Snape Maltings in 2009. The "Creative Campus" at Snape Maltings has four performance venues (from 70 to 830 capacity) and over 20 rehearsal and public spaces. Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Concert Hall Gallery, Oyster Bar and Restaurant Built by Newson Garrett in the mid-19th century, the 832-seat Concert Hall began life as a malthouse. Officially opened in 1967 by HM Queen Elizabeth II, the Hall suffered serious fire damage two years later, re-opening in time for the Aldeburgh Festival the following year. The conversion of the building was undertaken by Arup Associates, with the acoustics supervised by Derek Sugden. Britten Studio, Jerwood
Snape, Suffolk of this process (by a Saxmundham bone merchant, Edward Packard) led to what has been dubbed "the Suffolk Gold Rush", and local fortunes were made (Packard established what was to become the fertiliser company Fisons, now part of AstraZeneca). Sugar beet was also an important product; it was first grown commercially in and exported to the Netherlands from Snape. The Maltings, producing and exporting high-quality malted barley, was a fourth important industry, which bequeathed buildings to the fifth significant industry: tourism. Snape had already tasted success as a tourist destination, for in the 18th and 19th centuries the Snape Race