Located on the river Alde is Snape village with its malthouses and granarey buildings, home to the Aldeburgh Festival held here annually. The Snape Maltings Concert Hall first opened its doors in 1967 to music by the composer Benjamin Britten. 
In addition to the concert hall which hosts a year round programme of musical events, the complex now contains a variety of shops galleries, eating places and places to stay. 
Snape is sometimes called the boggy place and it is hard to imagine that once 100 ton sailing barges were able to sail right up the river Alde to Snape, to be loaded with malt made from Suffolk barley.
 Snape remained a busy port until 1859 doing considerable trade in grain to the ports of London and other markets. 
There are some lovely walks starting from here and the snape marshes are home to many species of birds. It is also well worth taking one of the boat trips up the river Alde, departure times are dependent on the tidal river.
One of the local inns used to be the haunt of smugglers and had peepholes so that a watch could be kept over the river and countryside from upstairs. For holiday accommodation in Snape or close by look at our accommodation pages which list - self catering - hotels - bed and breakfast - inns - guest houses and camping and caravanning.
It was in 1948 that Benjamin Britten and the tenor Peter Pears first established the Aldeburgh Music Festival.
There used to be three windmills here in the 19th century.
Benjamin Britten stayed in one of them "Hudson mill" after it closed in the 1930s. He composed his opera Peter Grimes inspired by the spectacular views from this mill.
The mill was north of the bridge.
It was Newson Garrett who started the malting business back in the mid 1800s. His daughter was Elizabeth Garrett Anderson who was the first woman to qualify as a doctor, she was also the first female mayor of Aldeburgh.

In the mid 19th century a 48 foot clinker-built saxon burial ship was found in the churchyard.