It is 2 miles (3.2 km) from the North Sea coast at Hopton-on-Sea and is on the border with the county of Norfolk.

Admiral Sir Thomas Allin became the major landowner in 1670, and in the 19th century it was bought by railway developer Samuel Morton Peto who owned land in many of the surrounding parishes and was responsible for the rebuilding of Somerleyton Hall.

[8] Lound Lakes, on the northern border of the parish, has been used for water supply since a waterworks was first established on the site in 1854.

They were originally formed by peat digging and are operated as a series of reservoirs by Essex and Suffolk Water.

[23] The lakes were established as the major supplier of drinking water to Lowestoft in 1854, with a significant waterworks operating in Lound.

[23] The area around the lakes is cared for by Suffolk Wildlife Trust as a 115 hectares (280 acres) nature reserve.

[24] Plant species such as floating bur-reed and water violet have been recorded, and the site is a roost for wildfowl such as barnacle goose, shoveler and gadwall.