Clouds

I had two weeks off work at the beginning of August.  For various reasons I wasn't able to go away but I was determined to have a proper break and took lots of days out over the fortnight. Looking through the photos I took the common theme seems to be clouds.

There were clouds over Brightlingsea,

and clouds over the sculptures in the walled garden at Marks Hall.

There were clouds over the warmup track at the Athletics World Championships in the Olympic Park in London,

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and clouds over Orford as seen from RSPB Havergate Island.

There were clouds reflected in the river Alde on the walk from Snape to Iken,

and clouds over the beach at Walton on the Naze.

Fortunately, apart from on one day, they didn't produce much rain!

I'll finish with a picture of clouds taken through the meadow of corepsis and cornflowers at Marks Hall.

If you're interested,  and want to see pictures of more than just clouds, I posted photos of my holiday everyday on my instagram feed.

An Unexpectedly Long Walk!

My plan for this afternoon was to do a circular walk from home, past Cornard Mere, through the field to Henny, where I'd been tipped off about a kingfisher family.  A walk of about 4 miles in total - see route below.

It started very well.  I set off with a packed lunch and walked through the fields

where I was joined by loads of damsel flies and sky larks singing high above me.

I walked past Cornard Mere, where I could hear water rail squealing (I've still never seen one).

under the railway bridge, across a field to the River Stour at Henny where I sat on the bridge and waited for the kingfishers (they didn't turn up).

When I was ready to go home I realised that my route back across the field was blocked - by a very large and angry sounding bull.  

He was mooing loudly and pawing the ground and I didn't think it would have been a wise move to have tried to have got past him - a detour would be required!

The biggest problem was that I was now stranded on the Essex side of the river, a river with very few bridges, and I needed a route that would let me cross the river to get back into Suffolk. I had 2 options, to walk on the road from Henny to Sudbury, which is narrow with very steep banks in places, and quite busy with cars going to the Henny Swan pub, or to find another route.  

After consulting the OS map app on my phone I started walking into Essex.  It was beautiful, and I could see, right in the distance, the spire of the church at the end of my road.

  

After a while though the footpaths deteriorated

and at one point I was having to fight my way through nettles and deeply regretting the fact I was wearing shorts!

Eventually, and I mean eventually, I crossed the river and the railway again and found myself on a small road heading back to towards home.

When I finally got home (4 hours after first setting off) I tracked my detour.  The blue route below is my intended walk, the red one is what I ended up doing, (the spike off the right near the end was me visiting the co-op for an ice-cream!).

Instead of 4.1 miles I ended up walking 7.8, I just hope the stings on my legs stop stinging soon! 

A Late November Walk

After what seems like weeks (but probably isn't) of grey days (grey in many meanings) and being stuck inside,  I needed to get out into some fresh air and sunshine so I took myself off on a long walk hoping for some blue skies and late autumn colour.

I went to Marks Hall which is about a 30 min drive from here through beautiful north Essex lanes.

Marks Hall (and yes I've checked and double checked that there shouldn't be an apostrophe there!) is 200 acres of gardens and arboretum.

The reflections in the lake were wonderful.

Along one side of the lake is the Millennium Walk which was planted specifically for autumn, winter and spring interest - there was certainly lots of contrasting colour!

On the opposite side of the lake are the walled gardens, which were sadly shut, but the view through the (locked) gate in the wall revealed that they're still full of structure and interest.

I walked further, through some of the mixed woodland

and came across some pigs munching their way through the undergrowth!

 I passed another gate to the walled gardens, also locked, with tantalising views of the lake though it,

and back to the lake, with more reflections (and water birds).

I got my fresh air and sunshine

and I got my autumn colour.

I walked for much further than this but my camera battery ran out and the photos I took on my phone aren't as good.

Here's hoping for a brighter week, in every sense of the meaning :-)

Walking in the Steps of Ancestors

Today was a glorious day, the kind of day that calls out for a long walk.  So that's exactly what I did, a wonderful circular walk along the Suffolk Essex border.  I walked from home down to the river Stour and along towards Sudbury,

across Friar's Meadow in Sudbury,

and onto the old railway line.

Nowadays the train line terminates at Sudbury, just running up and down to connect with the main line services to London at Marks Tey, but in the past this line would have taken people up to Long Melford and then on to either Bury St Edmunds or Haverhill and Cambridge.

After a short walk I left the railway line and was on the Sudbury water meadows where I came across this rather magnificent grey heron.

I walked past the old bathing pool

and across the water meadows towards Brundon Mill.

I was amazed that on this glorious day in 1/2 term that there was hardly anyone about, but it was nice to have it to myself!

At the mill the swans came to greet me.

My route then rejoined the old railway line and as I walked under some wonderful old bridges I couldn't help but think about my great great uncle David Ward, who lived in Long Melford until 1940.  He part owned the foundry there, Ward and Silver, and would have travelled by train along this very line many many times, passing under the same bridges.

I was coming back towards Sudbury now, glimpses of buildings visible from the edges of the railway line, scenes that haven't really changed since he would have travelled the same route.

Soon I was back at Friar's Meadow where the trees are just starting to turn autumn colours,

past the willow damaged in last winter's gales, bent over but not snapped, 

and back along the river to home.

If any of you are interested in walking some of this same route, the middle section was the Meadow Walk, part of the Gainsborough Trail - details of which can be found here.  

An East Anglian Mount

After a 1/2 term week that didn't go quite according to plan (peeling paint from a ceiling that now requires a plasterer is all you need to know!) I decided to stop off on my way home from Colchester today to visit somewhere that's fascinated me for ages.  It's on the Suffolk/Essex border, I think it's actually in Essex and is in a village called Mount Bures.

There's not a tremendous amount to see, just a big mound with a moat round, and some wooden steps to the top.

For years it was assumed that this mount had had a large wooden tower on the top surrounded by a defensive palisade or wooden wall but in 2011 these assumptions were questioned by evidence (or lack of it) found during a dig led by Dr Carenza Lewis from Cambridge University as part of the Managing A Masterpiece project (she is also well know from C4's Time Team programme). (More information about the findings of the dig can be found here).

They found that it was more likely to be a look out post that was not permanently manned and was possibly built by enlarging an existing bronze age burial mound.

The views from the top are certainly impressive.

It seems to have been built about 1100-1150 and would have been very prominent in this isolated area and probably sent a clear 'go away' message to any unwelcome visitors!

I'm not sure we'll ever find out exactly who built it but I'm glad I stopped and walked up it. 

A Sunny Afternoon Trip

Boris and I went for a little trip this afternoon (Boris is my car in case you were wondering!).  We drove along roads like this

with views across the Box valley to the left and huge Suffolk skies to the right.

We drove through pretty villages

until we ended up here, in Dedham on the Suffolk/Essex border.

The sun was shining on the wisteria covered houses.

One of the houses has steps going down from the pavement to this lovely little door, I wonder what's behind it?

But I didn't really come to sight see, I came to the Handmaid & Vintage Fair.  I forgot to take any pictures inside the fair as I was too busy looking at all the lovely things but there was a nice mixture of things on sale, and I did treat myself to a few little bits.

An old bottle, 2 pretty napkins (which might end up being used for something else!) and a pottery "Be Happy" dove for the grand total of £9.00.  And a lovely tissue holder to put in my handbag made of linen and liberty fabric by Poshyarns.

But these were my best bargain

They're only silver plate, and I know they look manky here, but at £3.00 for all 6 there was no way I could resist them.  And after a little bit of cleaning they now look like this

Now all I need to do is make some cake to eat with them and then we can have a tea party - anyone want to come?