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Aldeburgh is a charming, traditional seaside town. Its unspoilt
nature calls to mind an earlier age. There is a traditional boating
lake for model yachts and a local museum housed in the historic
16th Century Moot Hall.
The town is attractive, and has many independent shops. The
fishermen still draw their boats up onto the shore and sell fish
from the beach.
Aldeburgh was one of the leading ports on the east coast and its
shipbuilding was renowned. Sir Francis Drake's ships 'Pelican'
(later renamed 'Golden Hind') and 'Greyhound' were built locally
and Aldeburgh men sailed with Drake on these vessels. The industry
declined as the river Alde silted up.
Aldeburgh is internationally famous for its association with the
Festival begun by Benjamin Britten. The Festival takes place in
June each year and there are many associated events in and around
Aldeburgh.
The newest addition to the Aldeburgh skyline is the 'Scallop', a
Maggi Hambling sculpture dedicated to Benjamin Britten, which rests
on the beach between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness.
The village of Thorpeness nearby is unusual in that it was
created in the early 1900s as a model seaside village. The old
fishing hamlet of Thorpe was bought by the Scottish landowner and
playwright G Stuart Ogilvie who the proceed to turn it into the
village we know today.
Thorpeness Meare is an artificial lake used for fishing and
boating. It is also a haven for wildfowl. At the far end of the
Meare is a mock Norman castle.
Most of the houses in Thorpeness were built in a mock-Tudor
style. The 'House in the Clouds' was originally the village water
tower. Deemed to be unsightly it was disguised as a house; the tank
being on the top with an actual living area underneath.
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