The Aldeburgh Museum in the Moot Hall, Alderburgh, Suffolk
Housed in one of the best preserved Tudor public buildings in Britian. Dating from the mid-16th century it was used as the meeting place and servied as the towns council chambers. The hall is a historic site that provides an attractive display area for the museum.
The museum brings Aldeburgh History to life in a way that appeals to young and old alike.
On view is a fascinating scale model of the lost village of Slaughden based on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1882
The museum shows Aldeburg from the roman and saxon times, its role as a fishing villiage in the 12th and 13th centuries and traces the prosperous years from 1500 were Alderburgh emerged as a port and the town grew gaining borough status in 1547.
The 17th century showed Ship building, trade and fishing flourishing despite huge storms, sickness and attacks on the town by pirates. The Aldeburgh witch hunt created a stir and some were procecuted and hanged in the town.
The town has allways battled the ravages of the sea and by the 1800 the accumulation of the seas desctruction of buildings had caused the town to decay. Help was at hand from the titled families in the south of england who developed a tast for seaside holidays and prefered to be away from the crowded beaches in the south coast, Alderbugh became more attractive and roads and infrastructure in the area were build to service the need. The Towns Steps were built a that time, as were the Casino (now part of the Thellusson Lodge) and the Marine Villa at the north overlooking the sea (that has now become part of Aldeburgh lodge and is now flats).
the latter part of 1800 the Garrett family played a large part in the area with Newson Garrett becoming a leading businessman in the disctrict. He built the Snape Maltings where the yearly music festival now plays. His daughter Elizabeth Garret Anderson was the first woman in the UK to become a doctor and with her husband founded the Elizabeth Garret Anderson hospital for women in London in 1872. Her sister Millicent was a famous suffragett and fought for womens rights for 50 years. Elizabeth Garret Anderson was the first woman in the country to be elected as mayor of Aldeburgh in 1908.
The museum also has exhibits on the Aldeburg lifeboat history from 1825, including stories of when Newson Garrett became involved in a rescue.
Aldeburgh Museum, which has been a Registered Museum for the last ten years is officially 'Accredited' by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA). It recognises the high standard and service that Aldeburgh Museum provides and acknowledges the hard work of the staff.
The Aldeburgh Museum
Moot Hall
Aldeburgh
Suffolk
IP15 5DS
Telephone 01728 454666
e-mail: enquiries@aldeburghmuseum.org.uk
Web: http://www.aldeburghmuseum.org.uk/
a delightfully modernised Victorian fisherman's cottage with four star accommodation right in the heart of Aldeburgh high street with the beach close by.
Click to see
holiday cottage facilities
