The Estate We’re In

Having lived in the area for the better part of a decade, I moved to Aldeburgh in 2021. Like many tourist hotspots, finding a parking space is a perennial challenge. It was on the regular circuits around my home, seeking a Fiat 500* sized gap, that I began to notice the sheer number of estate cars parked.

Big, luxury cars have always been seen as a touch gauche in these parts. During the summer, the town's residents bristle at the numerous Chelsea tractors that clog the narrow streets. As we’ve become increasingly conscious of their environmental impact, SUV’s are increasingly seen as unnecessary status symbols, three quarters of which will never set wheel in a muddy field. Perish the thought of an Aldeburgh resident owning one… oh dear, no.

However, is there a way to get a luxury car fix, to experience the ultimate driving machine, whilst slipping under the radar? Does an estate car offer that opportunity without drawing disapproving looks from your neighbours?

The Estate We’re In documents all the estates parked around town on a single spring day.

*Shortly after making this project, the Fiat was replaced by my own estate car (a 10 year old BMW), the irony of which wasn’t lost on me. However, a year of driving pleasure was brought to an end by a crueler irony, when a muntjack casually strolled into the road immediately in front of me on the A12. Both deer and car shared the same sad fate.