One part stillness,
  two parts time.

Garry Kilworth

1864

The Southwold Sailors’ Reading Room was built in 1864 as a refuge for fishermen and mariners when not engaged at sea, as an endeavour to keep them out of the pubs and encourage them in Christian ideals.

Displays of a seafaring nature line the walls and fill glass cabinets. Pictures and portraits of local fishermen and seascapes, model ships and maritime paraphernalia offer a fascinating history of Southwold’s connections with the sea.

2024

The Southwold Sailors’ Reading Room was built in 1864 as a refuge for fishermen and mariners when not engaged at sea, as an endeavour to keep them out of the pubs and encourage them in Christian ideals.

Displays of a seafaring nature line the walls and fill glass cabinets. Pictures and portraits of local fishermen and seascapes, model ships and maritime paraphernalia offer a fascinating history of Southwold’s connections with the sea.

Untouched by time...

Replacement Flagpole and Tabernacle – Update

The reinforced concrete base for the tabernacle has now been poured and is currently curing. Once cured, the bolts which will secure the tabernacle will be drilled and bonded into the base.
February 13, 2024

Replacement Flagpole and Tabernacle

As you may have noticed, the Reading Room has been missing its flagpole for some time. It had to be removed when the tabernacle (the support for the flagpole which goes into the ground) became dangerously rotten. After detailed [...]
January 29, 2024

Captain Rayley’s Artefacts

In September, Caroline Wynne Willson, a descendant of Captain Rayley’s first wife, visited the Reading Room with her husband George. During their visit she kindly made a donation of a number of his photographs and letters along [...]
October 13, 2023