SNAPE

It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that the part of Suffolk encompassing Snape and Aldeburgh is, to borrow a phrase from Julie Andrews, “alive with the sound of music”. The focal point of the musical action in Snape is the arts and retail centre known as Snape Maltings, a tasteful waterside development which includes the Snape Maltings Concert Hall. The Hall’s big event of the year is the Aldeburgh Music Festival, but there are concerts year-round, this year’s offerings including all of the Beethoven quartets, as well as the Snape Proms, which take place during the month of August. The centre also offers musical coaching for young people. For those more interested in the visual arts, there is an art gallery at the Maltings, which offers art courses. On the retail side, there are nine independent shops and galleries, as well as a cafe and a tea room serving wholesome meals and delicious cakes. Added to all this there is an RSPB bird reserve where if you are very lucky you may see a kingfisher or a water vole, as well as boat trips along the River Alde. So there really is something for everyone at Snape.

Map of the area.

Snape Maltings, Snape Suffolk. Photo by Amanda Slater, via Wikimedia Commons.