The technology was quite basic. At high spring tides the seawater was allowed to flood into the creek off the River Blyth and left to evaporate and concentrate, after which the enriched brine was stored in a well.

From the well, the brine was channelled over Ferry Road driven by a wind pump, supplemented by a small hand pump, to enter a succession of coal-fired iron evaporating pans. Here the brine was dried at varying temperatures to produce crystalline salt of differing grain size. Finally, to improve the quality of the end-product, the sea salt was blended with mined salt. In the early days, this solid salt had to be imported but, in 1670, big deposits were found in Cheshire. It was a mixed blessing for the Southwold salt industry because it also represented a huge competitive threat.

At the peak of its production, the works had more than 1000 tons of crude salt in stock. It was, though, always a labour-intensive, low-profit business and the Salt Tax, imposed in 1702, didn't help the viability of the venture.

There was a welcome return to relative prosperity with the establishment in Southwold of the Free British Fishery in 1770 and the Salt Tax was finally repealed in 1825. But by that time the fishing industry was in decline and the local salt business seemed destined to close.

Commercial production was discontinued in 1893 but, enterprisingly, the works staved off complete closure until very nearly the end of the century by exploiting the emerging tourist industry and offering health-giving 'brine therapy' in a thatched bath house powered by a small windmill.