The Swan Southwold

Southwold is charming year-round, but there’s something particularly appealing about visiting for a pre-Christmas break. For one thing, there are a host of independent shops selling potential presents that you won’t find elsewhere (cosy knits, seaside-themed tree baubles…), a homemade festive fair going on, and numerous bakers and delis selling mince pies and pastries – all of which can be burnt off on a brisk beach walk. The brightly painted beach huts may be safely locked up for the season, but it’s fun to choose what you’d name your own hut and which colour scheme is the best. 

When the cold starts to reach its way down the back of your neck, or up a trouser leg, it’s time to withdraw to the shelter of colourful, close-to-the-beach boutique hotel the Swan Southwold, whose tearoom-cum-bar in the front of the building is perfect for people-watching. Aside from guessing who’s got what in their shopping bags, you’ll also have a view of the town’s three Christmas trees, decked in colourful lights. Indoors you can admire the hotel’s own festive fir – one of many – with a crowned swan and other treasures nestled in its branches, while sitting beside a log fire, sipping mulled wine.

While the hotel dates back to the 1600s, it has a luxe, modern feel thanks to its dark-blue walls, velvet furnishings and copper light-fittings. Our garden room is located around the back overlooking a small green space that I imagine is well-used over the summer months. The room is warm and cosy, with a decent-sized double bed covered in cushions and pillows. It’s dominated by a blue cabinet, drawers packed with tea bags, Nespresso coffee pods, biscuits and minibar items, and a Smart TV hidden behind its shutters. As someone who doesn’t own a TV, it’s always a treat to watch one in a hotel (although why is it always Frasier on Channel 4?), and I confess we eschew the town’s many restaurants on Saturday night to stay in for the Strictly Come Dancing finale with facemasks and fresh white robes on, plus treats from Southwold’s Black Olive Delicatessen. We’re delighted by the free homemade biccies and a bottle of Adnams gin (the distillery is next door) to take home as a souvenir, as well as the discount card for some local businesses. Our immaculate bathroom is cosily warm, and the hotel’s anti-single-use plastics policy means big bottles are frequently topped up with Temple Spa toiletries – a great idea – so I slather on face cream without guilt. 

Those who enjoy a tipple will feel right at home at the Swan: it's owned by Adnams and is the starting point for their brewery tours. Three are available: wines, beer or gin, and we see various enthusiasts trying samples in their high-vis jackets as we head to and from our room. While we don’t make time for a tour, we do squeeze in a visit to one of the town’s Adnams shops, and take home Southwold-branded beer bottles and prosecco for – grown-up – stocking fillers. (Happily this is one of the aforementioned discounted shops for Swan residents). There are two options when it comes to eating at the Swan – The Tap Room (which is a more casual, pub-style eatery) or the Still Room (which is slightly pricier). We plump for a pub dinner and have delicious triple-cooked chips with battered monkfish. Friday night is busy, but thanks to the layout of the dining room – divided with glass shelves filled with interesting knick-knacks – it still feels intimate. In the morning, breakfasts take place in the elegant Still Room, with a buffet and cooked options. For my money, the veggie breakfast is hard to beat – it combines the best of everything but doesn’t feel too heavy or greasy. If you’re planning a day pottering around the town afterwards, I’d recommend sticking your head into the Sailor’s Reading Room. It’s a sweet space which was once reserved for sailors in need of a break, and now serves as a tiny museum for life on the seas. We love the black-and-white photos of old sea-dogs, as well as the wooden mastheads from ships; it’s free although donations are appreciated. Next, wrap up warm and wander along the seafront to the pier – surely Southwold’s most famous attraction thanks to its quirky Under the Pier arcade designed by Tim Hunkin. Cast aside images of penny-slot machines and grabber cranes: this is equal parts art and entertainment. Test your DNA, get a prescription from the ‘doctor’, see life from a fly’s POV, enter the Booth of Truth or walk a mechanical dog on a treadmill. Each installation has a delightfully homemade feel, while being funny and conveying its own original story. Make sure to bring cash because you’ll want to try them all. 

After, walk to the end of the pier to try to spot the Netherlands (spoiler: you won’t), the lighthouse and to read the touching dedications to loved ones embossed onto metal plaques: a heartwarming sight in a chilly season, as is the Swan Southwold on our return.