Aldeburgh
Encyclopedia
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk
, East Anglia
, England
. Located on the River Alde
, the town is notable for its Blue Flag
shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club. The internationally renowned Aldeburgh Festival
of arts, which takes place at nearby Snape Maltings, was created in 1948 by the resident and acclaimed composer Benjamin Britten
.
A popular weekend destination, particular attractions are the ancient Moot Hall (where the town council still meets), Napoleonic-era Martello tower
to the south, sheltered yachting marina at Slaughden, and two family run shops serving fish and chips
, one of which is often cited as among the best fish and chip shops in the UK.
town, has now been lost to the sea. In the 16th century, Aldeburgh was a leading port, and had a flourishing ship-building industry. Sir Francis Drake
's ships Greyhound and Pelican (later renamed Golden Hind
) were both built in Aldeburgh. The flagship of the Virginia Company, the Sea Venture
is believed to have been built there in 1608. When the River Alde silted up and was unable to accommodate larger ships, the area went into decline. Aldeburgh survived principally as a fishing village until the nineteenth century, when it became popular as a seaside resort. Much of its distinctive and whimsical architecture derives from this period. The river is now home to a yacht club and a sailing club.
rural beach award in 2005. Just south of the beach at Aldeburgh is Orford Ness
, which can be reached by a track leading from Aldeburgh, which is popular with people sea fishing. There is an account of its setting and start as a holiday resort in the 4th scene of Wilkie Collins
' novel No Name
. On the north edge of the town lies the North Warren RSPB reserve
an area of wildlife and habitat conservation and nature trails run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
.
Aldeburgh is within the Suffolk Coastal
parliamentary constituency and local government district. The constituency was represented from 1983 to 2010 by John Gummer
of the Conservative Party
. In 2010 John Gummer chose not to seek re-election and Therese Coffey was returned as MP for the Conservative Party
with a majority of 9,128.
Aldeburgh was a Parliamentary Borough from 1571, and returned two Members of Parliament
, the right to vote being vested in the Freemen of the town. Latterly it was considered a rotten borough
, and lost its representation in the Great Reform Act
of 1832.
Aldeburgh was the first British town to elect a female mayor: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
, in 1908.
At the age of 15, Sam Wright became Aldeburgh's town crier and mace barer - the youngest in the world.
opened in 1860 as the terminus of the Aldeburgh Branch Line from Saxmundham
. The station was closed in 1966 as part of the Beeching Axe
. Regular Bus, Coach and Ferry services run all year round.
is a Grade I listed timber-framed building which has been used for council meetings for over 400 years. The Town Clerk's office is still there and it also houses the local museum. It was built in about 1520 and altered in 1654. The brick and stone infilling of the ground floor is later. The hall was restored and the external staircase and gable ends were rebuilt in 1854-5, under the direction of R. M. Phipson
, the chief architect of the Diocese of Norwich
, in which Aldeburgh then stood. There are 64 other listed historic buildings and monuments in the town.
Martello Tower
stands at the isthmus leading to the Orford Ness
shingle spit. It is the largest and northernmost of 103 English defensive towers built between 1808 and 1812 to resist a Napoleonic invasion. The Landmark Trust
now runs it as holiday apartments.
The Martello Tower is the only surviving building of the fishing village of Slaughden, which had been washed away by the North Sea by 1936. Near the Martello Tower at Slaughden Quay are the barely visible remains of the fishing smack Ionia. It had become stuck in the treacherous mud of the River Alde, and was then used as a houseboat
. In 1974 it was burnt, as it had become too unsafe. It is possible to drive beyond the tower but beware of very loose shingle.
A four-storey windmill
at the southern end of the town has been converted to residential use. It was built in 1824 and converted into a house in 1902.
On Aldeburgh's beach, a short distance north of the town centre, stands a sculpture, The Scallop, dedicated to Benjamin Britten
, who used to walk along the beach in the afternoons. Created from stainless steel by Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling
, it stands four metres high, and was unveiled in November 2003. The piece is made up of two interlocking scallop
shells, each broken, the upright shell being pierced with the words: "I hear those voices that will not be drowned", which are taken from Britten's opera Peter Grimes
. The sculpture is meant to be enjoyed both visually and tactilely, and people are encouraged to sit on it and watch the sea. Approached along the road from the Thorpeness direction it has a totally different silhouette appearing to be a knight on a rearing charger.
