Woodbridge and Aldeburgh

Woodbridge is a pretty market town on the banks of the river Deben in Suffolk. With lovely shops, pubs and restaurants, and on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty it is a perfect place to stay for a few days, or as a base to explore the Suffolk coast.

M and I visited a few weeks ago as one of our day trips. We had a lovely day with beautiful weather.

The Guildhall 

Market stalls behind the Guildhall with a lovely open air cafe

St Mary's Church

It's very pretty

 

And home to the Deben millenium frieze. A brief history of Woodbridge over the past two thousand years seen through the eyes of some of the creative and artistic people of the town. It grew from an idea by Sarah Evelegh and her husband Mike, chairman of the Woodbridge Millenium committee who, in 1998 approached the Deben Decorative and Fine Arts Society who agreed to support the project. It was a labour of love, started in September 1998 by sixty volunteers sewing individual pieces in their own homes, and completed in March 2000.

The Tidemill

A short drive away was our next stop, the seaside resort of Aldeburgh. The High Street offers wonderful opportunities for browsing, with trendy boutiques, antiques and arts, a glorious book shop, a cinema, over priced ice cream shops, and a huge variety of culinary feasts. Unfortunately the two fish'n'chip shops were take away only so we went to one of the many cafes. After browsing the shops and lunch we walked along the promenade.

Aldeburgh Lifeboat Station

Further along the beach is the iconic scallop shell. This four metre high sculpture was conceived by Suffolk-born artist Maggi Hambling, and made by Aldeburgh craftsmen Sam and Dennis Pegg, It was unveiled in 2003 as a tribute to Benjamin Britten who moved there in 1947 and was the founder of the Aldeburgh Festival. He wrote "I write music now, in Aldeburgh, for people living there, and further afield, indeed for anyone who cares to play it or listen to it. But my music now has its roots, in where I live and work."

I set off to see it up close, it was about a mile walk, M rested up and sat on a bench. I didn't get there though, not because of the distance but because the weather turned very hot, there was no shade and I didn't have any sun screen with me. I bought a postcard instead.

I saw this on my way back, perhaps I should have hopped in it :-) 

~ Be safe and well ~

Polly x