Quirky Guide

A striking steel seashell rises from the flat shingle beach at Aldeburgh in Suffolk. To some it’s a stunning sculpture to others it’s a massive eyesore of ugly metal.

You need to see it in context to reach your own conclusion but Maggi Hambling’s tribute to the English composer Benjamin Britten is undoubtedly an imposing and unusual sight on the open beach.

Cut from the metal are the words ‘I hear those voices that will not be drowned’ from Britten’s opera Peter Grimes. Maggie said she chose that phrase because “we all have voices inside us”.

Aldeburgh also has a famous chip shop at No 226 on the High Street. Its reputation for serving some of the best fish and chips in the country means lengthy queues, so get there early.