Anyone been to Aldeburgh?

[Hatari00]

I struggle with anxiety and travelling staying and having to stay away doesn’t sit well with me. I have booked a week away as cannot expect my family to not to travel just because of me. It’s in Aldeburgh, a property close to the beach. Choice of my husband and daughter. I’m not a huge fan of the sea, that could be that my home country was devastated by the tsunami, an uncle drowned in the sea and I don’t know swimming.

how is Aldeburgh? Is it friendly? Safe?

A long time since I went but it was friendly and safe then, and nothing I know from anyone in the area I still am in contact with suggests otherwise.

It’s friendly and safe but the sea is still the sea so if you’re apprehensive them maybe stick to paddling

Aldeburgh is lovely. There are some super shops (bookshop and a second hand one if it’s still there). Some super cafes and a renowned fish and chip shop, you will have to queue so bear that in mind.
There are some lovely places to visit nearby if you have transport.
The beach is stony, but not unpleasant.

Yes, its a lovely place. My in laws go every year and love it. Some pretty shops too.

When you get back home OP, have you thought about signing up for adult swimming lessons, to improve your confidence?

It's lovely. From what I recall, the sea isn't the easiest to get into as it's a stony beach and steeply banked. I wouldn't choose to swim there. But you can walk a long way along the beach and be a long way from the sea.

Walberswick and Southwold are close by and also lovely. You can walk between the 2 (with a small ferry at one point), so that's a nice day out.

This theatre in the woods is magical - we went there last year, and it was an amazing evening. If there's something on that suits you, it's well worth it. YOu can picnic too - they have plenty of space for that.

There are probably also plenty of other 'inland' things to do too, but the main attraction for me is the coast, so I've never explored them.

Aldeburgh is great for walking and fish and chips. The stony beach makes it hard to paddle or swim. It might suit you if you don't want to go into the water because few people swim there. You can sit on the beach or walk along the path beside the beach and you won't feel pressure to swim or paddle.

I think you will feel safe near the beach because the water is quite a long way from where people walk. The town is interesting to explore.

I've been there a few times for work, it's very safe and extremely posh. If you go during one of the festivals it will be very busy, but outside of that, not busy at all. It tends to feel more self-contained as it doesn't have a train station, so people who go there, really want to be there and have chosen it because they want more privacy.

I have swum in the sea and it was fine.

I've been many times. The heart of the town is very small and very safe. The beach is very wide and, as other people have said, you can walk a long way on the beach or on the footpath next to the beach without getting near the water. You can walk to Thorpeness easily where there are pubs and a cafe, and a boating lake. There are two good fish and chip shops in Aldeburgh, and some nice restaurants including The Lighthouse, The Aldeburgh Market and Sea Spice. There are a couple of cosy pubs. The Two Magpies does great cakes. The cinema has a good programme of films and there are sometimes events on at the Jubilee Hall; there are also a couple of small galleries. You are also a short drive from Snape Maltings which has concerts all year round, and some crafty shops and a pub/teashop. And lots of other walks and places to visit - Sutton Hoo, forests inland, Southwold, Dunwich, Orford Ness nature reserve (a nice fish restaurant there too).

Aldeburgh is beautiful! I love visiting and do so regularly. You can do a lovely walk to thorpness to see the house in the clouds.

You'll have a lovely time. Try not to worry

We love Aldeburgh. You can visit Benjamin Brittens House. Westleton nearby has two really good second hand book shops. Southwold is nice for a visit too. It’s like going back in time.

Today is the day- thank you all for the helpful replies/suggestions

I do feel on the edge although not entirely sure why. I’ll keep posted

Aldeburgh is lovely. We go every year. Best fish and chips ever. Have a great time!

Aldeburgh is a lovely town OP. As is Southwold a little further up the Suffolk coast.

Aldeburgh has a chip shop that everyone raves about and queues outside the door for, but I went and the portions were the most miserly imaginable.

It’s very nice. Would recommend walking along to Thorpeness- nice (shallow) mere with boats on, and the golf club do a good lunch.

