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Relaxing Suffolk

Saturday, September 24, 2005

I think it is safe to say we had an absolutely wonderful week in Suffolk. And I think it is even safer to say we'll be back!

As we drove towards the barn, coming up alongside a freshly ploughed field with an orchard ahead we could tell we were going to chill out and have a brilliant break.

We always intended on relaxing but that is not to say we didn't get out and about.

We were blessed with wonderful weather which enabled us to make the most of our holiday.

On the first day we settled in to the accommodation after a wonderful greeting from the owners, complete with a huge basket of fresh farm goods to eat and a basket full of logs for the Ingle Nook fireplace.

We decided to go for a walk and ended up at Edwardstone where we investigated the village and the church before heading back, stopping at the White Horse for a drink.

There must have been something about the relaxing atmosphere, the peace and quiet and the fresh air as we were quite tired so went to bed early and got a great nights sleep.

The following day we both rose early to a view of the sun just rising over the horizon and the early morning mist evaporating off the fields. The barn had a wonderful double shower (ahem...) which invigorated you.

We had planned a trip to Orford Ness and made an early drive across Suffolk. I was not entirely sure what to expect of Orford or the Ness.

For those of you who don't know, Orford Ness has only recently been purchased by the National Trust as an area of outstanding natural beauty, it's been preserved as a nature reserve and an important record of our military history. This is because, until recently, the shingle spit that extrudes off the coast into the North Sea used to house a secret military facility which was used to build and test various weapons such as the casing for the A Bomb and bounce testing for Barnes Wallaces Bouncing Bomb of World War II.

I admit this isn't the usual kind of place you plan to visit but it was definitely different.

From the moment we stepped off the ferry onto the island the atmosphere changed. Behind us was picturesque, quaint Orford and Suffolk and ahead of us was a pretty barren grey landscape full of concrete and decaying buildings. It took a fair while to walk the length of the Ness and during this time I think it is safe to say we both felt moved and intrigued by what had happened on the spit in years gone by.

I did make a comment to Richard that at other trust properties you had to keep on the path to preserve the grass, if you strayed off the path on the Ness you were in danger of being blown up!

There really is so much to take in on the Ness, it was no wonder it took us most of the day.

The Ness really is a place of contrasts, there is fascinating military history, an untold history, an undistributed beauty, a great landscape, a nice beach and wonderful wildlife.

I actually find it hard to describe what the feeling was on the Ness as I have never experienced anything like it before.

One can only imagine what the lighthouse keeper must have seen over the years.

The following day we decided to take a short drive to Flatford Mill to see the beautiful landscapes that inspired Constable. I found it a little difficult visualizing exactly what he saw when he painted the Hay Wain but I can tell how you'd get bitten by the creative bug. So much so, I have just invested in a new set of paints.

Following Flatford Mill we took a drive cross country to Long Melford where we spent a pleasurable afternoon wandering around it's many antique shops. I have to admit I found this more interesting than Melford Hall which we visited shortly after. It was a very grand Tudor house but the interior was a real disappointment.

A much more interesting building and interior was that of Lavenham Guildhall which was the home of Corpus Cristi. This really was an astonishing building, or rather Tudor street. In fact the majority of Lavenham is pretty much how it was originally constructed in Tudor times. The houses look so frail, they remind me of huge dominoes waiting to be toppled at any moment.

We decided to drive into Kersey in the evening as we were reliably informed it was a lovely village, the information was not wrong. The streets (or rather street) was typically narrow with a ford just edging over the road, enough to keep the cars from speeding and allowing the ducks a unique place to paddle. We went to The Bell Inn for the evening and had a lovely meal. The locals were very accommodating and the whole evening was very relaxed.

As we had spent the previous day fairly close to the barn we decided to take another longer drive north into Suffolk. We went further North than Orford, along the coast to a place called Dunwich Heath, a rolling landscapes of wild purple heather, met by a shingle and golden sand beach, dramatically punctuated by the shadows of Sizewell Nuclear Power Station.

It felt so nice to wander around Dunwich, in many ways it reminded Richard and I of home. I thought it was very interesting that such an expanse of heath could be right next to the coast.

We savoured the fresh sea air, scented by the heather, relaxing on the beach and watching the wonderful wildlife that resides on this coast. As well as the birds in the RSPB reserve we also happened across an Adder and the odd seal.

After a filling lunch at the Coastguard Cottages we took a drive to Sutton Hoo. This is a rather odd place as basically it's a field full of big mounds in the ground. Of course this being Britain there is much more to the mounds than meets the eye. The mounds were excavated several years ago and underneath was the greatest example of Anglo Saxon remains. The main mound was the burial chamber of a king complete with all his worldly goods, his horse and his boat! The Hoo is quite a mysterious spot but worth a visit.

The time went spent back at the barn was very relaxed, and quiet. The view from the large sofa was stunning, long horizons of ploughed fields and country side, met with large gentle skies. Of course this peace was periodically broken whenever we'd open the barn doors as the ducks were rush towards us expecting food! We also managed to inherit the farm cat, Maxi for the duration of our stay. He'd wait patiently when we got up to be let in for breakfast or to curl up with us in front of the open fire.

I am sure I could write so much more but I won't - I am sure this will give a general impression of our time away.