 1947 based on a true story of twin boys lost at sea renames the town Senwich citation needed The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald 1978 drew on her experiences working in a Southwold bookshop in the 1950s 44 An earlier book thought to be set in Southwold is Beside the Guns 1902 by the Christian author Mary Elizabeth Shipley citation needed The German writer W G Sebald describes Southwold in The Rings of Saturn an account of a walk through East Anglia Two recent additions are A Southwold Mystery 2015 and Shot in Southwold 2017 by the Herefordshire author Suzette A Hill both murder mysteries set in the 1950s George Orwell Edit Orwell s home in Southwold Southwold from the end of the pier The writer George Orwell real name Eric Blair spent periods as a teenager and in his thirties in Southwold living at his parents home A plaque can be seen next door to what is now a fish and chip shop at the far end of the High Street After his departure from Eton College in December 1921 Orwell travelled to join his retired father mother and younger sister Avril who that month had moved to 40 Stradbroke Road Southwold the first of four homes in the town 45 In January June 1922 he attended an educational crammer in Southwold to prepare for Indian Police Service exams and his career in Burma In 1929 after 18 months in Paris he returned to the family in Southwold and was based there for most of the next five years He tutored a disabled child and a family of three boys and wrote reviews and developed Burmese Days He also spent nearly 18 months teaching in West London until struck by a bout of pneumonia His mother then insisted he stay at home instead of teaching He spent the time writing A Clergyman s Daughter which is partly set in a fictionalised East Anglian town called Knype Hill His final visit to Southwold was in 1939 45 Cultural events Edit The town has long hosted summer repertory theatre by various companies For several years Suffolk Summer Theatres have offered a varied programme of plays from July to September staged in Southwold Arts Centre formerly St Edmund s Hall Every November the Ways with Words literature festival is held with notable speakers appearing at various venues In 2014 came the inaugural Southwold Arts Festival which was repeated in future years It offers a mix of literature music film and art exhibitions with the main events over an eight day period in the summer bringing entertainers of diverse backgrounds together 46 In 2005 Southwold launched Suffolk s answer to the Turner prize the Flying Egg competition This event also ran in 2006 and 2007 but not repeated in 2008 47 Notable people Edit PD James 2013 In alphabetical order William Alwyn 1905 1985 composer lived in Southwold for his last 25 years with a second wife the composer Doreen Carwithen 48 James Barker 1622 1702 was an early leader and deputy governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations 49 Lewis Blake born 1946 poet and artist Jessie Forbes Cameron 1883 1968 a famed Scottish mathematician died in Southwold Colin Cook born 1954 English motorcycle speedway rider Mark Crowe born 1965 professional footballer with over 100 professional appearances 50 Alexander Hyatt King 1911 1995 musicologist and bibliographer founded the British Institute of Recorded Sound Michael Imison born 1935 retired television director and literary agent 51 P D James 1920 2014 crime writer 52 Mother Maribel of Wantage 1887 1970 Anglican nun and artist 53 Margaret Mellis 1914 2009 a modernist artist of the St Ives School 54 John Miller 1932 2020 a journalist and writer whose work was based mainly in Russia served as Mayor of Southwold in 2002 Geoffrey Munn OBE MVO born 1953 television presenter for BBC s Antiques Roadshow lives near Southwold 55 George Orwell 1903 1950 writer 56 Martin Shaw OBE FRCM 1875 1958 theatre producer composer and conductor 57 Stephen Southwold pseudonym 1887 1964 schoolmaster and prolific writer Agnes Strickland 1796 1874 historical writer and poet 58 Henry Winslow Woollett DSO MC and Bar 1895 1969 World War I flying ace John Youngs c 1598 1672 a Puritan minister founded Southold New York 59 See also EditLatitude festival Southold CDP New York village on Long Island NY Southold New York named after Southwold UK Southwold Ontario Canadian linkReferences Edit UK Census 2011 Local Area Report Southwold Parish 1170218950 Nomis Office for National Statistics Retrieved 17 March 2018 Norman Scarfe Suffolk in the Middle Ages Studies in Places and Place Names 2004 161 W Whitaker The Geology of Southwold and of the Suffolk coast from Dunwich to Covehithe Explanation of sheet 49 N 1887 Coast deposits pp 45ff coastal spits and bars are discussed in J Steers The East Anglian Coast The Geographical Journal 69 1 January 1927 Roger Thompson Mobility and Migration East Anglian Founders of New England 1629 1640 2009 188 et passim Suffolk County Mass 1903 Mr Richard Ibrooke Suffolk Deeds William Blake Trask Frank Eliot Bradish Charles A Drew A Grace Rockwell and Churchill Press Boston 1908 Retrieved 23 February 2013 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Peck Robert PK598R2 A Cambridge Alumni Database University of Cambridge Scarfe 2004 125 Southwold Pall Mall Magazine 1893 p 258 Retrieved 20 April 2022 Southwold Museum 2 February 2021 Southwold At War World War Two Southwold Museum Retrieved 2 February 2021 Detailed account Retrieved 8 October 2018 Southwold and Reydon ward population 2011 Retrieved 20 September 2015 Southwold Town Council website 