48 High Street, Aldeburgh - 01728 453637 Aldeburgh Library, Victoria Road, Aldeburgh atic@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

Aldeburgh - The fortress on the (river) Alde. In Domesday, Aldeburc.

The original Alde Burgh, along with much of the Tudor 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 flag ship 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.

The town is within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. The beach was awarded the Blue flag 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 excellent account of its setting and start as a holiday resort in the 4th scene of Wilkie Collins' novel No Name.

The Aldeburgh Moot Hall is a 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 1650, although there was some restoration in 1854 when chimneys copied from Hampton Court were added.

Aldeburgh has a unique quatrefoil Martello Tower. A windmill at the southern end of the town has been converted to residential use.

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.

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.

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.