Sacred Heart

Walking around historic Southwold, you may not realise the catholic heritage dotted around this seaside destination. As you walk the streets, you can look out for where Mass took place before the purpose built church was erected during the First World War. The war threatened the completion of the church, with a limited work force and supplies commandeered by the government. Later, during the Second World War 119 bombs and 2,689 incendiaries fell on the town, but the church remained undamaged.

The first regular Mass (post reformation) in Southwold was when Fr Wallace travelled once a month from Ipswich in the 1870s, but it is not known where in the town this took place. In 1897 local resident James Crimmen built an extension to his High Street home to provide a chapel (now a private residence called Manor Gate), and called it St Peter’s Oratory. However it was soon too small for the congregation which moved to the Assembly Rooms, now the public library.

In the early 1900s, the need for a purpose built church was clear. Even when the church building work was complete it still needed furnishings and an appeal was made in the 1920s to the wealthy holiday makers who also swelled the congregation during the summer seasons: 'Your holiday will pass into a sweet remembrance only; your gift to the church will meet you again one day, a glory and a joy to you'. Numerous donations came forward to furnish the church, and the local congregation, and holiday makers to the area continue to support the church right up to present day.

Possibly our oldest item is a medieval stoop, dragged up from the sea at nearby Dunwich. You can find out more about the people who donated, left legacies and supported the construction of the church and its furnishings in a detailed history guide available when you visit the church. You can also buy candles and locally produced honey, with funds going towards the on-going costs and repairs of the building.