A photographic exhibition has opened at the Court Gallery, Sutton Hoo, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The exhibition, which features images of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, is open daily from 11am – 4.30pm until Sunday 3rd September.

The photographic show has been staged by the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB Partnership as a way of show-casing all that’s best about the area and has been made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Adnams.

On view are over 50 high quality colour and black and white photographs of the area by two local photographers: Malcolm Farrow, Communications Officer with the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Unit, and Tony Pick, who runs the well known ‘Coast Images’ photography business in Aldeburgh. Both have many years of experience behind the camera and share a keen commitment to capturing Suffolk's coast and countryside in all its glory. The images are available for sale and can also be viewed and ordered on-line by visiting the Coastal Images website and then viewing the online shop: http://www.coastalimages.co.uk/

Commenting on the exhibition, David Wood, Chairman of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Partnership said: "This exhibition is intended to be far more than just a set of beautiful pictures. I hope it will encourage everyone who visits the show to think about what makes the Suffolk Coast and Heaths such a special place and what needs to be done to keep it that way.”

The Suffolk Coast and Heaths is one of two AONBs in Suffolk (the other is the Dedham Vale) and was created in 1970. It is part of the ‘family’ of 41 AONBs in England and Wales that, together with 11 National Parks and many Heritage Coasts, make up some of Britain’s finest countryside.

The exhibition can be viewed again at the Peter Pears Gallery, Aldeburgh, in September.