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The Sail Loft

East Anglia Suffolk Southwold

From £160 a night
5 Guest Rooms
Boutique B&B

Beachside chic, good food and comfortable rooms with a seaside theme: a perfect place for a relaxing break by the sea

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A five-minute stroll from the centre of genteel Southwold, down towards the town harbour at the mouth of the River Blyth, the Sail Loft is the last of a line of mostly clapboard houses that edge the road. The marshy flood plain of the river lies behind, and the dunes and sandy beach in front, not far from a group of the town's iconic beach huts. In short, it’s a great location, just a short walk also from the famous foot ferry to Walberwick.

The Sail Loft brings a refreshing flavour of coastal, New England, beach-shack-chic style to Southwold – not to mention tasty food based on the best local produce and five comfortable rooms to boot. Two have their own patios with a view over the marshes while the others have sea views, and there's a lovely large top-floor room that looks over the sea and marshes. The décor is mostly neutral with the odd splash of colour, there are hangers rather than wardrobes, and contemporary white-brick-tiled bathrooms with powerful showers, while the big top-floor room also has a standalone tub. All have Freeview TVs, tea- and coffee-making facilities, biscuits and water.

The restaurant and bar have the feel of a funky seaside joint, with rustic furniture, bare floorboards and a crowd that’s as mixed as Southwold itself. The chef and owner Johnny believes in great ingredients and there's a bit of everything in his menus, which naturally focus on the sea – mussels, scallops, good fish and chips – but also take in great Wagyu beef burgers, steaks and chicken, and he always includes a couple of curries and Asian dishes. Breakfast options are similarly varied and delicious, served downstairs but only from 9.30am – perfect if you're not in a hurry, and quite a nice way of enforcing a truly lazy morning.

All in all, it's a great beachside place to rest up for a few days if that's what you're after – close enough to Southwold's facilities for convenience but far enough away to feel a little bit remote and rather special, with an almost Mediterranean feel when the weather is co-operating. Sit on its outside terrace on a summer's evening and squint... you could be among the sandy dunes of southern France!

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Open

Open all year.

Pricing

The three regular double rooms cost £160 a night, £180 a night for the top-floor suite, all including breakfast.

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Location

Contact Website 01502 725 713 The Sail Loft, 53 Ferry Road, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6HQ

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Getting There

Take the A1095 off the A12 either just before or just after Blythburgh (depending whether you're coming north or the south), and follow the road for 3 miles or so into Southwold. Follow the high street and bear right on the main square (by The Swan), and follow the road across the green until it becomes Ferry Road. The Sail Loft is a few hundred years down on the right. If you get to the campsite, you've gone too far.

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