The sculpture is controversial in the local area. Many people consider that it is inappropriate for a man-made object to spoil a beautiful natural setting. It has been attacked with graffiti and paint on a number of occasions, and there have been petitions to have it removed.
is the venue for the Aldeburgh Festival
held every June.
The town of Aldeburgh or "Owlbarrow" is the setting of a series of children's illustrated books centred on Orlando (The Marmalade Cat)
written by Kathleen Hale
, who spent holidays in the town. Many of the illustrations in the books feature landmarks in the town, most notably the Moot Hall. The town also features prominently in the thriller Cross of Fire
written by novelist Colin Forbes
, as well as the nearby villages of Dunwich
, Snape Maltings
Aldeburgh is also notable for its fish and chip shop. Owned and run by the Cooney family since the 1970s, it has been described in The Times
as "possibly the finest on the east coast".
The Suffolk Craft Society hold an annual themed exhibition in the Peter Pears Gallery over July and August. This is the annual showcase for the finest and most recent work made by members.
Aldeburgh Carnival takes place annually in August, with a continuous history dating back to at least 1892 and possibly as far back as 1832 when "Ye Olde Marine Regatta" was mentioned. The focal point of the carnival today is the Carnival Procession featuring locals and visitors dressed in home-made costumes and on floats, often with a topical or local theme. In the evening, a parade with Chinese lantern
s and a firework display are traditional. The Procession has been led for over 30 years by Chief Marshal Trevor Harvey, also a Carnival Committee member for over 50 years.
James Herbert based his book "The Jonah" in the area using several names represented in the local area for characters including Slaughden.
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Located on the River Alde
River Alde
The River Alde is a river in Suffolk, England, with a source near Laxfield in the same area as the River Blyth. Initially a stream, it becomes tidal and widens considerably when it reaches Snape. It meanders east past Aldeburgh, after which this part of the river was named...
, the town is notable for its Blue Flag
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club. The internationally renowned Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
of arts, which takes place at nearby Snape Maltings, was created in 1948 by the resident and acclaimed composer Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
.
A popular weekend destination, particular attractions are the ancient Moot Hall (where the town council still meets), Napoleonic-era Martello tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
to the south, sheltered yachting marina at Slaughden, and two family run shops serving fish and chips
Fish and chips
Fish and chips is a popular take-away food in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada...
, one of which is often cited as among the best fish and chip shops in the UK.
History
Alde Burgh means "old fort" although this structure, along with much of the TudorTudor period
The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
town, has now been lost to the sea. In the 16th century, Aldeburgh was a leading port, and had a flourishing ship-building industry. Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
's ships Greyhound and Pelican (later renamed Golden Hind
Golden Hind
The Golden Hind was an English galleon best known for its circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by Sir Francis Drake...
) were both built in Aldeburgh. The flagship of the Virginia Company, the Sea Venture
Sea Venture
The Sea Venture was a 17th-century English sailing ship, the wrecking of which in Bermuda is widely thought to have been the inspiration for Shakespeare's The Tempest...
is believed to have been built there in 1608. When the River Alde silted up and was unable to accommodate larger ships, the area went into decline. Aldeburgh survived principally as a fishing village until the nineteenth century, when it became popular as a seaside resort. Much of its distinctive and whimsical architecture derives from this period. The river is now home to a yacht club and a sailing club.
Geography
The town is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. The beach was awarded the Blue flagBlue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
rural beach award in 2005. Just south of the beach at Aldeburgh is Orford Ness
Orford Ness
Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Wier Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the mainland by the River Alde, and was formed by longshore...
, which can be reached by a track leading from Aldeburgh, which is popular with people sea fishing. There is an account of its setting and start as a holiday resort in the 4th scene of Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He was very popular during the Victorian era and wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and over 100 non-fiction pieces...
