Tattingstone Walk

A hastily arranged walk today - plan C for Joyce who's first two plans had to be cancelled.

"A few of us are walking tomorrow if you’re interested?" was the message yesterday afternoon. We met in Tattingstone and did a shorter version of the walk I led for the Bury St. Edmunds U3A Longer Walking group from Stutton in March (see here). This was our route today:

Here are a few photos.

We parked and started our walk around the corner from Tattingstone Church and headed for Alton Water.

We passed a vegetable stall but didn't buy anything.

We stopped to admire the Tattingstone Wonder. 

As described on the village website here... "Tattingstone is renowned for its folly, The Wonder. This listed building was originally two workers’ cottages but was transformed in 1790 by local squire, Thomas White, who lived at Tattingstone Place. He added a third cottage, a fake tower and a flint façade to complete the illusion that it was a church he could see from his estate.

So well known was the building that it featured in Shell Petroleum’s advertising campaign “To visit Britain’s Landmarks” with artist W J Steggles producing a poster featuring the building in 1937. Historian and broadcaster, Lucinda Lambton also featured it in her 1980’s television programme exploring follies in England and it features in her book Album of Curious Houses."

The path around Alton Water was dry and leaf-littered.

After searching in vain for Amethyst Deceiver mushrooms in Argent Manor woods we crossed this field.

We initially thought they were radishes, but I think they are small purple top turnips.

Nearing Stutton, we passed  Baker's Almshouses, built in the second half of the 19th century.

The excellent community shop supplied Roland with a cup of tea, Joyce with some chocolate and me a pork pie.

On our way to the Stour estuary shoreline, there were some carrots growing just by the path. After our conversation earlier about my radish and carrot pickle, Tania insisted on pulling one out for me.

We saw a flock of geese rise from the field as we passed.

We arrived at the shoreline at Graham's Wharf - or what remains of it. Here we had a view of Felixstowe docks in the distance.

The tide was out and the mud glinted in the low sun as we looked across the estuary to Essex.

We liked these tangled and gnarled solver birch trees and grey/purple grass.

We left the river at Stutton Mill. It's a lovely house in a lovely position.

On our way back to Tattingstone now we got some nice views as we descended to the bottom of Vale Lane 

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In the woods beside us were plenty of mushrooms, including fly agarics.

As we neared Tattingstone we could see the Winder again across the fields.

Soon after we were back at the start via Back Lane. 

Thank-you Joyce for leading the walk (and for the lift) and Roland and Tania for the company.

You can see more details of our route here on MapMyWalk and more of my photos here on Flickr.