Southwold Lighthouse Tour
About
Southwold's lighthouse does not stand on a headland or a rock. It stands in the middle of the town, on St James's Green, with terraced houses and the Sole Bay Inn pressed up against its base, which is why it appears in almost every photograph of the place. Trinity House commissioned it in 1890 and it is still an operational aid to navigation. Adnams runs the public tours, which climb 113 stairs with no lift and last about an hour, ending with views over the sea, the town roofs and the marshes inland. Tickets are 15.50 pounds for an adult and 11.50 pounds for a child aged 7 to 17, with reduced school rates, and the tour departs from the Adnams Tours Centre in The Swan Courtyard on the Market Place, through the archway beside The Swan entrance, not from the lighthouse itself.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓An operational lighthouse, commissioned 1890
- ✓113 stairs and no lift
- ✓Views over Sole Bay, the town and the marshes
- ✓Tours run by Adnams, departing from The Swan Courtyard
Tips
- →Meet at the Adnams Tours Centre, The Swan Courtyard, Market Place IP18 6EG, not at the lighthouse.
- →113 stairs with no lift, so it is not suitable for everyone.
- →Tours end with a ten per cent voucher for the Adnams stores.
- →Prices verified on adnams.co.uk in August 2026; check the current rate when booking.
Best Season
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