Visit
Explore Saxmundham
Saxmundham is a characterful market town in the heart of Suffolk’s heritage coastal area. Saxmundham boasts a bustling town centre with a mixture of independent businesses and a strong local identity and thriving community spirit. Visitors will discover a traditional market town with a fascinating history, friendly people and a variety of unique spaces and events to enjoy.
We are well-served by the super-markets of Waitrose and Tesco, while the High Street area hosts an eclectic mix of shops, boutiques and useful services, as well as art galleries, pubs and cafés – see our Business Directory for more.
Take some time to look around and explore our heritage. You will find lots of interesting architecture, even slightly eccentric buildings and sights, from a mix of different eras and designs. The town museum is great place to delve deeper into the history of the town. It’s free to enter and boasts a huge collection of artefacts, information and interactive displays.
If you have an hour or so to spare, the best way to experience the essence of Saxmundham is to follow one of our trails.
Town Trail. This takes you mainly round the central part of town, especially the Conservation Area. Sights along the Trail include:
- Railway Station (1859) – now renovated after a severe fire in 2018
- Market Hall (1846)
- Bell Hotel (rebuilt 1842)
- St John’s Parish Church (partially 15th century)
- GPO Telephone Exchange (1954), now housing Royal Mail and the Art Station
- Saxmundham Museum
- Monks Cottages (17th century)
You can also find out more here about several of our historic buildings..
Family Trail: This 2.3 mile circular walk takes a family-friendly route around the town. Passing through Saxmundham’s many play parks, the High Street and several points of interest.
Memorial Trail: This immersive trail takes you back in time to explore Saxmundhams links to WW1. The trail features local businesses and buildings linked to local war heroes. Scan the QR codes and discover the lives of Saxmundham residents who fought and lost their lives.
Gateway to East Suffolk and the Heritage Coast
Saxmundham is the ideal starting point for a visit to the beautiful sights and scenes of East Suffolk. We are ideally located for those travelling by rail, with good links to London and nearby towns along the line from Ipswich to Lowestoft. Saxmundham is an excellent, central place to stay for those who want to do a bit of local touring by car or bicycle.
For lots of things to do, places to visit, or where to stay, do look at the excellent The Suffolk Coast and Visit Suffolk websites.
For seaside venues; we are close to timeless and diverse resorts such as Southwold, Walberswick, Thorpeness and Aldeburgh.
The neighbouring town of Framlingham is a popular tourist spot, especially for visitors to its famous ‘Castle on the hill’ This, and the one down the road at Orford are two of the country’s finest examples of Norman castles.
If you care about the environment and love birds, then RSPB Minsmere is a nationally renowned ‘must-see’, plus the Suffolk Wildlife Trust has nature reserves in the area.
For top class music, culture and entertainment, Snape Maltings and Britten Pears Arts host a wide array of concerts and events throughout the year. In fact, it’s well worth visiting Snape Maltings for its stunning riverside location, luxury shopping opportunities a showcase of locally produced food & drink.
For those who value our industrial heritage, the Long Shop Museum at Leiston is your place – in the old Garretts works that once made machinery and engines for the world.