When you ask if it’s safe, do you mean for swimming in the sea? If so there are probably other places I’d choose for that type of holiday. How old is your daughter? I don’t think there’s that much for kids going on in Aldeburgh compared to other beach towns, and it’s not a sandy beach. We went to Aldeburgh for a day trip last summer and although my friends rave about the place and I fit the mould of the Aldeburgh ‘type’ I found it all a bit underwhelming. I much prefer Cornwall especially St Ives though I realise it’s a bit of a trek - but worth it for a week.

If it’s East Anglian seaside you’re after I much prefer Cromer to Aldeburgh. More bucket and spade traditional resort, but some nice buildings and it’s definitely getting smarter. Plenty of decent places to go and eat, good fish and chips. Sandy beach, pier, and a short hop to posh N Norfolk towns or into Norwich / the Broads for a change of scene. But Cromer doesn’t really have the Aldeburgh well-heeled crowd if that’s your thing. We stay in a place with an indoor pool which helps with typical English weather.

Oh I just saw that you’re leaving for Aldeburgh today. In which case I hope you have a great time and I suggest The Lighthouse for lunch! If you find you want somewhere else next time I hope my suggestions come in helpful. Enjoy the sea air.

Thank you @BashCandicoot @TheThingIsYeah and @PatchworkElmer

we have booed an air bnb- I’ve never opted for this option before and gone with hotels. Husband wanted to try this out and that’s one thing playing on my mind/ somehow feels less safe.

we went on a day trip to Southwold last year..but staying back in Aldeburgh makes me on the edge- anxiety is a pain in the arse.

If you drive up to Gorleston on Sea there is a lifeguard Ed section if beach, Gorleston beach is 'safe' it is gently sloping sand and I've lived nearby for 30 years and never heard of an accident.

Other things to do in the area:
Thorpeness and boating on the Meare.
Walberswick for crabbing and nature walks, then get the rowing ferry across to Southwold, have a walk through town and up the Grandpa in my Pocket lighthouse and along the Pier where there are some unique arcade games.
RSPB Minsmere is nearby, they often shoot Springwatch etc there
Thorrington outside theatre
Southwold maize maze
If you want a busier seaside day then head to Great Yarmouth, park by the Venetian walkways where its free, head to Joyland if your DD is little, eat at the Ocean Terrace, spend some time in the arcades and then go to Hippodrome circus.
If your DD is under 10 I'd make the drive up to Bewilderwood, and download one of the stories to listen to on the way.

@ElleDeeCB thank you for your suggestions- it’s both the water aspect ( although now I can see that i can keep distance and still enjoy) and also the locals that is playing in my mind. Are they friendly to outsiders?

thank you @Singleandproud ( absolutely love your username) I’ll check bewildereoid as my daughter is 9

I use to have family in aldeburgh although I haven't visited for a good ten years. It was a lovely town with picturesque little streets with shops/cafes. The beach is stone although there use to be a small sandy beach you could pay to go on (I'm assuming man made) it felt very safe. Enjoy!

Locals will be fine, it's a touristy area they are used to holiday makers.
The downside of living in a touristy town is the impacts it has on roads and doubling or even tripling the journey length and this can be frustrating but Aldeburgh is so far in the sticks and isn't as busy as other places and you are just as likely to get stuck behind a tractor than a queue of holiday makers.

If you are mixed race I know some people have commented on Norfolk/Suffolk being racist I think that comes from ignorance rather than maliciousness it is still an area that is 90% white and it is unusual to see other races so if you were to wear something unusual for the area like a burka you might be looked at due to curiosity.

I love Thorpeness just up the road , it was built as a Victorian holiday village by a Scottish barrister

@Singleandproud thank you - yes we are mixed race and lived in the Home Counties for 20 odd years etc I do struggle travelling to interior areas due to this reason.

we were running in Hampstead Heath last weekend and then stopped to look at the ducks etc and there was a man ( yes he was drunk and no he doesn’t represent the entire British population) who shouted at ask informing us ‘this is my country and you should leave’ ( well for staters I work for the NHS and if I or everyone like me leave there will be a deeper staffing crisis!!) which upset my daughter a lot. I don’t want a repeat of that where the locals don’t feel comfortable