' novel No Name
No Name (novel)
No Name by Wilkie Collins is a 19th-century novel revolving around the issue of illegitimacy. It was originally serialized in Charles Dickens's magazine All the Year Round before book publication.-Plot summary:...
. On the north edge of the town lies the North Warren RSPB reserve
North Warren RSPB reserve
North Warren RSPB reserve is a nature reserve run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Suffolk, England. It lies on the Suffolk coast on the north edge of the town of Aldeburgh and to the south of Thorpeness and includes the Aldringham Walks area of heathland to the north...
an area of wildlife and habitat conservation and nature trails run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
.
Governance
Suffolk Coastal (UK Parliament constituency)
Suffolk Coastal is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.This East Anglian constituency was created in 1983....
parliamentary constituency and local government district. The constituency was represented from 1983 to 2010 by John Gummer
John Gummer
John Selwyn Gummer, Baron Deben, PC is a British Conservative Party politician, formerly Member of Parliament for Suffolk Coastal, now a member of the House of Lords. He is Chairman of the environmental consultancy company Sancroft International and Chairman of Veolia Water...
of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. In 2010 John Gummer chose not to seek re-election and Therese Coffey was returned as MP for the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
with a majority of 9,128.
Aldeburgh was a Parliamentary Borough from 1571, and returned two Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, the right to vote being vested in the Freemen of the town. Latterly it was considered a rotten borough
Rotten borough
A "rotten", "decayed" or pocket borough was a parliamentary borough or constituency in the United Kingdom that had a very small electorate and could be used by a patron to gain undue and unrepresentative influence within Parliament....
, and lost its representation in the Great Reform Act
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
of 1832.
Aldeburgh was the first British town to elect a female mayor: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, LSA, MD , was an English physician and feminist, the first woman to gain a medical qualification in Britain and the first female mayor in England.-Early life:...
, in 1908.
At the age of 15, Sam Wright became Aldeburgh's town crier and mace barer - the youngest in the world.
Transport
Aldeburgh railway stationAldeburgh railway station
Aldeburgh railway station was a station in Aldeburgh, Suffolk. It was opened in 1860 by the East Suffolk Railway, and later came under the control of the Great Eastern Railway...
opened in 1860 as the terminus of the Aldeburgh Branch Line from Saxmundham
Saxmundham railway station
Saxmundham is a railway station which serves the town of Saxmundham in Suffolk, England. It is located on the East Suffolk Line and is 36 km east of Ipswich....
. The station was closed in 1966 as part of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. Regular Bus, Coach and Ferry services run all year round.
Moot Hall
The Aldeburgh Moot HallMoot hall
A moot hall is meeting or assembly building, traditionally to decide local issues.In Anglo-Saxon England, a low ring-shaped earthwork served as a moot hill or moot mound, where the elders of the hundred would meet to take decisions. Some of these acquired permanent buildings, known as moot halls...
is a Grade I listed timber-framed building which has been used for council meetings for over 400 years. The Town Clerk's office is still there and it also houses the local museum. It was built in about 1520 and altered in 1654. The brick and stone infilling of the ground floor is later. The hall was restored and the external staircase and gable ends were rebuilt in 1854-5, under the direction of R. M. Phipson
Richard Phipson
Richard Makilwaine Phipson was an English architect. A diocesan architect for the Anglican Diocese of Norwich, he is responsible for the renovation of almost 100 churches in East Anglia.-Biography:...
, the chief architect of the Diocese of Norwich
Diocese of Norwich
Diocese of Norwich can refer to*the English Anglican Diocese of Norwich, England*the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich, Connecticut, USA...
, in which Aldeburgh then stood. There are 64 other listed historic buildings and monuments in the town.
Martello Tower
A unique quatrefoilQuatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
Martello Tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
stands at the isthmus leading to the Orford Ness
Orford Ness
Orford Ness is a cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching along the coast to Orford and down to North Wier Point, opposite Shingle Street. It is divided from the mainland by the River Alde, and was formed by longshore...
shingle spit. It is the largest and northernmost of 103 English defensive towers built between 1808 and 1812 to resist a Napoleonic invasion. The Landmark Trust
Landmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
now runs it as holiday apartments.
