With sea views from almost every angle, just a stone’s throw away from Walberswick’s glorious beach, The Wobbly Wick is a house with a big heart. Affectionately named after the mispronunciation of Walberswick by the homeowners’ children, this bohemian style holiday home is the perfect place to spend time with loved ones no matter what time of year.
The Wobbly Wick feels like a home from home, with two sophisticated king size bedrooms and three further, its original features have been lovingly restored, boasting sea views from both sides of the house.
Space is not an issue; you will find a place to gather around the large dining table, prepare home-cooked meals in the well-stocked kitchen or huddle round the outdoor firepit in an enclosed garden behind the house.
Walberswick village is a little quieter than its neighbour Southwold, just over the River Blyth, which empties into the North Sea. The town is a very short walk away, accessible by a seasonal ferry taking foot passengers across the harbour, or on a footbridge a little further inland.
A long shingle beach is backed by grassy dunes and heathland, whilst the surrounding Nature Reserve, covers over 1,000 acres, combining mudflats, meadows, and marsh. It is home to otters; deer and a wide range of bird species so is understandably an admired location by walkers and cyclists.
Considering its size, this village boosts quite a bit of attention. It regularly attracts celebrity homeowners, amongst them Richard Curtis, Emma Freud, Libby Purves and Love Actually star Keira Knightly – the village is thought to have inspired the setting for Emma Freud’s novel ‘The Sea House’.
As if that weren’t enough, it’s also host to the annual British open crabbing championships, popular amongst holidaymakers in the summer, which sees keen participants dangling crabbing lines in a bid to bag the heaviest crustacean.
With a house this grand, we didn’t want to stray too far from its door. Highlights of our stay included strolls out to the nearby village pubs, each serving locally soured produce with Adnams brewery on tap, and wanders up to the Black Dog Deli, which serves great local coffee and delicious lunchtime snacks.
Long walks though the common, returning to congregate around the cosy log fire, whilst preparing home cooked meals made for a picture-perfect scene, and let’s not forget the marshmallow toasting around the fire pit.
We got up early each day to watch the sun rise on the beach – with flasks of coffee in hand and ended the days nestled between the marram grass covered dunes watching it go down with a glass of fizz. The perks of having a holiday home by the coast.
We even bumped into Richard Curtis and Emily Freud with their dogs on the beach.
In a nutshell
It was a pleasant trip with no fussiness, just a house and its beautiful surroundings in a sought-after location.
There is something about Walberswick, perhaps it’s the smell of the sea air, or the slowness of Suffolk life, whatever it is you will find a welcoming retreat by the coast.
Factbox
For more information about The Wobbly Wick visit suffolk-secrets.co.uk
