Aldeburgh - Great Outdoors

Whether you enjoy a gentle amble along the shoreline or want to spend a whole day out rambling in the countryside, Aldeburgh is a fantastic base to explore the great Suffolk outdoors. Moreover, once you have built up an appetite, Aldeburgh is not short of places to satisfy your hunger!

Trip to Thorpeness

Heading North from Aldeburgh, if you’re looking to leave the car behind for a family day out, then heading along the seafront, there is a level walking track leading to the quirky village of Thorpeness. This route is perfect for walking or cycling and the time will fly by as you take in the great Suffolk skies on your way to Thorpeness. Once you’ve reached Thorpeness, you can relax with a drink in The Kitchen, or alternatively if you fancy exercising in another mode of transport, you could hire out a rowing boat and spend the afternoon on the Meare bobbing around the islands of the lake.

The Sailors’ Path

For the keen walkers amongst you, to full take in the outstanding beauty of the Suffolk Coasts and Heaths area, a walk along ‘The Sailors’ Path’ may be the one for you. This beautiful, age old walk stretches between the town of Aldeburgh and Snape Maltings. It is a well signposted walk with well surfaced paths and tracks along the way, following the meandering course of the River Alde. Suffolk tales have it that when trading sailors’ boats got stuck in the mud at low tide in Snape, they had to abandon ship and trek back to Aldeburgh via this ‘Sailors’ Path’.

To view The Sailors’ Path Explorer Guide click here.

Bird Watching & Nature Reserves

There are a few nature reserves in the Aldeburgh area, including RSPB North Warren and Snape Warren.If you are journeying north from Aldeburgh, passing Maggi Hambling’s beautiful shell sculpture, you’ll see the RSPB North Warren reserve on your right. It’s likely that you’ll hear the reserve before you see it as it’s home to thousands of wild birds including ducks, geese, swans and during springtime; bitterns, marsh harriers, woodlarks and nightingales. Be sure to look out for many species of butterflies and dragonflies as well when you visit this reserve.The heathland at Snape Warren is a vibrant purple in the summer months and is home to rare wildlife such as woodlarks, Dartford warblers and adders. Beautiful views are offered across the Alde estuary and walks around here provide the chance to catch a glimpse of wading birds such as avocets and curlews.MinsmereRSPB Minsmere is perhaps one of the most well-known reserves in Suffolk, with enormous wildlife diversity. It covers woodland, wetland and coastal scenery lending itself to great long or short walks depending on what you’d like to see that day. You can sit in one of the reserve’s many bird watching hides often full of adults and children alike, silently watching a coastal lagoon, desperate to spy an otter or a bittern. This reserve’s popularity was boosted when the BBC’s Springwatch was based here for a couple of years, exposing the hidden gems of wildlife and landscape to a wider audience. For the nature lover, a visit to this reserve simply cannot be missed. Moreover, Minsmere has a fascinating history and those interested in the past will similarly be drawn into this intensely interesting place. Rows of concrete anti-tank cubes can be found along the coastline are of Minsmere and are now surrounded by long grasses giving them a less ominous appearance. A pillbox was constructed within the old, medieval chapel on the site, which is well worth a look for those more interested in the history of the people and enjoy a good trek in the open air.