The Martello Tower is the only surviving building of the fishing village of Slaughden, which had been washed away by the North Sea by 1936. Near the Martello Tower at Slaughden Quay are the barely visible remains of the fishing smack Ionia. It had become stuck in the treacherous mud of the River Alde, and was then used as a houseboat
Houseboat
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a human dwelling. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities...
. In 1974 it was burnt, as it had become too unsafe. It is possible to drive beyond the tower but beware of very loose shingle.
Fort Green Mill
A four-storey windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
at the southern end of the town has been converted to residential use. It was built in 1824 and converted into a house in 1902.
The Scallop
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
, who used to walk along the beach in the afternoons. Created from stainless steel by Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling
Maggi Hambling
Maggi Hambling CBE is an English painter and sculptor. Perhaps her best known public works are a memorial to Oscar Wilde in central London and Scallop, a 4 metre high steel sculpture of two interlocking scallop shells on Aldeburgh beach dedicated to Benjamin Britten...
, it stands four metres high, and was unveiled in November 2003. The piece is made up of two interlocking scallop
Scallop
A scallop is a marine bivalve mollusk of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source...
shells, each broken, the upright shell being pierced with the words: "I hear those voices that will not be drowned", which are taken from Britten's opera Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
. The sculpture is meant to be enjoyed both visually and tactilely, and people are encouraged to sit on it and watch the sea. Approached along the road from the Thorpeness direction it has a totally different silhouette appearing to be a knight on a rearing charger.
The sculpture is controversial in the local area. Many people consider that it is inappropriate for a man-made object to spoil a beautiful natural setting. It has been attacked with graffiti and paint on a number of occasions, and there have been petitions to have it removed.
Notable people
- The poet George CrabbeGeorge CrabbeGeorge Crabbe was an English poet and naturalist.-Biography:He was born in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the son of a tax collector, and developed his love of poetry as a child. In 1768, he was apprenticed to a local doctor, who taught him little, and in 1771 he changed masters and moved to Woodbridge...
was born in Aldeburgh in 1754 and the town forms a loose basis for his poems The VillageThe Village (poem)The Village is one of the best known poems by the Englishman, George Crabbe, published in 1783. The poem contrasts the traditional representation of the rural idyll in Augustan poetry with the realities of village life....
and The Borough. The latter contains the tale of a fisherman named Peter Grimes, on which Benjamin Britten's opera was based. - Annie Hall CudlipAnnie Hall CudlipAnnie Hall Cudlip , known by her pen name Mrs. Pender Cudlip, was a British writer, novelist and short story writer...
the novelist was born in Aldeburgh in 1838. - Dame Millicent Garrett FawcettMillicent FawcettDame Millicent Garrett Fawcett, GBE was an English suffragist and an early feminist....
(1847–1929), suffragist and feminist, was born in Aldeburgh. - Benjamin BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
became a resident of the town in 1942. In 1948, along with Eric CrozierEric CrozierEric Crozier was a British theatrical director and opera librettist, long associated with Benjamin Britten....
and Peter PearsPeter PearsSir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
, he founded the Aldeburgh FestivalAldeburgh FestivalThe Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
. Britten died in Aldeburgh in 1976. Pears, Britten's life-long partner, also died in Aldeburgh in 1986. They are buried alongside each other in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul's Church in the town. - Songwriter Peter SinfieldPeter SinfieldPeter John Sinfield is an English poet, lyricist and artist, most famously known as the lyricist and co-founding member of early incarnations of King Crimson, whose debut album In the Court of the Crimson King has been regarded as one of the most influential progressive rock albums ever...
, founding member and lyricist for progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
act King CrimsonKing CrimsonKing Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, currently resides in Aldeburgh. - Former Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football teamThe Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
midfielder, Roy KeaneRoy KeaneRoy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
became an Aldeburgh resident in 2009 following his appointment as manager of Ipswich TownIpswich Town F.C.Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
.
