Aldeburgh has almost no recorded history before the time of Henry VIII, but archaeo- logical evidence indicates the earlier pres- ence of both the Romans and the Saxons. By the time the Domesday Book was com- piled in 1086 this corner of Suffolk was one of the most highly populated parts of the country. Foreign merchant ships were visit- ing English waters and the port of Dunwich was developing, soon to dominate the coast. Aldeburgh, however, remained an unimpor- tant little fishing village until some time af- ter 1500, when its shifting coast-line opened up a sheltered ‘haven’ which soon became a thriving centre for ship-building and trade. The town prospered. It was granted bor- ough status in 1529 by Henry VIII. Two of Sir Francis Drake’s most-famous ships - The Greyhound and the Golden Hind were built in the town. Aldeburgh’s importance as a port declined as the River Alde silted up and large vessels could no longer berth there. It survived as a fishing village until the the 19th Century when it became a fashionable seaside resort. Boats still fish from the shore and sell their
HISTORY OF ALDEBURGH
catch from huts on the shingle beach. Aldeburgh was the home of composer Ben- jamin Britten and is at the centre of the in- ternationally-acclaimed Aldeburgh Festival at nearby Snape Maltings. And in 1908, Alde- burgh became the first British town to elect a female Mayor, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. The town will be celebrating the centenary of her death in 2017. Aldeburgh lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Protected by shingle banks, the town enjoys stunning views across the sea, marsh land, heaths and estuary. It has many buildings of historic interest, in- cluding the 16th Century Moot Hall and a Napoleonic-era Martello Tower.
11
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
