‘We leave Snape Maltings in a concert interval and stroll away from the crowd out through the marsh paths. The echo of the music recedes and a different sound takes over, that of the whispering reed beds of the Alde.
The view from the Maltings to the sea is consoling. It is of reeds penetrated by creeks, seeping up and down in the tide. The shingle bar of Aldeburgh lies directly ahead along the coast.
The Alde wetlands are closely protected. The reed beds and freshwater marshes of the serpentine river form part of the Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve, a place of walkers and bird watchers. Otters are now repopulating the banks.
* Subscribe to Country Life; Get Country Life on IPad
The concert hall authorities have populated the marshes with modern sculptures. Art here intrudes uncomfortably on nature. '
Extracted from ‘England's 100 Best Views' by Simon Jenkins, to be published by Profile books in October 2013 (£25 hardback)
* Follow Country Life on Twitter
-
Man's (new) best friend: Slinky, swift and sweet, a furry ferret is a worthy household companionFerrets are a perfect pet — just don't let them loose in the British Museum, Octavia Pollock writes.
-
By what name is the shallow nest of the hare known? It's the Country Life Quiz of the Day, November 3, 2025It's Monday which means we're back with the first Country Life quiz of the week.
