Suffolk Weekend

Maritime Woodbridge - 13 September 2008

Looking past Sailing Barge Victor to the Tide Mill. Victor, built in 1895 at the Dock End Yard in Ipswich for work in the linseed oil trade, is now one of the oldest remaining Thames sailing barges still working and is available for charter.

The Tide Mill was open with free admission today

The tidal pool

From the Tide Mill, looking downriver.

Looking down on Victor and some of the other historic boats here today

Lucy on board Dinah. The yacht was built in 1887 for the Hon Reginald Brougham (the inventor of metal golf drivers) as a personal yacht. She was extensively restored in 2006.

Looking past boats (with a pirate-hatted man) to the Tide Mill

The Nancy Blackett - "The best little boat I ever had" said Arthur Ransome of her. She featured as Goblin in his book 'We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea'. Built in 1931, Nancy is a 28-feet long Hillyar 7-tonner. Exactly like the Goblin she has roller-reefing, and four bunks and a little white sink opposite a tiny galley. Since 1997 she has been maintained by the Nancy Blackett Trust

Lucy looks down the forehatch

Peter Duck was another of Ransome's boats. Built in 1946 by Harry King at Pin Mill she was intended to be easily handled as his health failed

Ragged Robin III was named Lottie Blossom by Arthur Ransome, her first owner, for whom she was built in 1952.

Framlingham Castle - 14 September 2008

From the ramparts of Framlingham Castle, looking across to three of the thirteen towers.

Looking north to the site of the Great Park. The 600-acre park could hold 1600 deer amongst other wildlife, and provided food and hunting for the castle

The mere, fed by the River Ore. It is only a fifth of its size in the Middle Ages

Some of the many chimneys on the castle. Each is a different design, and most of them are purely decorative, emphasising the growing role of the castle as a luxurious home rather than as a defensive stronghold

Looking down on the poorhouse, the only building inside the ramparts that is still standing.

The main entrance to the castle, crossing the deep moat

Lucy, Ellie and Henry explore the moat

Looking across the site of the Great Hall, with its two chimneys: the hall was there before the ramparts, which were built to abut the wall of the hall, hence the great thickness here. The arch on the left was added later, and led to a bridge across the moat to gardens

Shingle Street - 14 September 2008

I'm not sure what these are properly called, but they are effectively kite-surfers, and were moving very rapidly in the stiff breeze. The shingle continues to shift here, and the river is much nearer to the sea-wall than it was 25 years ago.

The cottages on the beach at Shingle Street.