Southwold is one of the major resort towns on the Suffolk coast and internationally renown as a playground for the well-heeled with its Georgian architecture, beach huts, quirky pier attractions and fancy boutiques. It also suffers in the summer months from chronic traffic congestion - which threatens to kill off the golden goose for its businesses, practically every one of them is dependent on visitors in one way or another.
The red trouser gang that pack the trains on Friday nights usually travel to Darsham Station where fleets of pre-booked taxis wait to carry them to Southwold to join their families - who likely motored up earlier in their Range Rovers - for weekends at their second homes.
But until now the car-less or less mobile traveler was at a great disadvantage in visiting Southwold because its good burghers had also decided to ban public transport from the high street, thus preventing buses from reaching the shops in the Market Place. This forced the residents of nearby parishes to either walk another 400 yards each way with their shopping or stay on the buses and continue to Beccles, where they were dropped at the doors of receptive supermarkets. No need to guess what most bus passengers preferred to do.
Recently though, several planets lined up to improve the options for the car-less resident and visitor. After 27 years of lobbying, the Beccles Loop was opened and once again there is an hourly train service on the East Suffolk Line.
Also Southwold Town Council were prevailed upon to provide a minibus shuttle service connecting the Market Place, pier and harbor with Anglian's inter-urban buses every hour, on which a bus pass is accepted.
This now means it is possible to travel from practically any point in London to any point in Southwold on public transport and if an early start is made, it can be a delightfully simple day trip with a train service from Ipswich synchronized with the bus service at Halesworth to Southwold and convenient for the shuttle bus calling at the Kings Head.
This could have many positive outcomes for the communities along the route of the Anglian 520 service as well.
A possible itinerary (as of May 2013) for a day trip to Southwold might be:
Take a train departing Ipswich 08:17 AM arriving Halesworth 09:09 with a £4 Southwold bus add-on.
The bus stop is adjacent to the Ipswich-bound platform so Lowestoft-bound arrivals must cross over to the other platform to catch the 520 bus.
The Plus-Bus ticket allows a break in the journey at Halesworth. This pleasant market town offers an interesting history trail, refreshment at some of East Anglia's best coffee shops, regular events at its arts centre and galleries, monthly auctions and many independent shops in its Thoroughfare, which is less than five minutes walk from the station. If you break the journey here there is no need to walk back to the station, the same 520 buses also leave from Saxon's Way a few minutes earlier.
A bit further on is Blythburgh Church, one of Suffolk's finest wool churches and called the "cathedral of the marshes". The White Hart is nearby and several footpaths can be taken from here around the splendid Blyth Estuary (very popular with birdwatchers) and onto Southwold. Unless you break your journey, you will arrive at the Southwold Kings Head by 09:45 AM.
If you fancy a more active way to explore the town, there is a cycle hire shop opposite the Blyth Hotel and the Fire Station just before the Mights Bridge. Phone 01502 725400 to check their hours and availability.
The first Southwold Shuttle in the direction of the pier departs the Kings Head at 10:05 and 5 minutes past the hour thereafter and arrives Southwold Pier at 10:10 AM. The rebuilt pier is so packed with interest we need not explain it here but don't miss the Tim Hunkin arcade.
After an hour of visiting the pier you can take the next round of the shuttle at 11.10 or same past the hour along the seafront to arrive at Southwold Harbour at 20 minutes past.
Here there is a lifeboat museum, a human powered ferry to Walberswick (operated between 10:00 - 17:00 but stops for lunch 12:30 - 14:00), several cafes and the opportunity for high-speed boat trips on the Coastal Voyager.
At 20 minutes past the hour you can take the shuttle again back to explore Southwold's High Street with its many shops, restaurants and boutiques and artisan bakers, sip some Adnams or begin the return leg of your journey. On the hour the 520 leaves the Southwold Kings Head arriving at Halesworth Station at 27 minutes past. The Ipswich-bound trains leave Halesworth at 41 minutes past every hour until 21:41
I hope you enjoy your day.
