LISA HIGGINS leaves the hustle and bustle of city life behind to be charmed by Aldeburgh in Suffolk

I COULDN'T  believe my luck.

Rooting through rails of dusty coats I'd found a pristine navy Burberry blazer reduced from £600 to £28. I consider myself quite the bargain-hunter but, in a tiny emporium in the quirky village of Thorpeness on the beautiful East Suffolk coast, I had excelled myself.

This part of East Anglia is a haven for busy city dwellers.

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Looking for a weekend escape from the London bustle I booked two nights at contemporary Brudenell Hotel in the unspoilt seaside town of Aldeburgh with its famous stretch of shingle beach.

The newly refurbished hotel was simply gorgeous. My boyfriend Ben and I couldn't believe the view we had from our deluxe room with sea-facing terrace.

The hotel's boast of being "a step away from the beach" was no lie.

The rooms are decorated in cool light blue and sunshine yellow hues. Ours was bright and airy with enormous bay windows, a heavenly king-size bed and even a porthole.

Aldeburgh consists of one main street lined with independent shops, eateries and cosy pubs. The town hosts a range of festivals including poetry, film and food and drink.

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Best known, however, is the Aldeburgh Festival in June, an arts extravaganza founded in 1948 by locally born composer Benjamin Britten and held at Snape Maltings, a former malthouse that has been transformed into a 800-seat concert hall surrounded by shops and galleries.

The town attracts a refined crowd and plenty of big names such as actors Bill Nighy, Andy Serkis and Sir Michael Gambon.

A ramble through Aldeburgh town marshes is a must. Our circular walk, beginning just a few yards from the hotel, took us across the River Alde and into an area of ragged heathland rich with birdlife including herons, kingfishers and skylarks. This was followed with a pint or two of locally brewed Adnams ale in the Cross Keys Inn with its low, crooked ceiling and crackling open fire.

Aldeburgh is a big hit with foodies, many attracted by the seafood caught by fishermen who still haul their boats up the beach and sell their catch from ramshackle huts.

We dined that evening at the hotel's superb restaurant which prides itself on its informal atmosphere. I enjoyed the steamed fillet of sea bass and Ben tried and loved his first oysters, served in a chilli and shallot vinegar.

The neighbouring village of Thorpeness is a delightful 30-minute, coastline-hogging walk north. Leaving Aldeburgh we stopped to admire the Moot Hall, a timber-framed building that has served as the meeting place of the town council for four centuries. Halfway along the beach is Maggi Hambling's 13ft-high Scallop, the controversial steel shell sculpture which is a tribute to Britten.

Arriving in Thorpeness we were greeted by a magnificent rainbow arcing over famous local landmark House In The Clouds.

More than 70ft high, this five-floor, five-bedroom family cottage was built in the Twenties by eccentric Scottish barrister Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie, whose family owned the village. It was designed to mask a water tank eyesore and to look like a cottage lodged in the surrounding trees.

Ogilvie developed Thorpeness into a quirky holiday village, building holiday homes in Jacobean and Tudor styles. His almshouses serve as a centrepiece for the village, together with the Meare, a shallow artificial lake which took its inspiration from family friend and Peter Pan creator JM Barrie.

There are tiny islands on the lake named after locations from Barrie's novel such as Wendy's Home.

No surprise then that taking a punt out, wrapped up in my bargain Burberry blazer, proved a magical end to our weekend.

THE KNOWLEDGE:

Brudenell Hotel (01728 452071/www.brudenellhotel.co.uk) offers doubles from £185 per night (two sharing), B&B.

The Brudenell restaurant offers a three-course meal including wine from £35.

National Express East Anglia (0845 600 7245/ www.nationalexpresseastanglia.com) offers return rail fares from London Liverpool Street to Saxmundham from £35.

Visit Suffolk: 0844 980 8504/ www.Visitsuffolk.com