This month, our village of the month is Walberswick, a beautiful, unspoilt village situated at the mouth of the river Blyth, 1½ miles SW of Southwold.

There are no amusement arcades or candy floss to be found, but families seeking pleasure in the peace and quiet of the beach, river, marshes and heathland, will find it here. Perhaps one of the most iconic views of Walberswick is that of its fishermen’s huts and houses on stilts. They were once far more numerous, but the great storm of 1953 washed many away and the picturesque Tea Rooms was last seen floating merrily away down the river

The Village Sign

Clifford Russell, an architect and artist living in the village, designed the sign to commemorate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. The ship in the design was copied from a contemporary picture of a C17th Man-of-War representing Walberswick’s ship building past. The sign stood at the entrance to the village until 1984, when it was stolen. The present sign was copied from a photograph and is two thirds the size of the original; it now stands on the village green in a much safer spot!

Architecture

Hidden amongst Walberswick’s genuinely old buildings, are some little known gems from the early C20th. Frank Jennings may be better known for his father, Tom, who was a famous Newmarket Trainer, and for his equally famous son, Humphrey, who made classic documentary films during the 40s, yet Frank was an Arts and Crafts architect of the highest calibre. Luckily for us he built a dozen or so houses in Walberswick (one of which was bombed in WWII). Frank Jennings was not only a fine architect but he was determined to salvage Suffolk’s heritage from the demolition which was much in vogue at the time. Thus, Walberswick boasts two beautiful Jacobean staircases, some unique stained glass, medieval ironwork and carved beams, as well as an entire house bought for £80 and literally carted here from Lavenham.

The Scroll

Between 1931 and 1932, J. Doman Turner, a local artist, decided to paint a picture of every house in the village. Starting as you enter the village, he worked his way along one side, round the Green, down to the Ferry and back up the other side. The scroll is over 200ft long and is an incredible record of the village as it was at the time. He paid particular attention to notices: a tortoise is lost and the list of prices for different uses of the then steam ferry is long and intriguing. We have a last peep at the station, Manor Farm and the Walberswick Pottery together with glimpses of contemporary village characters.

For more information about Walberswick visit: Walberswick Parish Council website

If you would like to see your village or area featured on Village of the Month then email kerry.burn@onesuffolk.co.uk