Views from the Martello Tower

The Martello Tower at Aldeburgh stands at the southern end of the Suffolk town's shingle beach, where the coast curves down towards Orford Ness. Built around 1808 to 1812 as part of the chain of coastal defences raised against the threat of Napoleonic invasion, it is the largest and most northerly of all the English Martello towers, distinguished by its unusual quatrefoil plan rather than the usual round drum.

From the raised parapet and the surrounding sea wall, visitors get sweeping views in every direction. To the south the long, lonely spit of Orford Ness stretches away across the mouth of the River Alde, with its lighthouse and former military test buildings just visible. Northwards the eye runs back along Aldeburgh's painted seafront towards Thorpeness and the distinctive shape of Sizewell on the horizon, while inland lie the reedbeds and saltmarsh of the Alde estuary.

The tower is now owned by the Landmark Trust and let as a holiday property, so the interior is not generally open to the public, but the exterior, ramparts and surrounding shingle make a memorable stop on a coastal walk. It is an easy stroll from Aldeburgh High Street, taking in the fishermen's huts, Maggi Hambling's Scallop sculpture and the wide Suffolk skies along the way.