Southwold was an unexpected location for a recent trip away. I looked at each and every one of your suggestions for an anniversary break and you all won me over with the Cotswolds. However with a limited budget (there’s just so much going on at the moment) and a one-night restriction I was overwhelmed by the amount of offers for people who could take a mid week break and was beginning to get throughly disgruntled by the expense of a Saturday stay. After throwing all my toys out of the pram I remembered Southwold had been mentioned on Charlotte’s family holiday post.

A quick browse of Booking.com uncovered ‘Dawn Chorus Holidays’ and within minutes we were booked in for our first one-night glamping experience. More on that later.

Located in the county of Suffolk, Southwold is a gorgeous little town perfect for a lazy weekend away. We spent most of the day on Saturday there and explored more of the surrounding area on the Sunday.

The Beach

There’s something hugely romantic about a beach out of season. Perhaps It’s because the crowds have dispersed and the sand is desserted. The weather was very foggy last weekend so we couldn’t take in too much of the view. However there are miles of beach to walk along in the surrounding area.

The notion of a ‘pier’ conjures up images of arcades, youths and kiss-me-quick hats. This is not the case in Southwold, even the seagulls are posh. My husband remarked Southwold had the “least chavvy pier he’d ever walked on.” What a compliment. Charming eateries, quaint gift shops and eccentric inventions can all be found here. It’s also a perfect spot to take an instagram shot or two of the rows of colourful beach huts.

Shop

The high street is filled with little boutiques and galleries. My favourite was Collen & Clare; a lovely store with beautiful vintage shop fittings and a whole host of designer wares from Mulberry to Anya Hindmarch.

Eat

Eating and drinking is something they do very well in this part of the world. We tried twice to squeeze in to the Two Magpies Bakery to sample some of their artisan bread and delicious cakes. We finally got a table and it was definitely worth the wait. Apparently their Saturday evening takeaway sourdough pizza is especially yummy.

A friend of mine highly rates the Sole Bay Inn (near the Lighthouse) for a bite to eat too. The local Adnams ale is brewed just across the street.

We also tucked into a very good Sunday roast at The Anchor in the neighbouring village of Walberswick after a long walk along the marshes. The place is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and can be reached by rowing boat in the summer.

Stay

We hired a Shepherd’s Hut in nearby Beccles and spent the night in a conversion worthy of a George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces feature.

Situated on a working farm, the huts were originally built for agricultural workers and are now equipped with the all the mod cons. There’s a fully functioning shower and loo as well as an electric oven and heating. There’s even a cafetiere and candles! It was the perfect romantic retreat and great to escape from TV and WiFi for a while.

A friend also recommended The View, in the heart of Southwold; a one bed apartment with incredible views across land and sea. There’s even an outdoor terrace so it would be an absolute sun trap in the summer.

We had an awesome time in Southwold and the surrounding area and would absolutely love to return. Have you got any recommendations for visiting Suffolk? Have you been to Southwold and enjoyed any particular restaurants, bars or boltholes?