'Seaside dream' town is regularly voted 'one of UK's poshest places to live'

04 November 2023 , 07:32

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Walberswick is a beautiful village in Suffolk (Image: Cambridge News)

A “nostalgic seaside dream” town offers beautiful windswept views of a Suffolk coastline which previously saw it named one of the UK’s most beautiful villages.

Walberswick sits on England's east coast and boasts a diverse range of pebble beaches and long sandy beaches with dunes, coupled with protected areas of natural beauty. The quaint resort has a population of just 347 and attracts scores of revellers in the summer months. Quieter than the neighbouring town of Southwold, the pretty seaside village is considered a perfect place for a bucket and spade holiday, followed by a hearty pub lunch or cream tea or a quiet, romantic break during the winter months.

A guide to the location reads: “It is speculated the name of the village may be derived from the name of a Saxon landowner, possibly Waldbert or Walhbert and the word "wyc" meaning shelter or harbour. It sits on the south bank of the River Blyth and was a major trading port from the 13th century until World War one.

“Considering its size, the village has long attracted celebrities. Philip Wilson Steer and his circle of English Impressionists fell in love with the landscape, as did Charles Rennie Mackintosh and many resident artists today. Today, many celebrities own holiday homes in the village, amongst them are Richard Curtis, Emma Freud and Libby Purves. The village is thought to have inspired the setting for Emma Freud’s novel The Sea House.“

What's more, the village hosts the British open crabbing championships each year, in which people attempt to bag the largest crustacean possible. The Suffolk village’s port dates back to the 13th century when it had a roaring trade in bacon, cheese and timber, as well as a huge fishing community.

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Like all good locations, it also has an infamous ghost haunting its streets, dating back to 1750. At the time a woman was found dead and, despite a lack of evidence, Toby Gill was found guilty of the crime as he was found drunk nearby. He was hanged and shortly afterwards stories spread of a ghostly coach pulled by Gill and four headless horses.

Antony Clements-Thrower