Staying in Lowestoft next weekend - can someone recommend a nice seaside town to visit?

[Rose50]

Hello, we're going to be in the area next weekend. We're staying the night in Lowestoft on Saturday and looking for something to do on the Sunday before driving back home to London. We have 2 dds, aged 4 and 18 months.

Ideally (if the weather is ok) we'd like to spend a couple of hours at the seaside pottering around on the beach and visiting a pier/amusements before heading home.

Is Lowestoft beach suitable for 2 small children? Or would we be better off to head south and stop off at Southwold or Aldeburgh.

I've seen there is a soft play centre in Lowestoft so that is our back up plan if it is wet!

Thanks

Southwold is lovely.

Sandy beach, pier with amusements and little shops/cafes and a very quaint high street to stroll down.

Not sure about soft play areas but forecast for next week is good, getting v warm!!

I'd be more inclined to go to Walberswick (the other side of the estuary from southwold - which tends to heave with Chelsea types driving 4 wheel drives and gets more congested than Fulham Palace Road. Of course if you live in chelsea and have a 4 wheel drive then ignore this post and relish the traffic jam through charming Southwold... It is where Grandpa in my pocket is filmed and lovely - great delis, lighthouse, pier, brewery etc etc.

Walberswick has a couple of lovely pubs - you can park for free at the best one (can't remember name sorry). It is fun to go crabbing and take the little ferry. (rowing boat) across the river.
Beach is a mix of sand and shingle.

Southwold is lovely but agree with retromaggie, it will be packed with 4x4s.

Infact Lowestoft beach is really good, much more sand than southwold, the soft play is right next to the beach, and the pier is ok if you like slot machines. Southwold pier is more old world charm and expensive gift shops.

Lowestoft beach is fab, especially the RHS of the Claremont pier.

As long as it's not too windy!

I like Southwold, Walberswick, Dunwich and Aldeburgh. If I could only go to one for one last ever trip it would be Southwold I would park at the port and walk back into town. I would have lunch in the fish 'n' chip cafe on the pier and I would do a little bit of shopping. Yes it has got more 'londony' we call it Westminster on sea, but that does mean there are some really lovely shops to look in.

Thanks everyone, can't decide now as both Lowestoft and Southwold sound great in their different ways. Think I'm leaning towards Lowestoft as now I'm a broke SAHM I prefer to avoid shopping! And all we really need is a sandy beach and some amusements which Lowestoft has. As the weather forecast for this weekend is looking great I'm guessing both will be very busy.

Lowestoft is lovely and very close to Great Yarmouth which is amazing too for the shops the arcades and the pier. Weather is meant to be holding at 24c til Monday too so I'm sure wherever you got it will be lovely.