Simpson's Saltings

The River Alde and River Ore form a river system in Suffolk, England passing by Snape and Aldeburgh. The River Alde and River Ore meet northwest of Blaxhall. From there downriver the combined river is known as the River Alde past Snape and Aldeburgh, and then again as the River Ore as it approaches Orford and flows by a shingle spit before emptying into the North Sea. Both rivers are named by back-formation from key towns on their route: the Alde is named from Aldeburgh, and the Ore is named from Orford.The first section of the River Ore flows around 18 kilometres (11 mi) from its sources west of Dennington south and east through Framlingham, Parham and Marlesford, meeting the River Alde to the northwest of Blaxhall.The source of the River Alde is Brundish near Laxfield in the same area as the River Blyth. Soon after combining with the River Ore, it reaches Snape where it becomes tidal and widens considerably. It meanders east past Aldeburgh, before being turned south and running parallel to the coastline behind a narrow shingle spit. The River Ore is the name of the final section of around 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of the river, from just above Orford to the sea. It has one tributary, the Butley River, and Havergate Island is found at their confluence. Though it once entered the sea near Orford, the mouth of the river has now been pushed some five miles further south as shingle has accumulated over hundreds of years. During Tudor times, the river served as a port from which four ships were launched to fight against the Spanish Armada. The river no longer serves as a commercial port but as an area for yacht sailing. The lower reaches of the river pass through marshland and shingle or sand beaches, most of which is now owned by the National Trust as the "Orford Ness National Nature Reserve". Before the National Trust took ownership of this land, it was the site of a secret military base where Cobra Mist trials of over-the-horizon radar were carried out during the Cold War.The shingle spit that blocks the river, Orford Ness, is now some 10 miles in length and is owned by the National Trust, The main area through which the Rivers Alde and Ore flow 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, a designated Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area. An RSPB reserve, Boyton Marshes, is situated between the River Ore and the Butley River. A registered charity, the Alde & 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".The novel What I Was by Meg Rosoff is set on the coastline where the River Ore meets the sea.

HM Prison Hollesley Bay, known locally as Hollesley Bay Colony (to which signposts still point) or simply The Colony, is a Category D men's prison and Young Offender Institution, located in the village of Hollesley, about 8 miles (13 km) from the town of Woodbridge in Suffolk, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service.

Boyton is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England, about eight miles east of Woodbridge, and close to Orford Ness. Boyton is a small village in South East England and is part of the heritage coast. In the Domesday Book of 1086 Boyton was recorded under the name "Bohtuna". The village has a number of facilities within the surrounding area, for instance Hollesley primary school, a village primary school for children aged 4–11 years. Boyton village hall is becoming a focus for new village activities, and HM Prison Hollesley Bay is also located not far from the village centre. In the 1870s Boyton was described by John Marius Wilson as: "a parish in Woodbridge district, Suffolk; on the river Alde, near Hollesley bay, 4 miles WSW of Orford, and 7 SE of Melton r. station."According to statistics from the 2011 census, Boyton had a population of 147. The village name 'Boyton' can be translated to "farmstead of the boys or servants".

HM Prison Warren Hill is a male prison located near the village of Hollesley in Suffolk, England. The prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service, and is situated next to Hollesley Bay Prison.

Capel St Andrew is a village and a civil parish in the East Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is near the larger settlement of Orford. Capel St Andrew is close to the River Butley, which is a tributary to the River Ore. A small ferry service runs from close to Capel St Andrew across the River Butley and gives cyclists and walkers easy access to Orford. To the east of the village lie the RSPB reserve at Boyton Marshes. Capel St Andrew was referred to as Capeles in the Domesday Book, which is derived from the Latin for "chapel". Despite being named after a church, the village does not have a church any more. The church was demolished between 1529 and 1553.

The Butley River or Butley Creek is a tributary of the River Ore in the English county of Suffolk. The river has its source in the Rendlesham Forest area to the east of Eyke. The river is tidal from its confluence with the Ore at Boyton as far inland as Butley Mills and almost to the village of Chillesford. A water mill was first recorded at Butley Mills in 1530. The river was also used for the transport of goods but by 1948 had become too silted to allow either use.The river is located within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. An RSPB reserve, Boyton Marshes, is situated at the mouth of the river on an area of salt marsh. A registered charity, the Alde & 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".The river is crossed by the Butley Ferry during the summer period. This provides a link between Orford and Boyton and Butley for pedestrians and cyclists along the Suffolk Coast Path.

