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Walberswick guide

Set on the unspoilt Suffolk coast, the Georgian village of Walberswick is a nostalgic English seaside dream.

Quieter than the neighbouring town of Southwold, this pretty seaside village is the perfect place for a bucket and spade holiday, followed by a hearty pub lunch or cream tea or a quiet, romantic break during the winter months.

The village also has a long sand and shingle beach backed by grassy dunes and surrounded by marsh and heathland. The nature reserve, which follows the River Blyth estuary, covers over 1,000 acres, combining mudflats, meadows and marsh and is home to otters, deer and a wide range of bird species.

Did you know?

It is speculated that the name of the village may be derived from the name of a Saxon landowner, possibly Waldbert or Walhbert and the word "wyc" meaning shelter or harbour. It sits on the south bank of the River Blyth and was a major trading port from the 13th century until World War one.

Considering its size, the village has long attracted celebrities. Philip Wilson Steer and his circle of English Impressionists fell in love with the landscape, as did Charles Rennie Mackintosh and many resident artists today. Today, many celebrities own holiday homes in the village, amongst them are Richard Curtis, Emma Freud and Libby Purves. The village is thought to have inspired the setting for Emma Freud’s novel ‘The Sea House’.

Every year Walberswick hosts the annual British open crabbing championships which sees keen participants dangling crabbing lines in a bid to bag the heaviest crustacean.

The village is rumoured to be haunted by the ghost of the notorious murderer Tobias Gill, most often seen driving a coach drawn by four headless horses.

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Location

Walberswick Highlights

1. Crabbing

Towns & Villages - Walberswick - Crabbing

Walberswick is the self-appointed capital of crabbing: the World Open Championships are held here every August, when the village is packed full of hopefuls bearing crab lines dangling bacon. Alternatively, you can just take along a bucket and a net for fun and spend a lazy day waiting for a bite (or in this case a nip!)

2. Explore the River Blyth Estuary

Towns & Villages - Walberswick - Blyth estuary (c) Gill Moon Photography

The Nature Reserve, which follows the River Blyth estuary, covers over 1,000 acres, combining mudflats, meadows and marsh. It is home to otters, deer and a wide range of bird species.

3. Take the ferry

Towns & Villages - Walberswick - ferry (c) Jane Calverley

You can see neighbouring Southwold over the river, and reach it by hopping aboard the charming foot ferry that operates during the summer months.

Dani Church rows across the River Blyth up to 100 times a day between April and October, making it easy to visit both Southwold and Walberswick. She is the fifth generation of her family to run their 125 year old business! You can find out more about Dani and the ferry here!

Walberswick Beach Guide

TTDA - Walberswick Beach - (c) Jane Calverley

The idyllic seaside village of Walberswick is home to a picture-postcard green, surrounded by pastel coloured cottages and villas, cafes, shops and pubs - all a stone's throw from the glorious beach. Walk over the bridge and out across the dunes and bask in the stunning views of Sizewell beach to the south and Southwold to the north. Find a spot to sunbathe amongst the marram grass covered dunes or make your way towards the crashing waves for a paddle or swim before heading back into the village for fish and chips or hearty pub grub and a pint.

To find out more and to plan your visit to Walberswick Beach, check out our Walberswick Beach Guide.

Useful Information

Public Conveniences and Baby Changing Facilities

Public conveniences with disabled toilet and baby changing facilities are located at Ferry Road, IP18 6TZ

Accessibility

Check out AccessAble's detailed access guides to Suffolk and work out if a place is going to be accessible to you.

The access guides cover multiple locations and venues across Suffolk, including places to stay, attractions, places to eat, stations, shops, trails and more.

The access guides are 100% facts, figures and photographs, checked by AccessAble's trained surveyors in person, people who know everyone's accessibility needs are different and understand how important it is for information to be detailed and accurate.

How to Get to Walberswick - Public Transport

With Suffolk on Board you can plan journeys using public transport from and to a town or village, named station or stop, or point of interest.

As many destinations along the Suffolk coast are rural there can be limited public transport services on many routes, but there are journey solutions through various local community transport services that will get you to where you want to go/your final destination. These tend to need to be booked in advance but you can find out more and plan your journey at Suffolk on Board.

By Bus:

Suffolk Links Blyth operates from 7.00am to 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday (except Public Holidays). The bus will take you to Saxmundham, Leiston or the railway station at Darsham or any of the villages within the Blyth service area and on-going connections to Halesworth, Lowestoft, Woodbridge or Ipswich.

Timetables and further information can be found at www.suffolkonboard.com

By Train:

The nearest rail stations are Darsham and Saxmundham with services to Ipswich and on-going connections to Lowestoft, Norwich, Cambridge and London Liverpool Street.

All train tickets can be purchased via the Greater Anglia website or the app.

By Ferry:

Travel from Walberswick to Southwold on the foot ferry which crosses the River Blyth. For ferry times and information download the leaflet:

Foot Ferries Leaflet 2021
Foot Ferries of The Suffolk Coast 2021

Car Parks in Walberswick

To find parking places in East Suffolk and where parking fees apply, visit the council’s RingGo parking service .

The free RingGo app allows drivers to locate a parking place before starting their journey, receive navigation to it, see how busy car parks are within an area, pay for your parking session and extend it if you need to. Signing up to RingGo is as easy as entering your car’s registration and your payment details. Find out more about registering and using the service on the RingGo how it works page.

The Terrace, IP18 6TZ

Walking in Walberswick

Walking in East Suffolk has just become easier. In partnership with East Suffolk Council, walking app Go Jauntly has launched a collection of East Suffolk walks.

Go Jauntly is a free community-based app to promote walking, wayfinding and nature connection. You can find local walks created by people who know and love them, discover the greenest walking routes from A to B, create your own jaunts and enjoy outdoor adventures with friends and family.

Go Jauntly is available to download, for free, on the App Store and the Play Store.