Aldeburgh has been shaped by its rivers. The River Alde bounds the town to the south as at one time the River Hundred did to the north. The Alde was once the town’s main source of prosperity. What was then a flourishing port sent four ships to fight the Spanish Armada and merchantmen, fishermen and boat builders swarmed where now the yacht clubs offer more leisurely adventures on the water.

The Alde flows from the shifting sand and shingle banks of the mouth (from where, until it passes the historic town of Orford, it is called the River Ore) to the head of navigation at Snape where Benjamin Britten founded his internationally famous Maltings Concert Hall. On its way it passes some of the most significant coastal marshland sites for birds in the country and the former secret military site – now owned by the National Trust – where early experiments in the development of radar, and much else, were conducted. The valley of the River Alde has long been an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is this beguiling spot which the Alde and Ore Association seeks to protect and preserve.

The Association is a registered Charity (number 1064789) and has been established for over a decade during which time it's membership has grown steadily. It's purpose, set out in its articles of association is 'to preserve and protect for the public benefit the Alde, Ore and Butley Creek rivers and their banks from Shingle Street to their tidal limits and such of the land adjoining them or upstream as may be considered to affect them, together with the features of beauty and or historic or public interest in that area'. Readers will almost certainly be familiar with the River Guidelines it publishes each year charting the entrance to the estuary as surveyed annually by a group of its members.

It also publishes a newsletter twice a year which is sent free to all members and which seeks to reflect practical, environmental and historical interests in the area. As well as lectures and visits to places of interest the Association also organises an annual barbeque (last year it was held at Blackheath) and an annual clear up of the riverbanks. Its purpose is not only social. Many planning and other matters in the area with which it is concerned are reviewed by the committee that was particularly involved with the question of the future of Bentwaters Air Base. It raised funds, commissioned reports and hired counsel in the successful campaign to stop the establishment of an airport on the Bentwaters site and has since been a prime mover in monitoring the development by consultants of the environmental agency' Estuarine Strategy.

Individual membership costs £5 per year or £12 for family membership and application should be made to:
The Membership Secretary
Tom Miller-Jones
Tel 01728 452120