Southwold

D

Daydream believer

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When heading North I usually sail past Southwold so last Monday i thought I would take a drive there & have a look round. The town itself is quite nice, the high street is a gentle stroll & i enjoyed a pleasant cup of coffee & bowl of hot soup.
I asked the 2 waitresses how to get to the harbour & although they both lived locally only one had actually been there ( I now know why!!) & she advised going by car as it was at least 20 mins walk.

I approached by the coastal road ( followed by a short stretch of deep water filled potholes) & my first impression was that Southwold was trying to give Grimsby a run for its money in the derelict harbour contest
DSC_0030.jpg

I noted the section of new harbour wall clearly constructed to prevent yachts from tying up to it
It was high water by the way - hate to think what it looks like at low water:ambivalence:

DSC_0019.jpg

A little further on I thought " Well I suppose someone can call it quaint!!"
DSC_0017.jpg
Then I arrived at the section where visting yachts would be welcomed ( Welcomed???)
DSC_0033.jpg
But how on earth does one tie up to this rigid pontoon & fend off when the tide drops?
I asked a local & he said that one had to stay aboard & be very careful because as the tide rose the boat would get stuck under the deck & crush the stanchions etc. The trick is to raft against some other poor soul
But never mind I thought there is always the chance to nip ashore & get a few provisions then back to the boat so I passed through the row of buildings to see what was on the other side
DSC_0036.jpg
Oh!!!
Still must be cheap to stop there for a one night stop over if needs be
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31 ft boat £27-00/ night Electric extra £ 4-30 & I forgot to add that to get ashore at high tide one needs waders because the ramp stops short & the water is a foot deep
Sorry did not photo that bit
I did want to cross the river by the foot bridge further up river & take some pictures from the other side with the sun on my back
But the sign said - Footbridge closed- Unsafe- Use another route
Needless to say the ferry was not operating either

Somehow I do not think that I will ever be visiting Southwold harbour

What a Dump
 

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Daydream believer said:
When heading North I usually sail past Southwold so last Monday i thought I would take a drive there & have a look round. The town itself is quite nice, the high street is a gentle stroll & i enjoyed a pleasant cup of coffee & bowl of hot soup.
I asked the 2 waitresses how to get to the harbour & although they both lived locally only one had actually been there ( I now know why!!) & she advised going by car as it was at least 20 mins walk.

I approached by the coastal road ( followed by a short stretch of deep water filled potholes) & my first impression was that Southwold was trying to give Grimsby a run for its money in the derelict harbour contest
View attachment 74790

I noted the section of new harbour wall clearly constructed to prevent yachts from tying up to it
It was high water by the way - hate to think what it looks like at low water:ambivalence:

View attachment 74791

A little further on I thought " Well I suppose someone can call it quaint!!"
View attachment 74797
Then I arrived at the section where visting yachts would be welcomed ( Welcomed???)
View attachment 74794
But how on earth does one tie up to this rigid pontoon & fend off when the tide drops?
I asked a local & he said that one had to stay aboard & be very careful because as the tide rose the boat would get stuck under the deck & crush the stanchions etc. The trick is to raft against some other poor soul
But never mind I thought there is always the chance to nip ashore & get a few provisions then back to the boat so I passed through the row of buildings to see what was on the other side
View attachment 74795
Oh!!!
Still must be cheap to stop there for a one night stop over if needs be
View attachment 74796
31 ft boat £27-00/ night Electric extra £ 4-30 & I forgot to add that to get ashore at high tide one needs waders because the ramp stops short & the water is a foot deep
Sorry did not photo that bit
I did want to cross the river by the foot bridge further up river & take some pictures from the other side with the sun on my back
But the sign said - Footbridge closed- Unsafe- Use another route
Needless to say the ferry was not operating either

Somehow I do not think that I will ever be visiting Southwold harbour

What a Dump
Click to expand...

We have been there just the one time, we were fortunate as it was September not quite so busy as summertime. We were lucky to be allocated a new staging rather than "The Raft".
We invited local friends down for lunch in The Hbr Inn, good god that was expensive & a pint in the home of Adnams was akin to extortion.
 
Well, for once I deeply disagree with you, D-D! Been there many times by boat. We love it. Each to his own.
HM issues fender-boards if you're alongside the staging, the local was talking twaddle. There's a pontoon if you don't like the staging.
Very very big tides this week, I've never seen that walk-off under water on our boating visits.
Nice pub and some good eateries too along the riverside. Town is a bit twee, gone all Whitstable. Footbridge thing is temporary (I hope). Ferry runs all summer.
You should have popped in the HM's office for a chat, nice couple of chaps.
 
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Don’t worry, some day soon it will be modernised (read ruined) and you’ll have a brand spanking Marina with all that that entails. It’s a small Suffolk harbour, not the Solent!
 