Culture
Outside the town, the Snape MaltingsSnape Maltings
Snape Maltings is part of Snape, Suffolk, U.K., best known for its concert hall, which is one of the main sites of the annual Aldeburgh Festival....
is the venue for the Aldeburgh Festival
Aldeburgh Festival
The Aldeburgh Festival is an English arts festival devoted mainly to classical music. It takes place each June in the Aldeburgh area of Suffolk, centred on the main concert hall at Snape Maltings...
held every June.
The town of Aldeburgh or "Owlbarrow" is the setting of a series of children's illustrated books centred on Orlando (The Marmalade Cat)
Orlando (The Marmalade Cat)
Orlando is the eponymous hero of a series of 19 illustrated children's books written by Kathleen Hale between 1938 and 1972 by various publishers including Country Life....
written by Kathleen Hale
Kathleen Hale
Kathleen Hale was a British artist, illustrator, and children's author. She is best remembered for her series of books about Orlando the Marmalade Cat....
, who spent holidays in the town. Many of the illustrations in the books feature landmarks in the town, most notably the Moot Hall. The town also features prominently in the thriller Cross of Fire
Cross of Fire
Cross of Fire was an American 1989 television miniseries based on the horrific rape and murder of Madge Oberholtzer by D. C. Stephenson, a highly successful leader of the Indiana branch of Ku Klux Klan. It starred John Heard as Stephenson and Mel Harris as Oberholtzer. Lloyd Bridges was also in...
written by novelist Colin Forbes
Colin Forbes (novelist)
Raymond Harold Sawkins was a British novelist, who mainly published under the pseudonym Colin Forbes, but also as Richard Raine, Jay Bernard and Harold English. He only published three of his first books under his own name.Sawkins wrote over 40 books, mostly as Colin Forbes...
, as well as the nearby villages of Dunwich
Dunwich
Dunwich is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia 1500 years ago but the harbour and most of the town have since disappeared due to coastal erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast, and...
, Snape Maltings
Snape Maltings
Snape Maltings is part of Snape, Suffolk, U.K., best known for its concert hall, which is one of the main sites of the annual Aldeburgh Festival....
Aldeburgh is also notable for its fish and chip shop. Owned and run by the Cooney family since the 1970s, it has been described in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as "possibly the finest on the east coast".
The Suffolk Craft Society hold an annual themed exhibition in the Peter Pears Gallery over July and August. This is the annual showcase for the finest and most recent work made by members.
Aldeburgh Carnival takes place annually in August, with a continuous history dating back to at least 1892 and possibly as far back as 1832 when "Ye Olde Marine Regatta" was mentioned. The focal point of the carnival today is the Carnival Procession featuring locals and visitors dressed in home-made costumes and on floats, often with a topical or local theme. In the evening, a parade with Chinese lantern
Chinese lantern
A Chinese lantern can refer to the following:*A collapsible paper lantern or sky lantern in bright colours used for decorative purposes, commonly painted with Chinese art and calligraphy motifs.*The shrub Abutilon x hybridum...
s and a firework display are traditional. The Procession has been led for over 30 years by Chief Marshal Trevor Harvey, also a Carnival Committee member for over 50 years.
James Herbert based his book "The Jonah" in the area using several names represented in the local area for characters including Slaughden.
External links
- http://www.lovealdeburgh.co.uk - Aldeburgh Tourism Website
- http://www.visitaldeburgh.co.uk - One stop shop for Local and business information.
- News of Aldeburgh at nearthecoast.com/aldeburgh/
- ITV Local Anglia's entertainment show All Angles on Aldeburgh Festival June 2008
- Aldeburgh Suffolk Scenes Photography
- Panorama of the Aldeburgh Sea Front and local photos
- Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival
- The Aldeburgh Music festival
- The Aldeburgh Poetry Festival
- Welcome to Aldeburgh
- The Scallop sculpture — from Art Outside
- Tourist Information
- The Aldeburgh Museum
- Photographs of Aldebugh at Aldeburgh Online
- Photographs from previous Carnivals
- The annual Christmas day swim in the sea
- Top 10 Chip Shops, The Guardian 2002
- Aldeburgh in pictures