27 May 2021 Southwold Town Council Councillors Organisation warns Southwold s unique character could be lost Lowestoft Journal 27 April 2012 Archived from the original on 23 October 2012 Retrieved 26 May 2012 Yoxford Valley Partnership of Schools Retrieved 20 January 2023 Mitchell V Smith K 1984 Branch Line to Southwold Middleton Press ISBN 0 906520 15 0 The Project to Re instate the Southwold Railway Southwoldrailway co uk 5 July 2007 Archived from the original on 3 March 2012 Retrieved 23 February 2013 Southwold railway last hopes dashed EADT online 5 July 2007 Retrieved 20 July 2006 Tentative Approval for Southwold Railway Norwich Advertiser 18 December 2008 Archived from the original on 23 December 2008 Retrieved 2 January 2009 Wenhaston villagers hope to derail Southwold Railway Trust plans Lowestoft Journal 25 May 2012 Archived from the original on 30 April 2015 Retrieved 26 May 2012 a b Southwold Archived 8 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine Trinity House Retrieved 29 October 2012 The Lighthouse Southwold British Listed Building Retrieved 29 October 2012 See inside a lighthouse Archived 4 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Trinity House Retrieved 29 October 2012 Application note 32064 Southwold Conversion Archived 21 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Pelangi Retrieved 4 January 2013 Discovering Southwold BBC Suffolk Retrieved 29 October 2012 The sea Southwold s lighthouse Southwold museum Retrieved 29 October 2012 Southwold Lighthouse visitor centre Trinity House Southwold Lighthouse visitor centre Trinity House Retrieved 6 April 2023 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link a b Suffolk brewer Adnams starts distillery BBC news website 12 November 2010 Retrieved 2013 01 02 a b c Point 7 The Brewery BBC Suffolk Retrieved 2 January 2013 a b Our history Adnams Retrieved 2 January 2013 Adnams claims national title Archived 1 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine Eastern Daily Press 7 October 2010 Retrieved 2013 01 02 The SMYR Handbook Southwold Model Yacht Regattas Retrieved 30 October 2012 Southwold Model Yacht Regattas Racing model yachts since 1894 www southwoldmodelyachtregattas co uk Retrieved 4 February 2018 The So Southwold Office at the Old Water Tower www sosouthwold co uk Retrieved 28 September 2016 About Us The Electric Picture Palace Southwold Retrieved 28 September 2016 Welcome to Maritime Heritage East www maritimeheritageeast org uk Official Website of the Southwold Sailors Reading Room Archived 28 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 July 2018 Simon Jenkin s top Suffolk churches Suffolkchurches co uk Retrieved 23 February 2013 Southwold Coastal Protection Scheme PDF Southwold beach level blow after scheme fails Eastern Daily Press David Copperfield Old City 8 November 2004 Archived from the original on 14 October 2013 Retrieved 23 February 2013 BBC press release Retrieved 26 April 2012 About us www penguin co uk Archived from the original on 14 May 2008 Kellaway Kate 5 July 2003 Mysteries under an open Suffolk sky once you ve got your bearings The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 28 September 2016 The Independent 24 August 2008 review of her published correspondence Retrieved 31 May 2012 a b Binns Ronald 2018 Orwell in Southwold Zoilus Press ISBN 9781999735920 2016 Festival Southwold Arts Festival southwoldartsfestival co uk Archived from the original on 1 October 2016 Retrieved 28 September 2016 Telegraph news 01 08 2005 Telegraph co uk Retrieved 23 February 2013 dead link William Alwyn Website Biography amp Works www williamalwyn co uk Retrieved 10 October 2020 State list of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island Retrieved December 2017 Archived from the original on 21 May 2017 Retrieved 29 December 2017 Flown From the Nest Mark Crowe www ex canaries co uk Retrieved 10 October 2020 IMDb Database retrieved December 2017 Fellows Remembered The Royal Society of Literature Retrieved December 2017 Sister Janet Mother Maribel of Wantage SPCK London 1973 p 10 Margaret Mellis Painter and maker of driftwood collages The Independent 24 March 2009 Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 Retrieved 10 October 2020 Russell Steven Suffolk through my viewfinder East Anglian Daily Times Retrieved 5 March 2019 George Orwell s Southwold home gets fresh plaque BBC News 21 May 2018 Retrieved 3 September 2020 Martin Shaw an appreciation by Erik Routley MusicWeb International www musicweb international com Retrieved 10 October 2020 Dictionary of National Biography 1885 1900 Volume 55 Strickland Agnes Retrieved December 2017 BBC The Church of St Edmund King and Martyr www bbc co uk Retrieved 10 October 2020 External sources EditGeoffrey Munn Southwold An Earthly Paradise Antique Collectors Club Woodbridge 2006 ISBN 1851495185External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Southwold Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Southwold A Short History of the Southwold Railway Archived 16 January 2005 at the Wayback Machine Southwold Museum A history of Southwold s shops and trades Online edition of free monthly newspaper Southwold Organ Archived 13 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine The Alfred Corry Museum Southwold Guided Tour Southwold Online Explore Southwold Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Southwold amp oldid 1149381077, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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