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Welcome to the latest edition of the Best of Suffolk Tried and Tested blog series, featuring Pier View – a luxurious family holiday let apartment in the heart of Southwold with panoramic sea views!

Pier View Southwold Tried and Tested

In this edition, our Admin Executive Vicki and her husband Rory enjoyed a long weekend in Southwold, staying at the luxurious Pier View apartment.  The sleeps four apartment is ideally placed to enjoy all that Southwold has to offer, as well as having all those luxury finishing touches that really make a difference when you’re on holiday!

A night of comedy with a nationally known comedian at Southwold Arts Centre, breakfast in a local café, a bread-making course and fun on Southwold Pier all feature in this action-packed edition of #TriedandTested

Pier View Southwold Tried and Tested

Pier View, Southwold

Pier View is a truly luxurious family holiday apartment located in the heart of Southwold, along Marlborough Road.  The property has undergone an extensive renovation to create a bright and spacious living/kitchen dining room, with mezzanine level above, plus two bedrooms and family bathroom.

Pier View Southwold

The mezzanine and balcony offer some of the best views of Southwold beach, with Covehithe in the distance, and iconic pier in front of you. There’s even lighthouse views from both bedrooms!

Pier View Southwold Sea Views

The kitchen is every chef’s dream, with all of the mod cons to cook up all those culinary delights.  These include an electric oven with four ring induction hob with extractor fan above, integrated fridge, freezer, dishwasher, wash/dryer, kettle, Nespresso coffee machine and toaster.

Within the dining section is a beautiful stone table with four chairs (there are an additional two located on the mezzanine level) perfect for enjoying all of those delicious meals. There is also a swivel lounge chair located in the corner, perfect for enjoying those spectacular views.

Pier View Kitchen

The living room is a light and welcoming space to sit back and relax. There is a large corner sofa and lounge chair provided for comfortable seating. There is a 42″ Smart TV for your entertainment, with the addition of a Sonos system connected with speakers in each room. There are an array of side tables for you to place your drink on, along with two handy console tables, one with a gorgeous sculpture and the other with a table lamp.

Location, Location, Location!

Southwold is a wonderful location for a traditional seaside holiday, with its award-winning beach, Victorian pier and beach huts along the promenade.  This quintessentially British town sits at the mouth of the River Blyth and within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Southwold Beach Summer 2021

Pier View is located in the heart of the town centre of Southwold, yet only a few minutes walk away from the beach and pier.  Walk to a bakery for a coffee and a croissant, pick up the morning paper and head to the beach, all within a gentle stroll!

The pier completes Southwold as a classic British seaside resort. Southwold Pier was built in 1900 as a landing stage for steamships bringing tourists from London. It was originally 810ft!  Rebuilt in 1999, completed in 2001, the pier now stretches 623ft into the North Sea.  It is Britain’s only 21st Century Pier.  Hosting three eating venues, serving a range of choices from your classic fish and chips to gourmet suppers, homemade cakes, and stone-baked pizzas.  There are also three shops for everything from beach necessities to uniquely gorgeous products created by local artists and craftspeople.

First Impressions

When we arrived at Pier View, we were immediately blown away.  As you enter the property, you arrive into a corridor – one way leading to the bedrooms and the other leading to the living area.  We immediately went to the living area, which was stunning. A large, open plan living room/kitchen awaited us. With gloss cupboards and a granite worktop, you could tell that this was a beautiful kitchen to use! Full of appliances including a washing machine, coffee machine and a stunning island; with large oven and extractor fan – it was a baker’s dream!

The living room section was incredibly modern – but still somewhere you could relax. With large, cushy sofas and an electric fireplace, it was a great place to unwind.  The living room also had iron artwork on the wall, depicting birds flying (and we did spot sparrows from the window) and felt this was very apt!

Pier View Sitting Room

Welcome Pack

The owner had left us a wonderful Welcome pack including Adnams wine (which is a must in Southwold, with the brewery being so close), plus a chocolate flapjack and coffee pods for the machine (both decaf and original). We were very grateful and enjoyed devouring it all over the break.

Welcome Pack Pier View Southwold

The Boardwalk Restaurant, Southwold Pier

We had early reservations at The Boardwalk Restaurant on the Pier. Unfortunately, the first day we arrived was a rather cold one!  But we grabbed our coats and braced the winds. The walk itself only took a couple of minutes (which we were very happy about, considering the weather) but once we arrived, we found the restaurant toasty and the views spectacular.

The Boardwalk Restaurant Southwold Pier

Watching the sea while the waves got rough was mesmerising and, even though we were on the Pier, we couldn’t feel the movement.

