Shotley Peninsula walk

13 April 2014

With Lucy at a rally trial at Holbrook and wanting dogs swapped over in the middle of the day, I planned a nearby walk. We did a bit of geocaching together near Shotley church, and then I walked around the peninsula - I'd walked much of this in the other direction when walking the Stour & Orwell Walk, but remembered how attractive it was, and so it was a good chance to go again and see it from a different angle.

Walking from Shotley church, we head for the River Orwell, with the cranes of Felixstowe Docks prominent on the skyline.

Lottie and George are with me for this little outing

We've reached the river bank which will take us down to Shotley Marina. The route north from here was closed because of damage from the storm surge in December, though there is a lack of signage or documentation making that clear to those not in the know - very possibly it was on this new barrier at one stage, but not when we were there.

A look upriver

And downriver, with Lottie inspecting some of the erosion and damage here from the storm surge.

Leisure on the left and industry on the right - our view as I stopped for my sandwich.

Lottie has a closer look at the marina

Lunch time view

A bit further around the corner, a similar view, looking out to sea in the middle, up the Orwell to the left, and up the Stour to the right

Lottie keeps cool in the shade while I search for a geocache. The remains of this concrete structure overlooking the river have an uncertain past - it dates back at least to World War II when the area was owned by the Navy, but it was almost certainly a part of coastal fortifications and is widely believed to have been a gun emplacement.

Heading along the river path. The Stour & Orwell Walk route is inland at this point, so this was new territory for me.

Lottie inspects the gabions, protecting the path from what had been some rapid erosion

They are now being attacked from the landward side, too. Frankly it is remarkable that the path wasn't barricaded off for my safety, but I was grateful for the absence of such protection, and carefully made my way around the landslip.

A last look back at the Stour before we head inland back to Shotley village and the car.