Westleton Village

The Village

Westleton is situated some 2 miles in from the Suffolk coast, roughly mid-way between Ipswich and Lowestoft and approximately 100 miles from London.

It is set in a landscape of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within the parish lies the internationally renowned Minsmere Reserve, owned and managed by the RSPB.

Westleton Heath National Nature Reserve and parts of Dunwich Forest also lie within the parish.
The majority of the 342 inhabitants live close to the B1125 Blythburgh to Leiston road, the remainder living in scattered cottages and farmhouses in this otherwise agricultural landscape.                                     

Photo: The Wood family

The Village Hall and St Peters Church are the focal points of village activities, whilst The Crown Inn is the main social centre.

The parish of Westleton is bounded by the parishes of Dunwich, Darsham, Middleton cum Fordley and Theberton cum Eastbridge.

The place name Westleton (or Westledestuna as it appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086) is believed to derive from the Old Norse Vestlithi (a personal name) and Old English tun i.e. Vestlithi's homestead.

Westleton Parish Council has published its Website Accessibility Statement which can be found in the left hand column of this page. Contact the Webmaster for any questions about this site.

Events

The Village hosts of plethora of events every month, details of which can be found within the monthly Yoxmere Fisherman magazine. The Village Hall is at the heart of most activities with a full listing on their Facebook page.

A note for your diary. The Tallis Chamber Orchestra will return to Westleton on Sunday 31st May 2026. Concert to be held at St Peter's Church, it will compromise the Pavane by Faure, Mozart's 5th Violin Concerto, & the 3rd Symphony by French composer Farrenc. Further details to follow nearer the date.

Latest News

Monthly update from our Parish Clerk.

Although it’s late in the day for introductions, I’ll briefly introduce myself as the parish council’s new clerk, having taken on the role in October 2025. I’ll be looking after the monthly reports from the council going forwards. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email me if I can be of any assistance, and do feel free to read the comprehensive minutes of all Parish Council meetings, which are publicly available on the parish website. In addition, the next Parish Council Surgery will take place on Monday 26 April in the foyer of the village hall from 10:30 to 11:30 for anyone who wishes to meet councillors in person to discuss any issues outside of a formal meeting.

Firstly, Westleton’s new allotment site was formally launched on 2 March. Huge thanks are due to Cllr Watson and Cllr Webber for their hard work in getting this project over the line. There are a just a couple of plots still available, with priority given to residents of Westleton. If you are interested in taking on a plot, please email our allotments team.

Meanwhile at the common, the firebreaks and gorse have been cleared, and the acid grassland has been cut. Adders are now present and we advise dog walkers to now be especially vigilant.

Turning to Sizewell and other energy projects, following the submission of a joint letter by Westleton Parish Council together with neighbouring parishes and district councillors, a meeting was held on 4 March with Sizewell C, the County Council, and Suffolk Police to discuss concerns about traffic volumes and speeds on the B1125, with Sizewell C committing to consider speed limit changes and further traffic calming measures.

The LionLink consultation closed on 10 March, with Westleton’s comments available to view at the Energy Project page along with lots of other useful updates and information about the major energy infrastructure projects affecting Westleton. The Planning Inspectorate examination of Sea Link is ongoing and Cllr Turner has drafted several papers covering accommodation, tourism, and transport concerns to complement several other papers submitted by the East Suffolk Communities Energy Partnership (ESCEP) Steering Group.

A new Community Engagement working group has been established as a joint venture between Westleton Parish Council, Westleton Village Hall, and Westleton Church of St Peter. The initial aim of the group is to draft a comprehensive village survey to take place over the summer in order to understand the community’s needs and wishes, and in turn guide the work of the three organisations in the years to come email.

Finally, with the announcement that County Council elections are to take place on 7 May, the parish council wishes to extend its sincere thanks to Cllr Richard Smith, who has indicated that he is to step down. The parish council is grateful for his several years of work representing Westleton.

Richard Green (Clerk to Westleton Parish Council)

Public invited to share views on their local area - a message from East Suffolk Council.

East Suffolk Council is encouraging people to get involved in a new project designed to capture local opinions about the district. The new East Suffolk Placeshaping project aims to enhance the quality of places in the district by creating new or improving existing planning policy. An interactive map is available on the project website, allowing participants to pinpoint places in East Suffolk they like, dislike, or believe should be improved. Participants are also invited to complete a short survey to provide further detail about their views. Anyone who lives, works or visits East Suffolk is invited to participate in the project, which will help to inform planning guidance throughout the district.  

A series of walking tours through Woodbridge, Framlingham and Leiston have also been organised as part of the project. These will give local people the opportunity to share their views with the project team in real time. Walks to will last 90 minutes and several times are available for booking.  Cllr Mark Packard, East Suffolk Council's cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management, said: “We invite anyone who has a connection to East Suffolk to take part in this project. Gathering public views on the buildings, streets and places that shape daily life across East Suffolk will help shape the future of the district and inform planning policy going forward.”  

The consultation is open until Friday 24 April, and an insights report will be published once all responses have been gathered. Responses can be submitted via the East Suffolk Placeshaping website together with details of the planned tours & how to book (https://www.eastsuffolkplaceshaping.com/index.php).