Rory, had to have a Wild Wave Adnams Cider- it felt very apt. The food itself was lovely and the setting made it a great choice for casual dining.

The Boardwalk restaurant Southwold

We then headed back to Pier View to relax for a little while, and the electric fire was a real treat after the blustery weather.

Southwold Arts Centre

We had booked tickets for a Comedy night at Southwold Arts Centre, on Cumberland Road and was about a 4-minute walk from Pier View!

Southwold Arts Centre

We arrived and found our seats- and not a few minutes had gone by before I saw a fluffy thing walking through the aisle…We got to meet the Arts Centre’s cat!  We found out the cat’s name is Socks and he is a very friendly moggy who loves to watch a show. He took a seat on the 2nd row and snuggled down for the evening- happily being stroked by all of us cat people.

Southwold Arts Centre Cat Socks

Comedy Night

The Comedy Show was great!  The headliner being Sean Walsh (who was a naughty boy on a strictly a few years ago) but was exceptionally funny. The other acts, Pam Ford, Jenny Hart and Darren Walsh were amazing, and we would definitely go again!  However, we would advise you check the ratings as this show was certainly 18+ – which was fine with us but be warned.  Southwold Arts Centre has an array of shows, comedy nights and music.  I would definitely recommend checking their website and booking.

Southwold Arts Centre Sean Walsh

Time for Bed!

After the show, we went back to Pier View to head to bed.  The bedrooms are the other end of the corridor and super comfortable.

Master Bedroom

With fabulous views of the lighthouse, we slept in the master bedroom. This room features double bed with bedside tables and side lamps. There is a beautiful double wardrobe with two drawers beneath, and chest of drawer unit for your clothes and trinkets.

Pier View Southwold Master Bedroom

This was clean and comfortable, with a large wardrobe to put our belongings into.  Off of the master bedroom, is a large bathroom with a light up mirror (which was great for putting my make up on). There was also ample space next to the basin, to put all of our toiletries.

The property also provided toiletries, including shampoos and shower gels which smelt lovely.  We fell asleep super quickly and enjoyed a restful night’s sleep.

Bunk Beds

The second bedroom comes with a lighthouse view and is perfect for children, featuring bunk beds, colourful playful rug and chest of drawers.

Bunk Room Pier View

Suffolk Food Hall

We awoke after a restful nights sleep.  Rory had to work for a few hours, so I decided to go out with my dad for the day and venture out of Southwold.  We decided to head to Suffolk Food Hall, which is near Ipswich.  Located under the Orwell Bridge (with spectacular views),  The Food Hall itself is a great place to get amazing, local produce (with its bakery, chocolatiers, deli, butchers, gelato hut and much more).

Suffolk Food Hall

Ilia’s Kitchen Bread Making Course

However, our day wasn’t to be spent in the main Food Hall.  We went to the Cook House Building, which is located just behind the main Food Hall.  We decided to do a cooking class at Ilia’s Kitchen.  Ilia is a fantastic Greek chef and teaches a variety of classes – including Greek, Spanish, Middle Eastern, Indian and Pastry courses.  We opted to do a French Bread making course and learn to make Baguettes, Fougasse and Pain Aux Noix.

Ilias Kitchen

It became a little bit competitive between me and my Dad, trying to knead the bread faster than one another and make the perfect loaf!  The course lasted around five hours and was an amazing day and found it was something really different to do.

We enjoyed eating our breads and Ilia cooked us a wonderful Butternut Squash soup to go with it. We did get to take the rest of our breads away with us, and they were quickly devoured.

Vicki Ilias Kitchen

The Sole Bay Inn

After all that fun, it was soon time to head back to Southwold (which is about an hour away but well worth the drive for a day out).  My Dad and I were then joined by my Mum and Rory, and we decided to go for a walk before heading to dinner.  We went to the Sole Bay Inn and had a fantastic meal.

The Sole Bay Inn Southwold

Rory and I enjoyed a burger, and my parents went for Fish and Chips (which is a must when visiting Southwold).  The atmosphere was warm and relaxed – with helpful staff and a great atmosphere. It’s the kind of pub that you wish you were local too!.

This is also an Adnams pub, which means it has plenty of Adnams beers, lagers and ciders on tap (as well as stocking their wines and spirits).

A Soak in the Tub

We then headed back to Pier View and relaxed for a little while before saying good night. We found that the living room was a great room for entertaining, with ample seating and space.

After my parents left, I had a long hot bath in the en-suite from the master and Rory used the shower next to the bunk bedroom. The only piece of advice here is, if you are a tall person, use the shower on the top floor! I had no issue with this shower but Rory (being 6’2”) found it a little bit small for him.

