Halesworth Area Guide

Halesworth is a lovely market town, around 10 miles inland from the Suffolk Heritage Coast. This an area popular with walkers, bird watchers and cyclists.

There’s been a settlement here since around 3,000BC, with a later Roman town. The marketplace is surrounded by attractive period buildings and the central street, called Thoroughfare, is pedestrianised, so you can potter around and take in your surroundings as you wander up to the medieval church and almshouses close by.

The town has a rich history of brewing, and these days has won a number of accolades, being a Gold award winner four years in a row for Britain in Bloom and being named Best Small Town in East Anglia.

Did you know?
There used to be a bank in the town that issued its own currency. You can see a five-guinea note from the Suffolk and Halesworth bank, dating back to 1799, in the British Museum.

Amenities

Halesworth has a great café culture, with a wide range of restaurants, pubs and takeaways, such as Edwards, known for its excellent homecooked food, The Boarding House with its talented chef, Cleones for Italian fare, gorgeous pub grub at The White Hart and traditional fish and chips from Seashells.

You’ll find everyday amenities aplenty, from independent clothing and food shops to high street stalwarts, as well as a library and professional services, including opticians and dentists.

The arts centre is home to the annual Halesworth Arts Festival, while the weekly outdoor market also attracts visitors. There’s a museum in the town, plus the largest millennium green in the UK, with well over 40 acres teeming with wildlife.

Halesworth has a golf club, football club and bowling green, as well as being on National Cycle Route 1. There are regular buses to nearby towns such as Beccles, Southwold and Lowestoft, as well as to the city of Norwich, while the railway offers excellent links for onward travel.

Education

Halesworth is popular with families, with a primary school in the town, plus a bus taking students to the catchment high school in Bungay. Framlingham College, an independent day and boarding school, is also nearby.