It's already been modernised! Poncy floating pontoons along the banks. Most of the old stagings have gone. As have a lot of the older fisherman's shacks. I think it's lost a lot of it's character (I was berthed on the Walberswick side in the early 2000s but have been visiting family here since the 70s). The town is now ruined - it was once a haven, a throwback to a quieter time. Now it's full of clothes shops etc etc. The Bell at Walberswick used to be a 'locals' pub with characters propping up the bar. That's hasn't been the case for many a year and it's just like any other pub nowadays. It's 'progress' and we can't stop it apparently. IMO it's been spoilt by London money. Hardly ever visit Southwold now and it's only 20minutes away from my home.

fredrussell said:
Don’t worry, some day soon it will be modernised (read ruined) and you’ll have a brand spanking Marina with all that that entails. It’s a small Suffolk harbour, not the Solent!
Click to expand...
 
Each to their own. Southwold is one of my favourite places to visit by boat. A step back in time albeit I fear that won't last for much longer
 
Should have put a smiley in - here you go ;) .

If the harbour stays as is that will be fine by me. I like the crumbling look. But I'm worried that it will change for the worse.

The town is different - I think it's already changed irrevocably for the worse over the last 10 years or so.
Daydream believer said:
Poncy???
You must be joking. You have seen my picture . It is similar to that all the way along the riverside. Some better ones I admit but hardly " modernised" if you call 100 years ago modernised. Just open your eyes & go & look. The place is crumbling.
Click to expand...
 
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RivalRedwing said:
Must be the troll season... one thread suggesting that we enhance the banks of the Deben with a few housing estates and another complaining about a harbour they don't intend to visit.....
Click to expand...

I did intend to visit. I just thought that I would take a day trip to suss it out first. I picked a day with high tide when i visited, as places tend to look better.
I started the thread because of my surprise at the state of the place & wondered how others felt. Yet I found the town Ok so I find it odd that people complain about it. But to each his own.
Bit like the " how far one can go in a small boat thread" - If one likes living in a shambles then I suppose it must seem OK
 
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The harbour is charming to visit by boat - especially if you ask for a pontoon berth (and even more especially on the Walberswick side). The town is now mostly London-on-Sea. Probably best that some of us visit the harbour by boat and others visit the town by car (preferably a large 4x4).
 
Unusually, I find myself disagreeing with both Dayddeam believer and Sailorman on this. I first visited Southwold by yacht (and separately by car) as a youngster in the 1950's and have enjoyed returning , on and off, ever since. I have to agree that today's prices are a bit steep, but I've never found the rickety stagings off putting - that's where I first learned about fender boards and they work well even with another four boats rafted outboard and the fierce ebb that runs. I have yet to try the new fangled pontoons, but welcome the improved HM office.

The town itself has been posh as long as I have known it, well before Whitstable oved jup market, but has remained pleasant nonetheless. Unlike Aldeburgh, Southwold stays alive tgrough the winter, although the large number of second homes is a threat.

Still, lt wouldn't do for us all to like the same things - I for one will be visiting again. Save me an inside berth on the staging, please!
 
I like the harbour, was made to feel very welcome at HMS when enquiring about a re-rig, a proper sailor’s port if you want to practice a few skills, ferry gliding, rafting, tidal heights, finding the cheapest Adnams.
The town was always a gentile regency sort of place but it has gone all Chelsea on Sea, but still nice in a way.
The faults DD mentions are part of the charm for me. I did sign the petition going around to help stop development.
Variety is the spice of life.
 
Daydream believer said:
I did intend to visit. I just thought that I would take a day trip to suss it out first. I picked a day with high tide when i visited, as places tend to look better.
I started the thread because of my surprise at the state of the place & wondered how others felt. Yet I found the town Ok so I find it odd that people complain about it. But to each his own.
Bit like the " how far one can go in a small boat thread" - If one likes living in a shambles then I suppose it must seem OK
Click to expand...


I fear that you have no soul...……. Perhaps you like living in a sterile boring world with no history...……. I suspect all your kitchen worktops are clear and polished at home
 
Bigplumbs said:
I fear that you have no soul...……. Perhaps you like living in a sterile boring world with no history...……. I suspect all your kitchen worktops are clear and polished at home
Click to expand...

Well fit for purpose, works properly, not 100 years old, are carefully maintained, can be used at any time without fear of one catching a major disease & not covered with bits of left over food scraps. Bit like my boat really

i suppose if one is used to living in filth, or a run down squat, or has a mangy old boat about which they have no pride if it gets mangled against a poorly maintained pontoon, then arriving at Southwold would pose no problem.

As for history - Is that just a poor excuse for failing to spend money on a rotten footbridge or this:-
DSC_0030.jpg
That is history is it
Well it soon will be:ambivalence:
 
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Daydream believer said:
Well fit for purpose, works properly, not 100 years old, are carefully maintained, can be used at any time without fear of one catching a major disease & not covered with bits of left over food scraps. Bit like my boat really

i suppose if one is used to living in filth, or a run down squat, or has a mangy old boat about which they have no pride if it gets mangled against a poorly maintained pontoon, then arriving at Southwold would pose no problem.

As for history - Is that just a poor excuse for failing to spend money on a rotten footbridge or this:-
View attachment 74809
That is history is it
Well it soon will be:ambivalence:
Click to expand...


You did not answer the question about your Kitchen worktops


Your post is rather insulting to us carrot crunchers in Suffolk
 
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