Summer is a-coming and the lure of sun, sea and sand is beckoning whether it’s abroad or the many seaside towns dotted like jewels around the south east coast for overworked Londoners. We’ve profiled the excitement of Brighton, the gentle charms of Broadstairs and the grassroots arts scene of St Leonards-On-Sea. But one seaside town stands out for the pure strangeness of its layout… and the menacing squawk of its seagulls…
Lowestoft in Suffolk is a seaside resort that time forgot, and it is perched at Britain’s most easterly point, just a few miles away from the better known Great Yarmouth. Forget palm trees, you’re more likely to see triffids in this eerie seaside town, more Carnival Of Souls than Baywatch.
I was curious about Lowestoft, as it was the home of the Victorian writer George Borrow, author of the gypsy novels ‘Lavengro’ and ‘The Romany Rye’. It’s also the birthplace of the composer Benjamin Britten, and Polish author Joseph Conrad first landed in Britain at Lowestoft in 1878, where he jumped ship, and the local Wetherspoons is named after him. With such a cultural past, I knew I had to give this seaside destination a visit.
A strange layout
There seems to be no modern town planning in Lowestoft, it’s a town that is essentially a long, unending road along the coast that gradually evolves from one area into another. The majority of guesthouses are lined up on Kirkley Cliff, an elegant promenade of old townhouses in the south of the town, close to the popular Claremont Pier, with its bars and amusement arcades for young adults. The Hatfield Hotel nearby is a plum spot for Sunday dinners and evening drinks, with beautiful beachside views.
Walking north to find the town centre is an interesting journey and certainly gets your step count in. Pedestrians will come across the Iconic bar and grill and the nearby South Pier before crossing the Lowestoft Bascule Bridge, which regularly opens to allow vessels to access the harbour. After crossing the bridge, the local Wetherspoons The Joseph Conrad is a decent stop-off, large and cavernous like a warehouse.
But searching for more bars and restaurants means yet more walking. Visitors will have tread on through the long shopping district, London Road North, which seems utterly deserted after 5pm. It’s worth noting until finally reaching ‘High Street’ in the north of the town, with its scattered pubs and restaurants, among them JoJo’s American Kitchen, Lavash Kitchen Turkish Restaurant, artisan bakery A Piece of Cake and LGBTQ bar Marilyn’s.
Haunted tales
One of Lowestoft’s most enduring ghost tales is ‘The Witches’ Stones’ at Belle Vue Park, a rough cairn of stones at the park’s south gate. The long anchor is thought to be the remnants of a Tudor beacon built in 1550 by the Marquis of Northampton, one two warning fires in the town to warn ships of forthcoming emergencies, early forerunners to lighthouses.
Legend has it that the the stones must be bathed in fire, or they will magically travel to the seashore at the first strike of midnight to bathe in the water before fleeing back in place by the last stroke of 12. Lore has it that this only happens in midsummer, while others claim it happens more frequently.
High Street in the north of Lowestoft, with its warren of pubs and restaurants, said to be ridiculously haunted, with Victorian grey lady said to be seen wandering, and a monk haunts the upper storeys of the former Anchor pub. But the most mischievous ghost is Saucy George, the spectre of an amorous sailor who pinches guests’ bottoms in Sgt Pepper’s Diner on High Street. I went there to investigate and I have to say I felt a mysterious twinge while standing at the counter.
Accommodation
Lowestoft has gloriously cheap accommodation, with dozens of affordable bed & breakfasts, especially along historic Kirkley Cliff. There is the Bon-Ami guesthouse, where a two-night stay for two adults in a double room from Friday, June 6, to Saturday, June 8, will cost £158.
Elsewhere, the aforementioned Hatfield Hotel offers rooms from £177 over the same period, but guests should be aware the hotel has an extra block – Hatfield Lodge – on the opposite side of the road, without sea views. A deluxe room in Hatfield Hotel with a sea view will cost £232. Alternatively, the traditional Wherry Hotel, rated 8 out of 10 on Booking.com, offers double rooms over the same period from £168.
How to get there
Like much of East Anglia, transport links with London are poorly laid out for Lowestoft. The fastest route is take the train from Liverpool Street to Norwich and transfer from there to Lowestoft, on routes run by Greater Anglia Trains. The journey takes around two hours and 30 minutes, but the good news is a full return ticket can easily be bought for only £37.
To drive to Lowestoft from London also takes around two hours and 30 minutes via the A12 motorway, meaning a rail journey may be a more convenient way to travel after all.
Lowestoft was named Britain’s sixth ugliest town by the Telegraph last year, but it’s a title I think is unkind and undeserved. Yes, it has idiosyncrasies and a significant lack of investment. But while its lack of gentrification may be “ugly” to some, it’s a breath of fresh air to others, full of character, cheerful and unpretentious.
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