Snape Maltings

Saturday
This morning we all went to the nearby Minsmere RSPB Centre. The reserve is quite extensive, with several trails and numerous hides. The excitement of the morning around the bird hides was the sighting of a semi-palmated sandpiper, an American bird very rarely seen in the UK. Most of the birds however were too far away for me to get a decent picture. We had some lunch in the cafe, then did part of one of the other trails to some reed beds, where if you’re lucky, you may see a bittern, but we weren’t in luck today! From there we drove to Snape Maltings, where my Blip was taken. The original purpose of the Maltings was the malting of barley for the brewing of beer; local barley, once malted, was sent from here to London and exported to mainland Europe. Today a collection of shops, galleries, restaurants and the Concert Hall fill the old buildings. The concert hall is one of the main venues for the Aldeburgh Festival. We had a little wander round a few of the galleries and shops, and enjoyed tea and cake at the tea room, before heading back to the house. My blip shows the River Alde which borders the complex. I have included an extra showing our group of “twitchers” in one of the Minsmere hides!