Day 224 - August 11th

The days of dry weather came to an end today and we were forced to spend the morning at the house whilst it was raining. By early afternoon the rain stopped though and we decided to head out.

We drove to Aldeburgh, a coastal town notable for having been the home of composer Benjamin Britten. The town is a tourist destination with visitors attracted to the shingle beach and fisherman's huts where fresh fish is sold daily. Along the beach boats, with their nets and pots, are dotted waiting to go back out to sea.

A short distance from the town centre is 'The Scallop' sculpture dedicated to Benjamin Britten who used to walk along the beach in the afternoons. The sculpture is meant to be enjoyed visually and tactilely and people are encouraged to site on it to watch the sea. The sculpture is extremely controversial with some residents thinking it spoils the beach. It has been vandalised with graffiti and paint on several occasions. I quite liked it!

The Aldeburgh 16th century Moot Hall which stands on the sea front has been used for council meetings for over 400 years. It still houses the town clerk's office and the local museum.

Close to Aldeburgh is Snape Maltings and we also visited this too this afternoon. 

The original purpose of the Maltings was the malting of barley for the brewing process but today a collection of shops, galleries, restaurants and a concert hall fill the buildings which stand on the banks of the River Alde.