48 hours in Aldeburgh
A few days spent in this former Tudor port can work wonders when it comes to blowing away the cobwebs and lifting your spirits
Stepping onto its blue flag beach feels much like walking into a picture postcard
No matter the season, the Suffolk coast is the perfect place to pull on your walking boots and enjoy the great outdoors. Inhale fresh sea air, listen to waves crashing against the pebbles and admire both countryside and costal scenery on a five-mile circular trial from Aldeburgh to Thorpeness.
You’ll see many landmarks on this trail, including The Scallop, a 12ft high stainless steel memorial to the British composer, Benjamin Britten. At the southern end, you can’t help but marvel at the majestic Martello Tower, built in the early 19th Century to keep the Napoleonic forces at bay. You’ll also discover the delightful Thorpeness Meare, a 60-acre lake with lots of little islands, shady coves and pretty creeks with boats available for hire.
Budding birders will want to get their binoculars at the ready as they approach the North Warren RSPB reserve, where you can catch a glimpse of breeding bitterns, marsh harriers, woodlarks and nightingales in grazing marshes, reedbeds, heathland and woodland.
Music lover or not, a visit to The Red House is a must-do activity for anyone ambling around Aldeburgh. Former home of Benjamin Britten, its walls are steeped in fascinating history.
Many of the great composer’s best-known works were written and performed here, and the studio, library, gardens and award-winning archives are accessible all year-round. In the summer months, the house itself is open to the public with guided tours exploring original interiors, personal pieces and artwork collections.
Visiting with the family? You can easily while away a whole day on Aldeburgh’s seafront. Stepping onto its blue flag beach feels much like walking into a picture postcard, with its golden shingle, bobbing fishing boats and rows of brightly coloured buildings facing towards the North Sea.
Fish is the dish of the day here. And no trip would be complete without visiting one of the town’s three famous sister chippys: Aldeburgh Fish and Chips, Golden Galleon and The Upper Deck. Often hailed as the best on the east coast, they’re known for serving freshly caught fish in a crispy golden batter, with the perfect pillowy chips.
Whether it’s music, shopping, nature, art or food
that you love, there’s something for everyone at Snape Maltings.
Just a 12-minute drive outside the centre of Aldeburgh, this venue of redeveloped Victorian industrial buildings is known far and wide for holding world-class concerts and events. With plenty of quirky independent shops, delicious eateries and galleries and exhibitions to enjoy, you needn’t have a show booked to enjoy this space. Set against a breathtakingly beautiful expanse of reeds, water and sky, it’s also the perfect spot for outdoor enthusiasts to do some walking and wildlife watching.
Sitting just a stone’s throw across from the shingle-lined shores and wooden fisherman huts, The White Lion Hotel oozes coastal appeal. Get a taste for seaside living as you wake up to the sounds, smells and sights of the coast, with a selection of rooms offering sweeping sea views.
In the evening, escape the elements by retreating to the cosy lounges or dining in an elegant restaurant, serving dishes curated with hand-picked local produce.
■ The Red House, 01728 451700
■ Snape Maltings, 01728 688303
■ Aldeburgh fish and chips, 01728 452250
■ White Lion Hotel (double rooms from £100), 01728 452720