Britten House, 21 Kirkley Cliff Road, Lowestoft, NR33 0DB

Britten House occupies an impressive Victorian property that showcases classic late 19th-century architecture, featuring a grand red-brick façade, high ceilings, and original doors that have been carefully preserved. The interior layout is defined by many original features, such as fireplaces and large stained-glass windows, providing an abundance of natural light. The property presents guest accommodation and public areas across three floors, comprising 10 en suite guest bedrooms, a residents’ lounge, a breakfast room, and a manager’s/owner’s apartment. Private parking is available to the rear of the property, while numerous pay-and-display car parks and on-street parking options are located within a short walking distance.

The business takes its name from the 20th-century British composer Benjamin Britten, who was born at the property in 1913 and lived there for 21 years. It is understood that Britten composed some of his early music whilst living at the property, and in 2013, a Blue Plaque was unveiled on the front of the property to mark the centenary of his birth.

Britten House sits directly opposite the seafront, providing panoramic views of Lowestoft’s South Beach. Approximately, a three-minute walk from Claremont Pier, and less than a mile to the bustling retail centre for the town and railway station.

Lowestoft is an historic coastal town in East Suffolk, famed for being the most easterly settlement in the UK. It has a population of over 70,000 and serves as a major family holiday destination, a historical maritime hub, and a key centre for the UK’s renewable energy sector.

Lowestoft is easily accessible by both road and train, with direct routes connecting it across Suffolk and from London. The town is located approximately 40 miles north of the county town of Ipswich via the A12, and around 28 miles east of Norwich via the A146. There are regular train
services to Ipswich (approximately 1 hour 30 minutes) and Norwich (approximately 40 minutes), both of which provide fast onward connections to London Liverpool Street.

Entrance porch leading through a stunning original Victorian entrance door featuring stained glass. Hallway with tiled floor and access to reception area

Internal hallway and central staircase to upper floors

Residents lounge, with soft leather sofas and a TV

Breakfast room, with tables and chairs which provide seating for 20 customers

Customer WC

Kitchen comprising a central island unit with cupboards beneath, fitted worktops with base cupboards, and a range of stainless steel catering equipment

Storage area with door providing access to the breakfast room

Utility area

Maintenance/work area

Basement cellar with laundry room

Manger’s/owner’s accommodation providing lounge and double bedroom with en suite shower room/WC

We are advised that all loose trade fixtures, fittings, and other items associated with the operating business, are owned by the owner and will be included within the sale.

Ground Floor

Bedroom 1 (Bach Suite): double room with en suite shower/WC.
Bedroom 2 (Beethoven Suite): double room with en suite shower/WC.

First Floor

Landing with linen cupboard.
Bedroom 3 (Mozart Suite): four-poster double room with seated area, en suite shower/WC. Internal door connects with Room 9.
Bedroom 4 (Chopin Suite): double room with en suite shower/WC.
Bedroom 9 (Elgar Suite): double room with en suite shower/WC. Internal door connects with Room 3.
Bedroom 10 (Vivaldi Suite): double room with en suite shower/WC.

Second Floor

Bedroom 5 (Benjamin Britten Suite): double room with seated area, en suite shower/WC.
Bedroom 6 (Schubert Suite): family double room that sleeps up to three, en suite shower/WC.
Bedroom 7 (Handel Suite): double room with en suite shower/WC.
Bedroom 8 (Haydn Suite): double room with en suite shower/WCs.

All rooms are configured as Family-Deluxe, Premium Double, Superior Double, Executive and Comfort, and are named after famous composers.

Rooms are fitted with digital LED TVs, tea & coffee-making facilities, hairdryers, some with mini fridges, CD/DVD player etc. Some rooms have bay windows and panoramic views of the beach and sea.

The front garden is lawned and enclosed by a brick wall.

There are four car parking spaces at the rear of the property, which are accessed from an alley that runs between Kirkley Cliff Road and London Road South. There is also a garden area.

A private enclosed yard with outbuildings housing central heating and hot water boilers.

Britten House is an award-winning five-star-rated guest house, beautifully positioned with views over South Beach and the sea, and within easy walking distance of the pier, cafés, bars, and the many attractions that the popular seaside town like Lowestoft has to offer.

The property has been in our client’s ownership since 2006, and they have undertaken a significant amount of work, creating en suite bathrooms to all rooms, having spent a significant amount on Capex in recent years, and thus the property and accommodation, providing spacious and well-presented letting accommodation.

As our clients look to retire, they have changed the way they operate the business, no longer taking in guests, but instead prioritising corporate and company trade, particularly the provision of long-stay accommodation for contractors working on the Sizewell B nuclear power station.

The property offers a number of opportunities for further growth and development, with Lowestoft widely recognised as a leading operations, maintenance and construction hub for major offshore wind farms in the southern North Sea. Supporting this sector has seen significant investment in local infrastructure, including major port expansion works and road improvements, notably the construction of the town's new traffic bridge.

Further offshore wind farms are planned, such as East Anglia Two and One North, both of which are fully consented, with construction due to commence shortly.

Further to the south, construction has just started on Sizewell C, a new dual-reactor nuclear power station that is planned for completion around late 2030s at a cost of £38b, which is widely expected to generate over 17,000 construction jobs and input an estimated £4b into the East of England economy.

The area continues to benefit from both tourist and weekend-destination stayers, with Lowestoft still regarded as a popular seaside location. A variety of events are held throughout the year which help attract visitors to the area, such as the annual First Light Festival, which attracts around 30,000 visitors during the summer solstice, and the Latitude Festival at Henham Park (approximately 15 miles away), which attracts over 45,000 visitors.

The business has been operated by our clients and there are no staff to transfer.

Freehold

Rateable Value, with effect from 1st April 2026 to present, is £7,200. Please note, this is the rateable value for the property, and is not what you will pay in business rates. The local council uses the rateable value to calculate the business rates bill.