Aldeburgh

Festivals, fish and fashion

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    • About Aldeburgh

    Aldeburgh’s defiantly old-fashioned Suffolk coast seafront evokes the Victorian and Edwardian periods when this delightful coastal town became a seaside resort for the upper middle classes. Once Aldeburgh prospered as a port, ship building and fishing being its two major industries;

    Drake’s Greyhound and Pelican were built at Slaughden, just south of Aldeburgh. In the 16th century over 1,500 people were engaged in fishing, now just a dozen or so clinker built fishing boats are drawn up on the beach providing super fresh fish for locals and holidaymakers alike.

    In and around Aldeburgh...

    Caramel Clothes Shop. Lawson’s Delicatessen.
    Brudenell. Munchies. The Lighthouse. The Upper Deck Fish and Chip Diner. Regatta.
    Jubilee Royal Icing Workshop, Snape Maltings Aldeburgh Cinema. Theatres in Suffolk

    History

    Aldeburgh retains the genteel feel and pace of an Edwardian seaside resort. The bathing huts have disappeared but the pretty pastel coloured cottages remain. Aldeburgh High Street, which runs parallel to the shore has both quaint and contemporary shops and galleries among some really attractive historic buildings – at one time the half-timbered Elizabethan Moot Hall (now a fascinating museum) was located in the centre of the town, today it overlooks the beach and the fishermen’s huts just south of the iconic scallop shell sculpture by local artist Maggi Hamblin.

    The Arts

    Aldeburgh has always been a magnet for artists, writers and musicians. Perhaps its most famous resident was the composer Benjamin Britten who, with his partner, Peter Pears, set up the Aldeburgh Music Festival soon after the Second World War. So successful is the June Festival that Aldeburgh has now become a year round venue for music, writing, poetry and theatre.

    For The Family

    The annual influx of creative people and their audiences has brought a wealth of excellent restaurants, cafés and fine local producers to Aldeburgh. Unsurprisingly menus include a fine selection of fresh local fish from sole to lobster but locally grown fruit and veg are also to be savoured; try the locally grown asparagus and samphire. Children are welcome everywhere and there is much for youngsters to enjoy. If it is too cold for the beach then younger children will enjoy sailing their boats on the boating lake or crabbing at the quay. There are sailing courses throughout the summer, dinghy, canoe hire at near by Thorpeness, tennis and golf and with some car free areas close to the beach many families bring or hire bikes.

     

    Why not?

    Take a picturesque walk from Aldeburgh to Thorpeness with the opportunity to travel along the old railway line to Thorpeness and return via the coast along the beach.

    Ref: Ordnance Survey Explorer sheet 212 Woodbridge and Saxmundham

    		  

    Fishing

    The best shore fishing on the beach is to start at the Aldeburgh Yacht Club where the water starts to shelve to a good depth quite close in. This trend continues south past the Martello Tower until you get to the area known as the “Dirty Wall”. A hot spot is the groins to the dirty wall which is equally famous for its snags.

    		  

    Cycling

    The flat Suffolk countryside with its beautiful heritage coastline has many cycle trails for a quick family exploration to some serious exploring. See Suffolk coastal and cycle route guide with 88 mile signed circular route. Guide also includes cycle hire from the Aldeburgh Tourist Information Centre, High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5AQ 01728 453637; Email: atic@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk

     

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