Bathroom Pier View

Bakery Breakfast

The next morning, Rory and I decided this was going to be a relaxing day, enjoying Southwold.  We got up late and headed into the town. We visited the Cornish Bakery for a coffee and croissant before meandering through the high street.

Cornish Bakery Croissant

We did a little bit of shopping and visited the amber museum, which was very pretty! We also looked around Buckenham Art Gallery, which had some spectacular pieces.

Beach Walk

The weather was much nicer today, and we had a good walk around the pier and the shops. We then decided to go and have a look at the arcades.

Southwold BeachWalk

The Under The Pier Show

There are two arcades on the pier. One is called The Under The Pier Show and is full of strange and unusual games from the past – including a walking the dog game and a Trust Wildlife game (where Seagulls tell you about the human race).

We then went to the main arcade, which also had a nostalgic area (including a space invaders game). We played connect four basketball (I won 2 of the 3 games!), bowling and the 2p machines. We spent a good few hours here and came out with lots of sweets!

Southwold Pier Arcades

The Yard, Southwold

With the sun shining, we decided we had to stop for a bite to eat and went to The Yard, serving milkshakes, smoothies, waffles and ice cream!

The Yard Southwold

I had a fantastic waffle, with vanilla ice cream, toffee sauce, nuts and kinder bueno!  Rory went for a waffle with butterscotch ice cream, Oreo’s, marshmallows, and aero chocolate balls. He also had a peach iced tea (which was lovely)!

We sat upstairs on the tub chairs (tables are also available) and had a great view for people watching. The staff were really friendly, and we both left feeling very full.

Room with a View!

The balcony is on the top floor of Pier View and has beautiful views from every angle. You can see the Pier, the town and sea as far as the eye can go.

It was fantastic place to sit and relax, which he did for several hours. I enjoyed a glass of wine from our welcome pack and Rory a coffee from the machine (as well as tucking into the chocolate flapjacks). This soon became my favourite spot in the house, listening to the sea and taking in the serene surroundings.

Pier View Balcony Southwold

Time for a Book

On the top floor there is a mezzanine room, which overlooks the living room. It has a lovely sofa and tv, but I found it to be a perfect space to snuggle down with a good book.

Pier View Reading Room

Rory went downstairs to watch the rugby and I enjoyed a few peaceful hours with my book listening to the sea.

TV Pier View Southwold

On this floor there is also a wonderful bathroom, with a large electric shower and a great view of the sea. It is super modern and beautifully finished, with great natural light.  If you are tall, you will love this shower, as it very spacious!

Duchies Breakfast

On our last day in Southwold,  we headed into town.  We visited Duchies for breakfast (and is open from 8am on a Sunday morning). This charming little café won us over immediately, with the friendly staff and the cute artwork.  We sat on a bench in the window, making the most of the Southwold view.

We found it very funny as a local came in with his dog, the dog had a piece of chicken and left! We felt this truly encompassed the friendly vibe of the café.

The portions were very large, with Rory having a full fry up and I a breakfast bap. We both struggled to finish and were happy that we weren’t doing too much for the rest of the day.

Duchies Breakfast Vicki

If I Had More Time, I Would…

…Head to Thorington Theatre in the Woods.

Thorington Theatre

Located just a short drive from Southwold, this unique venue for the performing arts features a huge variety of shows over the warmer months.  Plays, comedy nights, live music and theatre in all it’s forms – there’s something for everyone and in a stunning venue too!

…Hire Bikes.

Southwold Cycle Hire

Southwold Cycle Hire offer a range of bikes for hire by the day, part week or week.  With a number of cycle paths nearby and beautiful scenery, we’d love to get out and about and explore a little further.

…Do a Brewery Tour

Adnams Shop Southwold

After looking around the fabulous Adnams shop, we wished we had the time to go on a brewery tour! Offering tours and tastings for either the brewer or the distillery, you can learn about the brewing or distillation process and get to try some of the produce too of course!

The Verdict: Pier View

We found Pier View a great place for a holiday and it truly fulfilled all of our needs.  With its central location, nowhere took more than five or so minutes to get to!  We found this to be a great bonus to the property, as we love to explore but I sometimes struggle to walk long distances (plus we could both have a drink out, without having to worry about getting a taxi).  The rooms were clean and comfortable, and the views from the balconies were spectacular.  Would we go back? In a heartbeat!  And, judging by the visitors book, so would the other past guests!

Why not take a look at availability and pricing for Pier View for yourself?