Walberswick | |
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![]() Walberswick in July 2012 | |
Location within Suffolk | |
Area | 7.89 km2 (3.05 sq mi) |
Population | 380 (2011)[1] |
• Density | 48/km2 (120/sq mi) |
District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Southwold |
Postcode district | IP18 |
Dialling code | 01502 |
Walberswick is a village and civil parish on the Suffolk coast in England. It is at the mouth of the River Blyth on the south side of the river. The town of Southwold lies to the north of the river and is the nearest town to Walberswick, around 1 mile (1.6 km) away. Walberswick is around 11 miles (18 km) south of Lowestoft on the North Sea coast. It is 7 miles (11 km) east of Halesworth and 28 miles (45 km) northeast of the county town of Ipswich.
Coastal erosion and the shifting of the mouth of the River Blyth caused the neighbouring town of Dunwich, 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south, to be lost as a port in the last years of the 13th century. Following a brief period of rivalry and dispute with Dunwich, Walberswick became a major trading port from the 13th century until World War I. Almost half of the village's properties are holiday homes.