‘Aldeburgh is such a delightful place, made perfect by having the Wentworth.’ Praise from a trusted reader for Michael Pritt’s Victorian hotel across the road from the shingle beach. ‘We return every year, always to the same welcome, and many of the staff have been there for years.’ The late Joyce Grenfell, a summer visitor, would no doubt have said the same. The ethos is self-professedly ‘old-fashioned’. Mr Pritt (whose grandfather took over the then Wentworth Castle in 1920) ‘makes sure standards never drop, and people feel at ease’. Manager Chris Holden is also of long standing. Interiors are a smart blend of the traditional and the contemporary. There are sea views from the lounges, the front terrace, and many of the individually designed bedrooms, while rooms in Darfield House, behind, have use of a courtyard garden. Four rooms were recently refurbished. Light lunches (Suffolk sausages, Wentworth fishcakes) are served in the bar, while in the restaurant, at dinner, Tim Keeble’s ‘consistently good’ cooking includes such dishes as herb-crusted hake fillet; braised lamb shank, tomato ragout, rosemary polenta. (Simon Rodway)