Holton village is situated in north Suffolk about 1 mile to the east of Halesworth and 8 miles west of the popular seaside town of Southwold. It is often referred to as Holton St Peter to prevent confusion with Holton St Mary in the south of the county. The Domesday book of 1086 AD records Holetuna which in Old English is a “farmstead near a hollow”.

 

Some of the village houses

The parish comprises about 400 houses with the main village at its the centre designated a conservation area, some post-war housing developments around it, and an area to the north, called Upper Holton which contains the old World War II airfield, on which there is a large factory and some small businesses together with scattered farms and homesteads.

 

The postmill in the distance

Holton’s landmark and symbol is the 18^th century fantailed postmill, which overlooks the village. It ceased working in about 1900 and is now maintained by Suffolk County Council. Major repairs were completed in 1966-68 and in 1992. It is open to the public on the Spring and August Bank Holiday Monday each year, but the exterior of the mill can be inspected at other times.

 

The village has an excellent primary school, a pub and the church of St Peter, on its outskirts. There are some farm shops around the village which provide a variety of fresh produce and regular buses to Halesworth, Southwold and Beccles. Halesworth railway station, about 1.5 miles away, has regular trains to Lowestoft, Ipswich and London.

B&B accommodation is available in the village for visitors to the area, as Holton is an excellent base from which to explore the Heritage Coast of Suffolk, the countryside of both Suffolk and south Norfolk, and Norwich which is only about 25 miles away.