The River Alde is a river in Suffolk, England, with a source near Laxfield in the same area as the River Blyth. Initially a stream, it becomes tidal and widens considerably when it reaches Snape. It meanders east past Aldeburgh, after which this part of the river was named.[1] The river becomes the known as the River Ore as it approaches Orford[2] where it once entered the sea; however the mouth of the river has now been pushed some five miles further south as shingle has accumulated over hundreds of years after which it splits to form Havergate Island and is joined by its tributary, the Butley River, before reaching the sea at Shingle Street.
The lower reaches of the river passes through marshland and shingle or sand beaches. The shingle spit that blocks the river, Orford Ness, is now some 10 miles in length and is owned by the National Trust,[3] previously being a secret military base where tests with radar were carried out[4]. The main area through which the River Alde flows is open countryside in private ownership, much of it arable farmland.
The tidal reaches (below Snape Bridge) are within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as well as being a Site of Special Scientific Interest[5], a designated Special Area of Conservation[6] and a Special Protection Area[7]. An RSPB reserve, Boyton Marshes, is situated between the River Ore and the River Butley. A pressure group charity, the Alde and Ore Association exists 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"[8].
During Tudor times, the river served as a port from which four ships were launched to fight against the Spanish Armada[8]. The river no longer serves as a port but as an area for yacht club members to gather to sail.
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