Southwold Museum

About the museum

Before the 1930s Southwold had no museum, and local finds were shown in a small room above the porch of the parish church, which soon became too crowded. In 1932 a local donor offered a pair of adjoining 17th-century cottages on Victoria Street to the town on condition that they became a museum. A group of enthusiasts founded an archaeological and natural history society, and a trust raised the money for the conversion. The cottages were largely rebuilt as one room, keeping most of the old roof timbers, and the museum opened in 1933 under its first curator, Dr Dudley Collings.

The building, which is Grade II listed, was extended in 1959 and 1962, and in 1967 the society bought a former carpenter’s workshop nearby for storage, the archive and offices. A major rebuild and redesign between 2006 and 2008 was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and local donors, and further work followed in 2014 to 2016. The museum won a special award for family-friendly displays in 2015 and was named Suffolk Museum of the Year in 2016. It holds full accreditation from Arts Council England.

The displays are arranged by theme: the earliest human visitors and Ice Age fossils, the sea and its dangers, natural history, fishing, transport and the lost railway, war, religion, industry, arts and crafts, holidays and leisure, and the town itself. The museum is owned and run by the Southwold Museum and Historical Society, a charity.

Highlights

• Ice Age fossils and tools found in the cliffs near Southwold
• Displays on shipwrecks, the sea and the 1672 Battle of Sole Bay
• Natural history collections of local birds, butterflies and sea life
• Medieval pottery and a witch bottle
• Archive of local books, photographs and postcards

Permanent exhibitions

• In the Beginning – Fossils and tools from the cliffs at Easton Bavents and Pakefield tell of the earliest human visitors to the area some 650,000 years ago.
• The Sea – Shows how flooding, erosion, shipwreck and lifesaving have shaped the town, with ship models and records of wrecks in Sole Bay.
• Natural Southwold – Specimens of local birds, butterflies and sea life and an account of how habitats have changed.

Founded

1933

Operated by

Southwold Museum and Historical Society

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free. The museum says it costs at least £5 per visitor to run, so donations are requested; card and cash donation boxes are placed around the museum.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum states that access for visitors with disabilities is available and that wheelchairs can move around the museum.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

The museum won a special award in 2015 for its family-friendly displays.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Victoria Street, a few metres from the High Street and opposite Bartholomew Green, facing the main entrance of the church. From the A12 take the A1095 into Southwold. On foot, walk up the High Street away from the Market Place and turn right at the Southwold town sign.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit