Aldeburgh and Thorpeness

The Moot Hall, Aldeburgh

We started this lovely walk along the Suffolk coast at Aldeburgh's Moot Hall, strangely located just behind the sea front. It dates from 1520-40 and the ground floor was originally an open market. The term "Moot Hall" dates only from the nineteenth century as part of the Victorian restoration - building is referred to in earlier documents as the "Town Hall".

We walked along the path at the back of the beach past the profusion of fish shops and headed north. It was so misty that we could scarcely see the sea. Soon we reached the wonderful Scallop - a four-metre high steel sculpture conceived by Suffolk-born artist Maggi Hambling, and made by Aldeburgh craftsmen Sam and Dennis Pegg. This photo comes of course from an earlier visit. The Scallop was intended as a memorial to the composer Benjamin Britten, who spent much of his life in Aldeburgh and nearby Snape. When it was first unveiled in 2003 a 500 signature petition was gathered to support its removal, but it seems to now be accepted as a fine piece of public art.

As we neared Thorpeness a straggle of houses appeared at the back of the shingle beach in a whole miscellany of styles. We rather liked this glass and wood one with its oddly shaped roof. We were momentarily concerned when someone came out seconds after I took this photo - was he coming to complain about invasion of privacy? Happily not, he greeted us cheerily and proceeded to fly a kite.

A bit further on, having still not seen the sea, we turned inland along a wooden path into Thorpeness. This has a remarkable history and is one of only two planned seaside resorts in the UK (Portmeirion in North Wales is the other) developed by Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie from 1910 onwards. The first building you see, The Boathouse, was one of the first to be completed, in 1912

Behind The Boathouse is the Meare. This was once a muddy marsh fed by the Hundred River. Ogilgy stopped the river and had the Meare created as a man-made lake by hand-digging to a depth of 2.5 feet. It is still used for boating.

We headed onto into the village and were transfixed by the huge Westbar in Westgate. The top section conceals a water tower. The other houses in the street are in a sort of mock-Tudor / arts and crafts style.

We went through Westbar and turned left and left again the reach the Margaret Ogilvie Almshouses of 1928, built originally as accommodation for workers. The central section jars rather with the half-timbered wings.

Almost opposite is the Workmen's Club, which makes sense given the original function of the almshouses. A sign revealed that it has recently been converted into five separate dwellings under the collective name of Thorpeness Hall.

We returned to the lake along The Whinlands and turned right into Lakeside Avenue which led indirectly to the amazing House in the Clouds (1923). Like the Westbar, this too once concealed  a water tower, but after mains water arrived, it was converted in 1977 into a wonderful dwelling, which can now be rented as holiday accommodation.

Nearby is an old post windmill, moved here from Aldringham in 1923 and converted to pump water, which it continued to do until the advent of mains water.

We headed now towards rather strange gold club building ...

... and walked along a path parallel to the coast back towards Aldeburgh. There were woods to our right and marshland to our left. On reaching Aldeburgh we passed a holiday home site and headed towards the town centre passing All Saints church. The base of the tower, the south aisle and the unusual porch all date from about 1300.

At the bottom of the hill we turned right into the long High St: charming and full of character, although no single building is especially distinguished. At the end on the right, we enjoyed this charming and fairly typical group, although the steps up to the door of the former Customs House were rather unusual.

We carried on to the edge of Aldeburgh, in sight of the Martello tower at Slaughden and concluded by retracing our steps to the Moot Hall.

Conditions: grey and misty.

Distance: 5 miles.

From: a new site for me, Go for walkies (though it lacked a map).

Rating: five stars.

Dedham to Flatford Mill

High Street, Dedham

Pevsner describes Dedham as "easily the most attractive small town in Essex" and as we arrive here with our friends Dave and Chris we are inclined to agree. We parked near Dedham Mill and walked up to the High Street to see the church of St Mary the Virgin.

This is a typical wool church, started in 1492 in the Perpendicular gothic style.

A little further up the High Street is the former Grammar School in pair of early Georgian houses. John Constable apparently went to school here.

We walked further along, and continued into Brook Street then Crown St to see two sets of almshouses. Barfield's Almshouses date from 1834.

Dunton's Almshouses, further up the road, date from the 16th century but were rebuilt in 1806 and modernised in 1966. They are less visually interesting.

We retraced our steps and headed across the fields towards the River Stour.

This was slightly confusing as we have only recently completed the Stour Valley Path in Dorset. After walking across the water meadows we reached a bridge across the river with the National Trust tea shop known as Bridge Cottage on the far bank. A family of swans enlivened the foreground.

After crossing the river into Suffolk, we turned right passing the exquisite Valley Farm on our left ...

... to reach Flatford Mill, where Constable painted the celebrated Haywain.

Nearby is Willy Lott's House, the subject of another of Constable's pictures.

We now retraced our steps and walked up the hill away from the river and along a path by the road to reach East Bergholt. Pevsner describes St Mary's church as "eminently picturesque" with its incomplete tower and brick west end.

The church was begun in the 15th century and the tower in 1525. It seems that construction soon stopped, never to be resumed. The church bells were placed in an unusual structure in the churchyard called a Bell Cage and are still rung from there.

From here, we walked back a little way along the road and turned right to walk down a track towards the river and return to Dedham across the water meadows, finally reaching the bridge and mill.

Conditions: cold with a threat of rain.

Distance: just over 4 miles.

Map: Explorer 196 (Sudbury, Hadleigh and Dedham Vale).

Rating: four stars. Full of interest.

Ipswich

The Waterfront

We were in Suffolk for a family visit and decided to stay over to have a look at the county town. We started our walk on the redeveloped quayside of the River Orwell, now called the Waterfront. Where we admired the view and the Old Custom House of 1844. The tower off to one side of the street side is a nice touch.

We headed towards the town centre along Fore Street where there are a number of fine 16th century houses. We especially liked this one at number 24.

We doubled back into Foundation St, passed the scanty ruins of the Blackfriars Abbey, and went to to see Tooley's Almhouses.

This is a large a picturesque group designed as a double quadrangle with a small central gatehouse. They were founded nearby in 1550, but rebuilt in 1846.

We retraced our steps and followed Tacket St and St Stephen's Lane to reach the Buttermarket with the impressive tower of St Lawrence church ahead of us. It dates from the 15th century, but the tower was rebuilt in 1882.

On our right was the extraordinary Ancient House (once known according to Pevsner as Sparrowe's House). The outside is covered with pargetting which Pevsner dates to 1670. The house itself is older and goes back to the 15th century. It is now a branch of Lakeland Plastics.

As we headed up Dial St we spotted this extraordinary shopfront on the right. It is now Pickwick coffee shop, but was once an opticians and although in a 16th century building was given this wonderful art nouveau makeover around 1900. On the wall to the left an advertisement of that time which has just been uncovered.

Oak House in Northgate St was a wonderful example of a late 15th or early 16th century timber-framed house. A plaque explains that it has been much restored and in fact contains elements take from other old houses.

Further up the street is the Pykenham Gatehouse of 1471. Pykenham was Archdeacon of Suffolk and this was the entrance to his mansion.

At the end we crossed the road to come to Christchurch Park and the Christchurch Mansion. The site was once occupied by an Augustinian Priory which was sold after the dissolition of eh monasteries. The new owners built the mansion in 1548-50. It is now a museum, with a strong collection of works by Constable and Gainsborough, butwe resisted teh temptation to explore. We also ignored St Margaret's church nearby.

Instead, we headed back into town past St Mary-le-Tower, mostly of 1860-70. The 176ft high spire is impressive.

And followed the Buttermarket to reach the Town Hall. Pevsner is pretty scathing ("quite - i.e. totally - undistinguished"), but we thought it did the job well. The central projecting columns were very effective.

In nearby Elm Street were Mrs Smith's Almshouses of 1760, a very simple construction.

And not far a way was the remarkable Willis building. It was the work of Norman Foster and dates from 1970-75. You can just see a hint of the grassy roof garden. It still looks remarkably modern.

Finally, we walked back to the start along College St where we admired this beautiful pair of houses.

The one on the left carries a plaque explaining that Cardinal Wolsey lived nearby and there is a statue of the great man sitting on his throne on the pavement opposite.

Conditions: a beautiful sunny morning. Great for walking, but it made some photographs very difficult.

Distance: about 2 miles.

Rating: Four stars.