Orford Castle


The three square turrets and 18-sided drum design of this slender 12th-century structure not only make it highly unusual, but also very beautiful. It's pretty much intact which means you can explore the halls and maze-like passages in the basement, and head to the roof for glorious views of the nature reserve of Orford Ness.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Orford Ness

0.43 MILES

Wind-whipped, remote Orford Ness is the largest vegetated shingle spit in Europe and was once used as a secret military testing ground; now it's a nature…

2. Moot Hall

5.2 MILES

Displays on fishing, shipbuilding, coastal defences and Regency-era tourism in an intricately carved, timber-framed, 16th-century house.

3. Scallop

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4. Sutton Hoo

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Somehow missed by plundering robbers and left undisturbed for 1300 years, the hull of an enormous Anglo-Saxon ship was discovered here in 1939, buried…

5. Minsmere

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The coast near Dunwich draws ranks of birdwatchers, thanks to RSPB Minsmere. The reserve is home to one of England's rarest birds, the bittern, with…

6. Adnams

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Spend an hour touring the high-tech kit inside this Victorian brewery, indulge in a 30-minute tutored tasting, then select a free bottle of beer to take…

7. St Edmund's

17.35 MILES

Worth a peek for its fabulous medieval screen and 15th-century, bloodshot-eyed 'Southwold Jack' effigy (believed to be part of a clock), grumpily…

8. Seafront & Pier

17.62 MILES

Southwold's shore-front is its main attraction. Amble along the promenade, admire the squat 19th-century lighthouse, then drop by the 190m-long pier,…