Aldeburgh is located on the UK's North Sea coast around 87 miles north east of London, 20 miles north east of Ipswich and 23 miles south of Lowestoft. It lies just to the north of the river Alde with the narrow shingle spit of Orford Ness all that stops the river meeting the sea at Aldeburgh. Instead the river flows another 9 miles to the south west.
Aldeburgh means "old fort" although this structure, along with much of the Tudor town, has now been lost to the sea. In the 16th century, Aldeburgh was a leading port and it had a flourishing ship-building industry. It's importance as a port declined as the river Alde silted up and larger ships could no longer berth. It survived mainly as a fishing village until the 19th century when it also became a seaside resort.
The beach at Aldeburgh is mainly shingle and wide in places but it narrows at the neck of Orford Ness. Aldeburgh was flooded during the North Sea flood of 1953 and flood defences around the town were strengthened as a result. The beach was awarded the Blue Flag rural beach award in 2005.
The town is located within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and there are a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and nature reserves in the local area.
On Aldeburgh's beach, a short distance north of the town centre, stands a sculpture known as "The Scallop" which is dedicated to the composer Benjamin Britten. Created from stainless steel by Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling, it stands 15 feet 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 controversial in the local area with some local residents considering that it spoils the beach. It has been vandalised with graffiti and paint on a number of occasions and there have been petitions for its removal and for its retention.
Date: 1st January 2016
Location: Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Aldeburgh means "old fort" although this structure, along with much of the Tudor town, has now been lost to the sea. In the 16th century, Aldeburgh was a leading port and it had a flourishing ship-building industry. It's importance as a port declined as the river Alde silted up and larger ships could no longer berth. It survived mainly as a fishing village until the 19th century when it also became a seaside resort.
The beach at Aldeburgh is mainly shingle and wide in places but it narrows at the neck of Orford Ness. Aldeburgh was flooded during the North Sea flood of 1953 and flood defences around the town were strengthened as a result. The beach was awarded the Blue Flag rural beach award in 2005.
The town is located within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and there are a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and nature reserves in the local area.
On Aldeburgh's beach, a short distance north of the town centre, stands a sculpture known as "The Scallop" which is dedicated to the composer Benjamin Britten. Created from stainless steel by Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling, it stands 15 feet 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 controversial in the local area with some local residents considering that it spoils the beach. It has been vandalised with graffiti and paint on a number of occasions and there have been petitions for its removal and for its retention.
Date: 1st January 2016
Location: Aldeburgh, Suffolk
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