Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Introduction
The Suffolk coast is about as pretty and old-fashioned an experience of the English seaside as you will find, and the interesting, musical town of Aldeburgh is peaceful, is without an amusement arcade in sight. The town once sat further inland, but the sea swallowed the land and many medieval buildings. Today the town is famous for its cultural diary, the highlight of which is the June Aldeburgh Festival, founded by local composer Benjamin Britten.
Who goes there?
Music lovers flock to the seaside resort every year to catch the famous summer concerts. The quaint seaside feel also attracts families looking for a traditional British beach break.
Where in the world?
Aldeburgh is situated in the southeast of England on the Suffolk coastline. The large town of Felixstowe is approximately 25km (15 miles) to the south, whilst Ipswich is 30km (18 miles) inland to the southwest.
When to go?
The climate is temperate with warm summers and cool wet winters. The hottest months of the year, and the best time for hitting the beach, are from June to September, with temperatures reaching an average high of 26°C (78°F) in August. However, English summers are often unreliable and rainfall can be frequent throughout the year, so always remember to pack a jumper in case skies become overcast.
Beach
Aldeburgh’s pebbled, peaceful expanse shelves quite steeply to the sea and has a wide promenade running alongside it. Sandy areas are exposed at low tide. Maggi Hambling’s huge, love-it-or-hate-it beach sculpture Scallop, is set on the seafront as a tribute to local hero Benjamin Britten.
Beyond the beach
Inland and close to Bury St Edmunds, National Trust property Ickworth House is a magnificent rotund Italianate stately home containing works by Velasquez, Gainsborough and Titian. It’s set in idyllic parkland and woodland, which are crisscrossed by marked trails and a family cycle route. You can even stay here, at the Ickworth Hotel, in the east wing.
Family fun
Collecting pebbles and flying kites are the kind of action you’ll find here. There’s also a popular little boating lake for sailing model boats. The area around Aldeburgh is rich with walks, with plenty of coastal trails, including the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Path and the 8km (5 mile) Sailor’s Path to the village of Snape.
Just to the north of Aldeburgh is Thorpeness, built in the 1900s by local landowner Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie, who created it as a model seaside village. Featuring mock-Tudor architecture and fantastical water towers and islands, it’s a magical place that you can explore by rowing boat.
South along the coast is the pretty medieval town of Orford, with its stretch of shingle beach. The National Trust offers boat trips across to the Orford Ness Nature Reserve from April to October, though only at weekends outside high summer.
A night on the town
Aldeburgh’s calendar is culture packed. In June the Aldeburgh Festival, founded by Benjamin Britten, sees the town get busy and stage concerts galore. Most events take place at the wonderful concert hall the Maltings, once disused malthouses connected with the brewery. But that’s not all: there are more music festivals throughout the year, such as the Snape Proms in August. Outside festival time, an evening out is likely to be a meal followed by hunkering down in a local pub.
Eating out
The restaurant scene in Aldeburgh is not huge, but luckily the choices offer excellent quality. Go upmarket at the Lighthouse (High Street) or chic at Café 152 (High Street), or cheap and cheerful at the Fish and Chip Shop or the Golden Galleon, both on the High Street.
Getting around
Tiny Aldeburgh is easily walkable. To get further afield, buses serve Ipswich and Norwich, as well as towns along the coast.
Splashing out
Just along the coast at Orford you can eat fabulously fresh fish and shellfish at Butley Orford Oysterage (Market Square). This deceptively simple-looking place is the place to indulge in oysters – they are famous along the coast.
Advertisement
Tags: 5 Star Hotels, 7 Train, Beach House, Beach Volleyball, Bikini Body, Bournemouth, Brighton Beach, Cama Beach State Park, Long Beach State, Naturist Beach, Nudist Beach, Scone, St Pete Beach, Suffolk, Topless Beaches, Wild Wild West
