A buzzy little town or the peace of the country? At Still Southwold, you get the best of both. The cabins on this Suffolk private estate are arranged along the clifftop, but within a stone’s throw of Southwold: for me, one of England’s loveliest seaside towns.
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (now also known as National Landscapes), the landscape is heathland studded with wild flowers and clusters of coconut-scented gorse. Wrapped in cedar shingles, the sculptural lodges sit harmoniously within their wild surroundings.
That connection to nature carries through inside, where grey-washed timber panelling envelops the double-height spaces, creating a comfortable, simple feel.
In our cabin, The Listening Station, named after the MoD huts that stood on the site during the Second World War, each room has uninterrupted floor-to-ceiling views of land, sea and sky. It’s a treat to tap the bedside control pad each morning and watch the blinds rise to reveal the vista beyond.
Tempting as it is to watch the clouds scudding by, tear yourself away and there’s plenty to do, such as a swim or paddle down on the private beach, complete with its own hut, available to hire by the day. There’s also a sea-view sauna and treatment room if you want to recharge.
We make several trips into Southwold. You can walk along the coast or drive to the edge of the estate, which adjoins the pier car park. Our teenagers enjoy the sandy beach as well as the pretty whitewashed pier. They love the eccentric Under the Pier Show, too, a collection of artist-made interactive machines, at once surreal and hilarious.
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Southwold is a thriving town, full of picturesque period architecture and independent shops where we potter happily for hours. The food and drink scene here is equally excellent, with an impressive array of first-class pubs, restaurants and delis. We join the queue for the highly recommended Little Fish & Chip Shop and it does not disappoint. We eat superlative scampi, haddock and chips on a bench overlooking the beach, washed down with drinks from The Lord Nelson pub nearby.
On another evening, we take a walk to the Sole Bay Fish Company by the harbour for a plentiful seafood platter. From here, you can catch the little ferryboat across the River Blyth for a stroll around the charming village of Walberswick.
It’s lovely to spend time in a seaside town with such energy, but even nicer to retreat back to our lodgings and gaze at the moon shining high above the sea as we drift off to sleep.
From £1,148 for three nights. Find more details at stillsouthwold.co.uk.
