Southwold/Walberswick day out

[SillyStringIsFun]

We are hoping to visit Southwold and Walberswick for the day when we're on holiday in Suffolk in early July.

I have heard about the ferry and would like to use it to get between the two if possible, though we will have 2 year old twins with us, so not certain if its a good idea!

Can anyone advise how to plan the day? Park in Southwold or Walberswick? Spend half the day in each place or most in one? We'd like to go the beach for a walk, but which beach?!

Any advice would be really appreciated :) Thank you :)

Hello, we live in the area and it's a beautiful family-friendly place. Walberswick is quieter and has pretty fishing boats and lovely scenery. Southwold has more going on as it's a town. The pier is a fun place to visit with children and the beach has lovely beach huts. The shops are great too. It depends what you would prefer. You could have a lovely picnic at Walberswick and paddle in the sea then go to Southwold and walk on the pier and have an ice-cream/hot chocolate. The cafe on the pier is very nice and the staff are great with small children. I haven't used the ferry (one of those things when you're fairly local you don't use half the things on offer!).

That sounds like a lovely day :) As long as we have sunshine, a picnic on the beach at Walberswick sounds like the plan, then to Southwold. If its not such good weather, then maybe we'll just focus on Southwold and find lunch in a cafe there :-)

Ice cream and hot chocolate on the pier sounds lovely :)

Thank you for replying :)

You're welcome. Hope you have a lovely time!

Can I pick your brain again (if you come back to the thread!).

We'll be staying in Yoxford, but are used to driving 30 mins plus to get anywhere. Is there anywhere to take two year olds swimming? Ideally a leisure centre with a kids pool or splash area or something? We don't often manage to go swimming because it takes two adults for the two toddlers.

The ferry is great with children, there are lifejackets available if you prefer, as the currents are very strong should you fall in.

We usually park near the water tower in Southwold (it's free!), and there is a fab cafe on the common called the Pitstop cafe, it has loads of toys inside and outside for the children, and is set up to cater for children too, with lovely owners

The cafe is in between the golf club and the water tower, down a little track.

For swimming there is a pool in Woodbridge, but I'm not sure if it's got a splash pool or not.

Hi again! There is also a swimming pool in Bungay. There is a big pool with a smaller children's pool to the side.

sentinel.onesuffolk.net/facilities/Bungay-Pool/

Thank you both so much for replying. We only have a few days, so it will really help to have some plans before we arrive :)

So maybe our Southwold/Walberswick day could start at Southwold, have lunch at the Pitstop, then ferry to Walberswick for a mooch about an then back to Southwold (on the ferry again, I guess?) for hot chocolate on the pier :) I'm getting excited already! Isn't it amazing how your holiday expectations shift when you have toddlers in tow?!

Swimming wise, it looks like the Woodbridge pool is just a main pool, while the Bungay one has a toddler pool with slopey beach bit. So that's another day started :) Does anyone know of anything to do in the Beccles/Lowerstoft area once we've been swimming?

Ooh, I live in Beccles ! It's lovely here, nice little shops and cafes. If you're in the town centre, Twyfords is lovely, the staff are child-friendly and they have outdoor seating at the back. The Waveney Hotel is nice if you like to watch boats going past, as it is next to the river (and may interest your DCs more if there is something to look at). If you want to tire them out, there is this:

www.mooplayfarm.co.uk/

I went with DS1 last year. There is soft play, outdoor play area, animals and a cafe. Cafe is so-so, but the place is geared up for dcs.

Oulton Broad has a pleasant park next to the river. South Lowestoft has a nice beach and there are fountains and ice-creams to amuse your dcs.