Southwold with 2 year old or somewhere else?

[sellotape12]

Looking for a 3 nights stay somewhere with a sandy beach and quaint town for us and our two-year-old. Ideally under three hours from S. London. I was thinking Southwold because we passed through it before and it seemed perfect, but I’ve just found a (very old thread) on here really slagging it off. Is that fair?

Alternative could be Rye + camber but is there anywhere else I’m not thinking about? (Don’t really want amusements and candy floss or tack because he’s just not into that yet. North Norfolk is too far as is Dorset. Margate is not my bag.)

opinions welcome!

Catch the ferry ( a row boat) across from Southwold to Walberswick and go crabbing. Make sure you have line, net and a bucket.
Also a gorgeous old fashioned cinema in Aldeburgh if it does rain and of course chips on the beach.

@cheezncrackers there are no pebbles at all on Southwold beach!

OP, Southwold is absolutely perfect for young children. It’s easy, charming, compact and has a beautiful clean and sandy beach. Everything is within toddler walking distance. The downside is that it is very, very middle class and twee so not great for much older children and I now find it too full of Boden wearing people. But it’s undeniably lovely and ideal for young children.

Aldeburgh is also very lovely but has a pebbly beach and is slightly more towny. Southwold feels like a large village by the sea. Anyway, you can visit Aldeburgh, Walberswick, Dunwich etc while you are based in southwold.

These were the pictures of sand on Aldeburgh beach (from yesterday), that didn’t load!

I could swear Southwold beach was all pebbles in the 1980s. Has it changed since then or was I on crack? 😂

There are definitely pebbles (as well as sand) on Southwold beach - it can be quite painful getting in and out of the sea!

Open air swimming pool (heated) in Beccles may be good if your DC is OK in water. Blythburgh church worth a visit.

Agree about Aldeburgh and Walberswick, also Snape.