Shingle Street is a coastal settlement on the North Sea coast of the English county of Suffolk. It is 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Felixstowe and 12 miles (19 km) east of Ipswich at the mouth of the River Ore and opposite the tip of Orford Ness. It is within the parish of Hollesley with HM Young Offender Institution Hollesley Bay Colony nearby. A report from October 2004 suggests that Shingle Street is at risk from coastal erosion and flooding and could disappear within 20 years if sea defences are not erected.

Butley Priory, sometimes called Butley Abbey, was a religious house of Canons regular (Augustinians, Black canons) in Butley, Suffolk, dedicated to The Blessed Virgin Mary. It was founded in 1171 by Ranulf de Glanville (c. 1112-1190), Chief Justiciar to King Henry II (1180-1189), and was the sister foundation to Ranulf's house of White canons (Premonstratensians) at Leiston Abbey, a few miles to the north, founded c. 1183. Butley Priory was suppressed in 1538. Although only minor fragments of the priory church and some masonry of the convent survive at Abbey Farm, the underground archaeology was expertly investigated and interpreted in 1931-33, shedding much light on the lost buildings and their development. The remaining glory of the priory is its 14th-century Gatehouse, incorporating the former guest quarters. This exceptional building, largely intact, reflects the interests of the manorial patron Guy Ferre the younger (died 1323), Seneschal of Gascony to King Edward II 1308-1309, and was probably built in the priorate of William de Geytone (1311–32). Having fallen into decay after 1538, it was restored to use as a private house about 280 years ago. Near-complete lists of the priors survive from 1171 to 1538, together with foundation deeds, deeds of grant, and records pertaining to the priory's manors, holdings and visitations. In addition there is a Register or Chronicle made in the last decades of the priory, and there are sundry documents concerning its suppression. Its post-Dissolution history has also been investigated. In private ownership in the area of the Suffolk Heritage Coast, the Gatehouse is now a Grade I listed building and is used as a venue for private functions, corporate events or retreats.

The Rendlesham Forest incident was a series of reported sightings of unexplained lights near Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, England, in December 1980, which became linked with UFO landings. The events occurred just outside RAF Woodbridge, which was used at the time by the United States Air Force (USAF). USAF personnel, including deputy base commander Lieutenant Colonel Charles I. Halt, claimed to see things they described as a UFO. The occurrence is the most famous of UFO events to have happened in the United Kingdom, and is among the best-known reported UFO events worldwide. It has been compared to the Roswell UFO incident in the United States and is sometimes called "Britain's Roswell".The UK Ministry of Defence has stated that the event posed no threat to national security, and therefore, it was never investigated as a security matter. Skeptics have explained the sightings as a misinterpretation of a series of nocturnal lights: a fireball, the Orfordness Lighthouse, and bright stars.

Hollesley is a village and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk east of Ipswich in eastern England. Located on the Bawdsey peninsula five miles south-east of Woodbridge, in 2005 it had a population of 1,400 increasing to 1,581 at the 2011 Census. Hollesley Bay Prison is located nearby. The Irish writer Brendan Behan, arrested for I.R.A. activities in 1939, was sent there, subsequently describing his experiences in Borstal Boy. Since 2002 the prison has been repeatedly criticised for the apparently large number of escapes, which has led to the nickname "Holiday Bay".The church of All Saints is thought to date from the 11th century. The tower and church bell date from the 15th century. The stained glass is by the Welsh artist Meg Lawrence.Hollesley Bay is a nearby coastal feature.

Gedgrave Hall Pit is a 0.65-hectare (1.6-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gedgrave, south of Saxmundham in Suffolk. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and it is in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.The site consists to two pits dating to the early Pliocene Coralline Crag Formation. The smaller pit has many well-preserved mollusc fossils, whereas those in the larger pit are highly abraded and poorly preserved.It is situated some 500 metres from the similar site: Richmond Farm Pit. The site is on private land with no public access.

Gedgrave is a civil parish in the East Suffolk district, in the English county of Suffolk in eastern England. In 2005, its population was 30. Gedgrave once had a church called St Andrews. The village is part of a joint parish council with Orford. Gedgrave gives its name to the Gedgravian Stage of the Pliocene Epoch in British geological stratigraphy. The Sites of Special Scientific Interest Gedgrave Hall Pit and Richmond Farm Pit are situated close by.