The History of Aldeburgh

The name Aldeburgh used to be split into two words "Alde & Burgh". Alde Burgh means "old fort". There was once a fort standing on the site, but this along with the majoirty of the original Tudor town, has now been lost to the sea.

Throughout history, Aldeburgh has had both a flourishing ship and fishing industry, and was at one time seen as a leading port. Sir Francis Drake's ships Greyhound and Pelican (later renamed Golden Hind) were both built in Aldeburgh.

Aldeburgh went into decline when the River Alde became more and more filled with silt and was unable to accommodate larger ships. At this time Aldeburgh survived principally as a fishing village right up until the nineteenth century, when it turned it's hand to tourism and became a thriving seaside resort.

Further Reading

To find out more about Aldeburgh and its history, we recommend looking through the selection of books available about the settlement. Links to buy books securely online are provided, but you may also be able to find them in the many shops in Aldeburgh itself, such as those in the retail category of our directory.