A small place, Aldeburgh has become famous as the home of composer Benjamin Britten, and for Snape Maltings, with its superb concert hall. The River Alde at the Maltings is a haven for birdlife with its expansive estuary.
(below) Snape Bridge next to the Maltings, at high water
Snape Maltings, as you can guess, was a collection of buildings used for malting barley and then shipping it out to breweries all over the country. It became a successful inland port, with access for Thames barges.
When the maltings went out of business in the 1960s, the buildings took on new lives; an old boathouse became a craft shop, encouraging local artisans, and a cafe and art gallery followed.
Benjamin Britten was a regular visitor to the onsite pub there, and realised that it could become a venue for his music festival, and a state of the art concert hall was built.
The concert hall was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, but just two years later, the roof caught fire and came crashing down. Britten's prized piano was just one of the losses that day. The concert hall was rebuilt and reopened in 1970. It now acts as the home of Aldeburgh Music's programme of performances, education and artist development.
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