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 latest Yoxmere Fisherman magazine. The Village Hall is at the heart of most activities with a full listing advertised on their Facebook page. The Village Hall section of this website will take you to their Home Page to find out more.

Sizewell C are hosting an archaeology weekend on the 22nd & 23rd of February 2026. This will be held at Yoxford Village Hall, 10am until 4pm each day with free entry.

The Tallis Chamber Orchestra will be holding their next concert on Sunday 15th March at St Peter's Church. Start time is 3pm with tickets payable on the door at £15 per person. For further details of the programme please visit the Tallis Orchestra website.

Suffolk Connected

Get connected with what is happening in your local area, stay up to date and get involved in shaping what goes on where you live or work. Suffolk Connected is an easy, free messaging service from Suffolk Police, providing news and updates on policing matters that are relevant to you. Sign up to receive email updates about crime and suspicious activity where you live or work, crime prevention advice, and updates from your local neighbourhood policing team. You’ll also have the opportunity to reply directly to your neighbourhood officers and have your say on local policing priorities. For more details & to sign up please visit the Suffolk Connected website.

Latest News

The latest updates from the Chair of the Parish Council.

The White Horse: during the residents’ meeting on 1 December a show of hands demonstrated that a sufficient number residents are willing to support the day-day running of the proposed Community Pub. Accordingly, a Steering Committee was established which now has the task to select a suitable legal structure, manage negotiations with the Chestnut Group, raise funds, establish governance, and agree a business plan. The group will then manage the operation of the pub itself. Many thanks to all who have supported the venture and in particular to the Steering Committee.

Sizewell C Northern Transport Forum 4 February: The Parish Council will be raising questions about traffic volumes and speeds on the B1125, additional traffic generated by the planned accommodation campus in Hinton, and poor road signage. If you have question you think the PC should ask at the next Forum, please submit them to: clerk@westletonparishcouncil.gov.uk. Please see 'Energy Projects' page for latest updates.

Lionlink: the consultation for the proposed Lionlink interconnector with the Netherlands has started (see the National Grid Lionlink webpage). The project proposes that the cables landfall at Walberswick and connect to the converter station at Saxmundham with the underground cable route passing around the north-west corner and then to the west of the Westleton. The proposed cable route follows a line central to the route corridor detailed in the earlier consultations - which means the cable route will not run as close to Westleton as could have been possible. The Lionlink team will be holding a consultation event in Westleton’s Village Hall on Saturday 21 February when you can view the plans in and question the Lionlink team. Other events are scheduled in surrounding towns and villages on other dates (see the Lionlink website). Please see 'Energy Projects' page for latest updates.

Sea Link Planning Inspectorate (PINs) Examination: The PINS examination has started. The Issue Specific hearings will take place 28-30 January. The Parish Council will make further representations stressing concerns about weight of traffic on the East Suffolk road network and the cumulative economic, social and environmental effects of Sea Link and the other current and planned energy projects in East Suffolk area.

Bonfire/Fireworks: many thanks to all who planned, attended and donated to the New Year’s Day bonfire/fireworks and for making it a real success!