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Perched on robust cliffs just to the north of the River Blyth, SOUTHWOLD gained what Dunwich lost, and by the sixteenth century it had overtaken all its local rivals. Its days as a busy fishing port are, however, long gone - though a small fleet still brings in herring, sprats and cod - and today it's a genteel seaside resort, an eminently appealing little town with none of the crassness of many of its competitors. There are fine old buildings, a long sandy beach, open heathland, a dinky harbour and even a little industry - in the shape of the Adnams brewery - but no burger bars and certainly no amusement arcades. Southwold's breezy High Street is framed by attractive, mainly Georgian buildings, which culminate in the pocket-sized Market Place. From here, it's a brief stroll along East Street to the curious Sailors' Reading Room (daily 9am-5pm; free), decked out with model ships and nautical texts, and the bluff above the beach , where row upon row of candy-coloured huts march across the sands. Queen Street begins at the Market Place too, quickly leading to South Green , the prettiest of several greens dotted across town. In 1659, a calamitous fire razed much of Southwold and when the town was rebuilt the greens were left to act as firebreaks. Beyond, both Ferry Road and the Ferry footpath lead down to the harbour , at the mouth of the River Blyth, an idyllic spot, where fishing smacks rest against old wooden jetties and nets are spread out along the banks to dry. Back on the Market Place, it's a couple of hundred yards north along Church Street to East Green, with Adnams Brewery on one side, the stumpy lighthouse on another. Close by is Southwold's architectural pride and joy, the Church of St Edmund (daily: June-Aug 9am-6pm; Sept-May 9am-4pm), a handsome fifteenth-century structure whose solid symmetries are balanced by its long and elegantly carved windows. From the church, it's a short walk north to the pier , the latest incarnation of a structure that dates from 1899. Built as a landing stage for passenger ferries, the pier has had a troubled history: it has been repeatedly damaged by storms, was hit by a sea-mine and then partly chopped up by the army as a protection against German invasion in World War II. Work started on rebuilding the pier in 1999 and will take several years to complete.
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