Pictures of buildings mentioned in the second edition “Suffolk” volume of “The Buildings of England” series by Sir Nikolaus Pevsner.
In his opening remarks on the 'perambulation' Pevsner describes Southwold as "one of the happiest and most picturesque seaside towns in England." with "hardly a building that is a visual nuisance" and then "The perambulation is brief, as there are no outstanding buildings." Starting in Church Street he highlights Nos 3-21, white and very Dutch.":
Then: "on the l. Nos 24-26, entertaining in their humble pretension. Two storeys, red brick, the two doorways together, and above them instead of the normal windows, a pediment against the wall with one oval window." Seen here:
"Now the High Street. On the E side the Crown hotel with its Greek Doric porch, on the S side the Congregational Chapel of 1837, yellow brick, three bays, two storeys, with giant pilasters and a pediment.":
Then to Market Place "a triangle" (below left). On the N side the Swan Hotel, three storeyed, with two symmetrical bay windows crowned by segmental pediments. A pleasantly fitting, mildly neo-Georgian enlargement in yellow brick on the r."
Into Mill Lane to see the tiny former Methodist Chapel, red brick, three by three bays, a cottage really, and distinguished only by the three closely set arches on the ground floor for doorway and two windows." (below left) "Then S from the Market Place down Queen Street, where Nos 1-3 have a doorway with Gibbs surround." (below right):
At the end of Queen Street opens South Green, the largest of Southwold's many greens. What house should be singled out? It is the whole that is remembered". Here are some views:
To the left of the above:
And the opposite side:
Selecting a few, Pevsner says of Greyfriars (left below) "early C19, yellow brick, with a generous bow window in the front (the top storey is later)." then (centre below) "Hill House, rather more pretentious owing to its late C19 top floor. Early C19 with Ionic porch and heavy balconies to all windows." then (below right) "On the other side of the green, really in Gun Hill, facing the sea, Erin Villa, a Regency villa of three bays, with an added bay on each side with a glazed dummy window."
"From here we turnN along the cliff and first find the only attempt of Southwold at a seaside development, Centre Cliff of c1820-30 (below left). This has a five bay rendered centre with top balustrade. The windows of the two storeys are set in blank giant arches. Wings of three bays l. and r., of yellow brick exposed, with the same giant blank arches." "Adjoining Centre Cliff on the r. a curious villa, Early Victorian probably, with its bow window flanked by little bastions" (below right):
"The end of the tour is at the NE corner of St James Green" (below left) "where there is a house deserving to be called a cottage orne, though very minor." (below left):
"Behind it, and surrounded, it seems, by houses appears the lighthouse, white and benevolent. It dates from 1890.":
