Southwold
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Southwold | |
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| Population | 1,458 (2001 Census) |
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| OS grid reference | |
| District | Waveney |
| Shire county | Suffolk |
| Region | East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SOUTHWOLD |
| Postcode district | IP18 |
| Dial code | 01502 |
| Police | Suffolk |
| Fire | Suffolk |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Suffolk Coastal |
| European Parliament | East of England |
| List of places: UK • England • Suffolk | |
Southwold is an ancient town in the Waveney district in Suffolk, East Anglia, England, at the mouth of the River Blyth.
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[edit] History
Southwold was mentioned in the Domesday Book as an important fishing port, and it received a town charter from Henry VII in 1489. Over the following centuries, however, a shingle bar built up across the harbour mouth, and ruined any chance of the town becoming a major port.
In 1659 a fire devastated most of the town and damaged St Edmunds Church, whose original structure dated from the 12th century. The fire created a number of open spaces within the town which were never rebuilt. Today these greens, and the restriction of expansion because of the surrounding marshes, give the town a pleasant atmosphere.
On the green just above the beach, descriptively named Gun Hill, the six eighteen-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 mementoes of the event.
The cannon were captured from the Scots at Culloden and given to the town by the Duke of Cumberland.
[edit] Railway
The Southwold Railway, a narrow-gauge line, ran from Southwold to Halesworth from 24 September 1879 to April 11, 1929 (Mitchell and Smith, 1984). There are plans to revive the Southwold Railway, partly on the original trackbed but mainly on a new formation. This project is described in the Southwold Railway Society website. The nearest mainline railway station still in use is at Halesworth, some 9 miles (15km) away on the Ipswich to Lowestoft line.
[edit] Lighthouse
Southwold lighthouse was constructed in 1887 by Trinity House. It stands as a landmark in the centre of the town. It replaced three local lighthouses which were under serious threat from coastal erosion. It started to operate in 1890. It was electrified and de-manned in 1938. Trinity House organises visits to the lighthouse during the summer.
[edit] Other town features
In 1890 the Adnams Sole Bay brewery was re-built on the same site it has occupied since 1660. Pubs in the town include: The Sole Bay Inn, The Lord Nelson, The Harbour Inn, The Kings Head, The Red Lion and The Blyth Hotel.
Southwold Pier was built in 1900, was practically destroyed by a gale in 1934, and had a major refurbishment in 2001. Whilst many English seaside piers are in decline, Southwold Pier is enjoying renewed popularity. It includes a collection of modern coin-operated novelty machines made by Tim Hunkin.
During World War II, the cannons on Gun Hill meant that Southwold gained the status of "fortified town". Despite their being filled with concrete and unable to fire, Southwold became the target of many bombing raids by Germany.
Another feature of the town is the model boat pond, located left of the pier. During spring and summer months regattas are held there for model yachts as part of the Southwold Model Yacht Regattas (SMYR).
The Electric Picture Palace cinema was opened in 2002, a pastiche of the original 1912 cinema that stood nearby.
The town also contains an Amber Museum.
[edit] George Orwell
The writer George Orwell lived from time to time in Southwold at his parents' home. A plaque can be seen next door to what is now the fish and chip shop at the far end of the High Street http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/61720.also a bookshop in the high street has been named "The Orwell Bookshop" as a tribute to the writer.
From January to June 1922 he attended a cramming establishment in Southwold to prepare for his India Office exams. He returned in 1929 ill and broke after the experiences later described in Down and Out in Paris and London, and wrote Burmese Days.
In 1934 he spent ten months in the town after ill-health forced him to give up his teaching job, writing A Clergyman's Daughter which is partly set in a fictionalised Southwold..
His final visit to Southwold was in 1939.
[edit] Southwold Harbour
Southwold Harbour lies south of the town on the River Blyth. It extends from the river mouth to nearly a mile upstream and serves mainly fishing and small pleasure boats. Some huts sell freshly caught and other fish, and at the upstream end of the harbour, at Blackshore, is the public house The Harbour Inn.
Situated at the seaward end of the harbour are the RNLI Lifeboat Shed, and the Alfred Corry Museum. Housed in the former Cromer lifeboat shed, the latter is home to the Southwold lifeboat "Alfred Corry", which was in service from 1893 to 1918. The boat is currently being restored to her original state.
The river can be crossed on foot or on a bicycle by a public footbridge (partly the old railway bridge) close to The Harbour Inn giving access to the nearby village of Walberswick.
In summer, towards the mouth of the River Blyth, there is a rowing boat ferry. The ferry has been operated by the same family since the 1920s, when it was a chain ferry that could take cars.
[edit] Beach
The beach is a combination of sand and shingle, and fluctuates between the two over the year. Long shore drift causes the large stones broken off the cliffs to the north to become pebbles along the beach. During the summer less shingle is brought south along the coast by this effect and thus towards the summer the beach becomes more sandy. The beach has recently (2005/6) been protected by a new coastal management scheme which includes beach nourishment, new groynes on the right hand side of the pier and rip rap to the left.
The beach is looked down upon by two rows of brightly painted beach huts. In previous decades many of the huts were given humorous or punning names, but this custom now seems to have faded away. The hut 'Linga Longa' (seen on many TV programmes) is on this stretch of beach.
[edit] Christmas
On the first Friday of December, the annual switching-on of the Christmas lights traditionally takes place.[1] A few hundred people come to the town to see Father Christmas switch the lights on from the Town Hall balcony.
However, rising costs and fewer financial contributions have meant that the Christmas lights are not as extensive as in previous years.
[edit] Southwold in popular culture
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" starring Dame Judi Dench, "Kavanagh QC" starring John Thaw and "East of Ipswich".
[edit] References
- Mitchell, V. and Smith, K., (1984), Branch Line to Southwold, Middleton Press, ISBN 0-90652-015-0.
- Munn, Geoffrey, 'Southwold: An Earthly Paradise', Antique Collectors Club, (Woodbridge, 2006) ISBN 1-85149-518-5 90000
[edit] External links
- A Short History of the Southwold Railway
- George Orwell in Southwold
- Photos of Southwold
- Brief details of Southwold history
- Very detailed history of places in Southwold
- Southwold Museum
- Opening times for the four Southwold museums
- Online edition of free monthly newspaper Southwold Organ
- Ferry times and fares
- The Electric Picture Palace Cinema
- Southwold harbour, ferry, amber museum, sand art, and pier.
- Southwold Harbour
- The Southwold Longshore Fishery
- The "Alfred Corry" Museum
- Southwold Online
