By the Sea in Suffolk

A Winter Heatwave 

Back in November last year we had planned to return to Suffolk for a short break but three days before we were due to go I very clumsily managed to break my little toe.  It made sense to postpone the trip, I certainly wouldn't have been able to walk on any shingle beaches that's for sure, so we rearranged it for February.  I am so glad we did, we went last weekend when the UK enjoyed the highest February temperatures recorded and the warm weather has lasted over 5 days which makes it an official heatwave!

Hellebore at Anglesey Abbey

The Lode Mill at Anglesey Abbey

Meeting our friends at Anglesey Abbey we weaved our way through the many families enjoying the sunshine on a Friday afternoon (it was school half term holidays) to marvel at the beautiful colours in the winter garden. It really is a stunning display.  There are still hundreds of snowdrops flowering and the bright yellow, red and white stems of the plants look wonderful with pale blue irises, delicate pink cyclamen and hellebores dotted around.  We walked through the gardens and beside the Lode Mill stream, the origins of the mill can be traced to the Domesday Book of 1086.

Following up on a tip from Alastair Sawday's book 'The Extra Mile' we stopped off for a very refreshing cup of tea at Emmett's Store in Peasenhall. This family owned store was established in 1820 and sells ham and traditional bacon including the famous Suffolk Black Ham.  

We were welcomed back to Trustans Barn and settled into our rooms, this time we stayed in The Brabbin room, named after a name discovered written on a wall at the back of the barn during the barn conversion and possibly one of the stable boys from years gone by. Sally and Rosie, the owners, were interested in our plans for the long weekend and we told them that we were hoping to go to Minsmere and see murmurations again like we saw on our last visit. However the starlings had not returned to the area this year so we were to miss out on the spectacle this time.

The Kings Head at Yoxford catered well for us that evening while we planned our Saturday adventures. Clear skies and cooler temperatures overnight were perfect for star gazing and brought a misty start to the following day.

I grabbed my camera for an early morning walk around the farm to revisit Sally's sculptures, the hares, the snake and the family of deer. The mist was drifting over the fields and dew sparkled on the grasses around the pond.

Early morning dew on grasses

Sally's sculpture of  Deer

Snake

Hares

Trish cooked a hearty and delicious breakfast for us and we chatted about our route, starting in Walberswick, crossing the River Blyth and down to the mouth of the estuary and on to the beach at Southwold.



There is a ferry that runs later in the year but not in winter so we walked down to a footbridge lower down the estuary.

The ferry hut at the Walberswick side of the River Blyth

Last year we visited Southwold in dreadful weather and didn't think much of the place, but now, with the sun shining (the mist had burned off) and everyone enjoying the unseasonably warm weather, we realised that it is a lovely place with a beautiful sandy beach (unlike most of Suffolk's beaches which are shingle) and a characterful centre.  With its Lighthouse and the Adnams Brewery in the heart of the town and its iconic beach huts it is a very English seaside gem.

Southwold beach

Southwold beach huts

Adnams Brewery and Southwold Lighthouse

On our return we made a circuit of Southwold, crossing the common close to the water tower and returned to the estuary next to a great Adnams pub called the Harbour Inn, which had to be visited (of course).  I tried an Adnams Earl Grey lager and it was very fresh tasting and thirst quenching, especially while sitting outside in the sunshine.

A sign on the front of the Inn marks the height of a flood in 1953.

The Harbour Inn at Southwold

Saturday evening's meal at The Bell Inn in the nearby village of Middleton was good and the staff were very friendly.

Sunday brought another misty start before warming up into a warm and beautiful day.

Another misty morning

On the agenda today was a walk recommended by Rosie, starting at the Meare in Thorpeness, and heading south down the coast to Aldeburgh with a return inland around some marshes.

Thorpeness is an unusual place, the houses were built as a holiday village with a mock Tudor design and fairy tale houses like the House in the Clouds. The Meare is a boating lake with a Peter Pan theme, J.M. Barrie visited the village and wrote Peter Pan there.  The original Wendy House can be spotted on one of the islands in the Meare.

Feeding the swans and ducks at the Meare

Walking along the shingle beach we spotted a grand design sort of house which had unusual angles to the roof and it appeared to float above the ground on a glass walled ground floor. Copper touches glowed in the sun and lit the black tiles. With the clear sky and bright light it made me think of an Edward Hopper painting.

Arriving in Aldeburgh we saw groups of people and families milling around the Scallop shell sculpture (by Maggi Hambling), some children scrambling over the metal while their parents took photos. I tried taking multiple exposures on my camera (Panasonic LX100) to see if I could make the crowds disappear into ghostly images, but without a tripod this was not exactly successful!

A shaky multi exposure

There were long queues of people at the fish and chip shops, freshly caught fish no doubt, and we tried out the delights of the Two Magpies Bakery for lunch, excellent.

Returning to Thorpeness we spotted pink-footed geese in the marshes and Konik ponies grazing on the marsh grasses, a large hawk flew overhead and as we walked around the back of the Meare we saw a heron catch not just one but two fishes, one after the other!

The Windmill at Thorpeness

The route took us past the House in the Clouds and an old Suffolk windmill on our return around the back of the Meare.

The House in the Clouds

No visit to this area is complete without a wander around Minsmere.  This RSPB reserve, which borders the coast, is a haven for birds.  We dropped in at dusk on the off-chance that there would be some murmuration activity, but no.  We did see a muntjac deer and heard the booming of bitterns, watched marsh harriers swooping over the grasses and, best of all, saw a splendid sunset over the marshes.

Sunset over the marshes

At dinner on Sunday night (at The Kings Head again) we decided we should return to Minsmere in the morning and have an hour or two walking around the marshes and the beach before heading our separate ways back home. Luckily it was still warm, sunny weather and our visit took in a parts of the reserve we hadn't been to before, namely Island Mere hide and the viewpoint at Whin Hill (where the BBC Springwatch programme was presented).

The beach next to Minsmere Reserve

Anyone who likes nature, wildlife and fresh air will enjoy wandering around the Minsmere RSPB nature reserve, there is always something lovely to see, be that birds or grasses shimmering in the sun, reflections in the waters or delightful landscapes, plus the fresh sea breezes.  It brings a smile to your face and puts a spring in your step!

Minsmere landscape with Sizewell in the distance