Aldeburgh Museum — Attraction in East Suffolk

Moot Hall, Aldeburgh Municipal building in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England The Moot Hall is a municipal building in Market Cross Place in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Aldeburgh Town Council, is a Grade I listed building. History The building The building was designed in the Tudor style, built using timber frame construction techniques with wattle and daub and brick nog infilling, and was completed around 1520. The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage facing west onto Market Cross Place. On the ground floor, the left-hand section featured six arched openings, the first four of which were later infilled with two-light casement windows and the last two of which were infilled by doorways. The right-hand section featured an external staircase, with a pentice roof, providing access to the first floor. On the first floor, which was jettied out over the pavement, the two bays to the left of the doorway and the bay to its right were fenestrated by three-light mullioned casement windows. Internally, the ground floor was laid out as series of shops, while the first floor accommodated the council chamber. The architectural historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, described the building as "picturesque". In 1645, the building was the location for the trial, under the direction of the witchfinder general, Matthew Hopkins, of seven alleged witches who were subsequently hanged. The building was altered in 1654 and the gable-ends and the staircase were restored to a design by the chief architect of the Diocese of Norwich, R. M. Phipson, in 1855. Aldeburgh had a very small electorate and the parliamentary candidates were selected by the burgesses, which meant it was recognised by the UK Parliament as a rotten borough. Its right to elect members of parliament was removed by the Reform Act 1832, and its borough council, which met in the moot hall, was reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act 1883. The moot hall was the venue for the mayor-making ceremony on 9 November 1908, when the physician and suffragist, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, became the first female mayor in England. Queen Elizabeth II visited the building to see the museum when she attended the Aldeburgh Festival in 1967. The building continued to serve as a meeting place for the borough council, but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Suffolk Coastal District Council was formed in 1974. Instead, it became the meeting place of Aldeburgh...

Visited the Aldeburgh Museum Sunday lunchtime and was empty except me. The person, guide who welcome me was very informative and I asked too many questions but was happy to answer all of them, a big plus for the museum. The museum is on the small side but is only £3.80 entrance fee. List all the Majors of Aldeburgh for hundreds of years. Section on ship building, the old battle ships of 1700/1800. The best fact I got was the building was built in the middle of the town when built in the 1640, and the sea has taken all the properties sea side. The town was hit bad in 1953 by the storms so 1955 the sea wall was built, over four metres high, which should protect the town for years to come. The building is so impressive on the outside for it's age, and amazing as still used for the same purpose as when built. It is a small museam but...

Beautiful building, well maintained and restored. Very friendly staff. This is the place to go to if you want to learn something about the building, the history of the town, the people who live there. It's interactive as well so the kids don't get bored. There is something for everybody. We've had fun with the little quiz on the hanging slates. We spent over an hour looking at everything and we walked away less stupid than when we came in. Moreover your ticket (which at 3.50£ each is very reasonable) is valid for a month. So if you don't have time to see it all, come back an other day. The car park is literally next door to it. We went for a walk along the sea afterward. Great afternoon. Would recommend....