Date & Time: Tuesday 24th August 2009.

Location : Pin Mill on the River Orwell, and over to Old Felixstowe ( TM 206 380 )

Places visited : Pin Mill and Felixstowe Ferry.

Walk details : A morning ramble and an afternoon walk.

Highest point : Finding the old seaside attractions as good as ever.

With : Cathy, grandsons Sam and Alexander, Ann and the dogs, Theo, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Beautifully sunny with large cloud shadow passing over at one point.

Day 3 - Pin Mill and Old Felixstowe.

 Old Felixstowe Ferry

Map created by EveryTrail

 

Day three in the camp and some of the members of the Big Brother house are already up and about !

No seriously . . . we're getting settled in here at Pin Mill.

Richard has had to return to London as work was calling, but for us the weather continues with sunshine and blue skies.

Cathy and I take the dogs for an early morning walk up river.

Pin Mill can be seen nestled under the trees as we follow the river upstream.

We pass an old houseboat . . . it does actually float at high spring tides.

The next village up is Wolverstone and it is home to the Royal Harwich Yacht Club.

They have an extensive little marina with floating berths dredged out of the side of the river channel.

Through the rigging we can see the high level Orwell Bridge taking the traffic over to Felixstowe.

It may be slightly muddy, but the water reflects the names of the boats well.

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After a late breakfast we drive over to Felixstowe.

A classic seaside town complete with pier and promenade.

At the head of the pier are the seaside amusements,

and over the back of town, four of the rather tall container cranes we saw yesterday.

   
The water fountain, at a slightly jaunty angle.
A colourful terrace in the seashore pleasure garden.

Further up the promenade we stop for a view of the grand houses and classic beach huts.

North and up through town

the road climbs slightly, then returns back down to the seashore

where we are encouraged to park at the end of the shingle beach.

- - - - o o o - - -

This matched with our plans . . . all very convenient.

We wanted to walk the last mile or so along to the River Deben

and village of Felixstowe Ferry

From here to the ferry the dunes are home to a golf course and two old defensive Martello Towers,

built to give early warning and protection from the possible invasion by Napoleon and the French Navy.

More beach huts painted in classic British seaside colours.

The coast around here is characterised by the effects of erosion and deposition of sand and shingle. Further down the beach the wooden groynes fail to hold the shingle from being washed away, but here the effects of the sea currents lead to a build up of the beach. The groynes have been totally overtaken and only the marker posts remain above the shingle.

Stone beach defences seem redundant in view of the new outline of the foreshore.

More green cones seem to march up the beach like redundant sentinels.

An old Martello Tower at the back of the beach.

It was potentially a defensive structure to house an officer and twenty or so men and would have been capable of having a cannon mounted on the roof.

Martello Towers are not just a British phenomena . . . read more here if you wish.

One of yesterdays blue hulled Maersk container boats has left Felixstowe, bound for Europe presumably.

Cathy sits on the beach as the kids take the opportunity to play.

Alexander throwing stones for Harry to chase.

Enjoying similar sport, Sam with Theo and Harry.

Cathy has found a stick for the dogs to chase.

Theo wins as Harry and Bethan play (!) in the breaking surf.

Suddenly Theo has a growth spurt.

For Alexander's sake I hope he is not feeling hungry !

Walking up the beach we approach the estuary with views across to the Bawdsey Manor Hotel across the way.

Dark skies above yet we are bathed in reasonably bright sunshine.

There's a strong breeze which drives this boats easily up river towards the moorings.

Seascape.

The coming and goings of some rather nice sail boats.

New sea defences line the river as we make our way up to the next tower.

This one is in private hands and has been converted into residential accommodation.

The occupants of the first beach hut are determined to enjoy the day despite the grey skies and a hint of rain.

The Martello Towers were each built of thousands of imported bricks

but the network of structures were redundant within a few years of being built

as the Napoleonic threat had been much reduced by the victory of Nelson and his troops at the Battle of Trafalgar.

A now abandoned and rotten hull of a once loved clinker built racing dinghy.

The great British seaside resort.

Boats, ice creams, ferries and fish sellers.

The ferry boat is doing good business today,

busy making the short crossing over to the Bawdsey peninsular and back on a frequent basis.

Those that were not crossing were trying to catch small fish with a net

or crabbing with a string and baited hook.

All aboard for the short crossing of the fast flowing tidal river.

An classic old gaff rigged fishing sloop fights the incoming tide.

I think a modern inboard engine may be helping it's rapid progress seaward.

After lunch of fish and chips at the Old Felixstowe Beach Cafe,

we indulged ourselves in some rather nice, if slightly runny chocolate ice cream from the nearby kiosk.

Making our way back now, the sun is out again

and the clouds that added a chill to our outward walk have all but gone.

Back along the beach - if anyone finds some black framed sunglasses they might be mine !

   
Harry confidently approaches the surf . . .
. . . which breaks with a rather off-putting crash . . .

Help . . . they don't have waves like this on my local lakes . . . I'm off !

The waves were not off-putting to this lady swimmer.

Back to the steps at the far end of the beach.

 

It's been a busy walk with lots of activity

following on from that rather nice lunch

and ice cream.

 

- - - o o o - - -

 

Alexander take the opportunity

to enjoys a few moments sleep

on the way home.

 

- - - o o o - - -

 

Had I not been driving I might well have joined him.

 

 

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with Ann's Cannon 75 or my Cannon G7 Digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a plate of fresh seaside Fish and Chips.

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Previous walk - Monday 24th August 2009 Day 2 - Sunrise and Shotley Gate

A previous time here - 4th to 6th April 2006 A family visit to Pin Mill in 2006

Next walk - Wed/Thurs 26/27th August 2009 Day 4/5 - Pin Mill and Home

 

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