Reinterred: Flower of Suffolk Walk

One of the things I have been missing has been the LDWA Challenge Walks. The Daffodil Dawdle at the end of March, which I enjoyed last year (as described here), got cancelled, but the Flower of Suffolk Walk, which I did in rather spectacularly inclement weather last October (see here) has been re-invented as a self-guided walk for this year.

Robert from the Norfolk and Suffolk LDWA invited Joyce to bring along some friends and do it with him. So the Norfolk Nomads from our walk in January were reconvened for the occasion with the addition of our regular companion Roland. I was looking forward to doing it again without getting drenched.

These were the joining instructions...

"Meet at Dunwich beach car park, Beach Rd, Dunwich, IP17 3EN (grid ref :TM 478 706) for 8.45 am start.

Please bring all food and drink for day, although there may be an opportunity along the route, for coffee / ice creams etc. Just like a real LDWA Challenge Event we could have a meal at the end of walk (about 4.00 pm) at the https://www.floratearoomsdunwich.co.uk/ As you may know the café is renowned for its fish and chips.

To receive a route description, and certificate you should register at https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?elid=Y&event_id=7384 Cost £5.00. For an additional neck scarf the total cost is £8.00. Alternatively you can pay me cash on the day, and provide email address, your distance walked and time. N&S LDWA will arrange to let you have your certificate. I look forward to seeing you on the day. Walking regards,

Robert"

I signed up via SI Entries and got the route description and .GPX file, which I used to print a map of the route.

This was how we walked it on the day...

Here are some of my photos.

We were well wrapped up at the start as the wind was rather strong, but it wasn't long before the layers came off and I was down to my T-shirt.

We headed along the cliff edge with a view of the sea. There were social distancing signs saying "Danger. Keep 2m away from the Cliff".

We passed Greyfriars Abbey and turned inland. No need to stop and read the display signs. I'd seen them all on this walk with Dawn and William recently, which overlapped quite a bit with our walk today,

The heather is out on Dunwich Heath, but past its best in places.

The Coastguards Cottages are quite a landmark and host the National Trust Tea-room. I didn't know you could holiday at the Woodlark Apartment upstairs.

Into the woods around Minsmere. And there we found this. A relative of the Cambridge Dinky Doors, perhaps?

Checkpoint 1, although there was no-one to check us, was the Eel's Foot in Eastbridge.

It was only 10:15 and the pub wasn't officially open, but we stall managed to get teas and coffees.

I had never noticed this sculpture near the pub sign before.

It's a curious name. This is what the pub's web site has to say...

"The history and name of The Eel's Foot Inn dates back as far as 1533. Recorded in the parish records as an Ale House situated somewhere near the present location. The current Eel’s Foot Inn building dates back to 1642, when it was originally two cottages. The third cottage was added on in approximately 1725. You may notice the wonderful looking dressers in this room, and these are original (c1725) and were made by an Essex carpenter hence the fancy columns and arches, Suffolk dressers go straight across at the top.

As far as records show the middle cottage became the village pub in the late 17th century. This was formally the cobbler’s cottage.

We cannot be sure how the pub got its name. It may have come from Heel's Foot, a cobblers implement, or more likely named after the Eel's Boot, a type of woven reed basket used in Eel Fishing. A more fanciful explanation is that it is a derivation of Neale's Boot, named after a medieval priest who trapped the Devil in his boot and tossed him into the river. The Devil escaped disguised as an eel! The Eel’s Foot, because of its close proximity to the sea was a favourite stop off point for travellers, drovers and smugglers." ...and a favourite for the BBC Springwatch crew... and walkers like us!

Onwards towards Walberswick now. We soon came to the bit which was a raging torrent last time out. This video shows what it was like when I did it last.

We passed the grand Potton Hall, home of a famous recording studio, spa and a prestigious wedding venue.

The next checkpoint would have been in the 5-ways car park near here if it existed but we didn't bother crossing the road and back to get to it and found a quiet spot out of the wind for our lunch.

Now we headed east back towards the sea through the reed beds of Westwood Marshes

For a lot of it we couldn't see anything, but eventually we emerged from the undergrowth..

We passed the ruins of Westwood Marshes Mill. Interestingly, the route notes state it's a "derelict brick drainage pump tower (it isn't a mill!)". So is it or isn't it?
.

As we walked beside the Dunwich River we saw a hovering bird of prey over the marshes. That will be a marsh harrier then, I think. What else could it be?

Approaching Walberswick now, we had a good view of Southwold, not that far away.

And we got a short stretch along the sea shore. There were plenty of people on the beach. Anyone would think it was the summer holidays. Oh, hang on a minute... it is!"