26 April 2009

To the sea . . . almost.

I slept well after yesterday's festivities and dressed hurriedly to join Anthea, my sister, walking Solo across the fields. This is routine and the walk follows public footpaths around the fields of the farmland surrounding the village. Another beautiful day despite forecasts predicting cloudier weather with a 10% chance of rain showers. After breakfast I took myself off to Woodbridge to see one of my longstanding friends Steve. He's lived and worked around Woodbridge and East Suffolk for well over twenty years now. After the obligatory cup of tea and a catch up chat with ours 'doings' since we last talked in person eleven years ago we took a long walk around the beautiful town of Woodbridge. I'd already taken a tour by car as I could not find my way to Steve's bachelor pad forgetting I had to make a complete turn around a roundabout (Am. Eng. = traffic circle) to make the turn into Haugh Lane off which he lives so I ended up in Melton, realized my mistake headed back to and through Woodbridge and this time I reached Martlesham before turning back and finally asking a young man for directions. No, I don't need satelite navigation thank you very much and I do think I have a fairly good sense of direction it's just my memory that's a little faulty sometimes.
Many local pubs are struggling to stay open and nearly all serve good food to help make ends meet. This is the Angel just off the Market Square where sits the Town Hall and another fashionably popular pub.
Two views of Woodbridge Shire Hall.

Just off Market Hill is the parish church dedicated, as so many churches were in mediaeval times, to St Mary. The imposing tower houses ten bells the tenor weighing about 25cwt. And, yes, I have rung at a practice night there many years ago. I know, I know the tower appears to be toppling over backwards . . .

One of the pleasant shopping streets; this one is very pleasant as Browsers is on this street . . . yes, a book shop!

Woodbridge is a wonderful example of an English country town. It sits at the head of the estuary of the river Deben. The tide-mill is a famous landmark on the waterfront near the quay. The town was bombed by a zeppelin in the Great War (WW I) and many American servicemen from the nearby bases knew the town well.
A typical street of cottages

The Wilford Bridge, a pub just outside Woodbridge on the road to Orford, where we stopped to eat. Adnam's is a local (Southwold) well known brewery



Two views of the Ore from the quay at Orford. Henry II built a castle here; there are fine views from the top of the keep.

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