" Pin Mill and The Clamp "

Date & start time: 8th / 9th August 2012.

Location : Pin Mill Village, on the River Orwell near Ipswich, Uk ( Map Ref: TM 206 380 )

Places visited : The Clamp, back to Pin Mill and then finally to Troutbeck in the Lakes !

Walk details :   A shorter walk close to the village.

Highest point : A whole seventy five feet above sea level !

Walked with : Daughter Cathy and the dogs, Theo, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Sunny and warm.

The final two days of our visit and the sun shines more favourably for us. 

Cathy and I walk the dogs down river to the house known as The Clamp and after one last job we return home to the Lakes via Troutbeck.

Cathy leads the way as she and I take the older dogs for a slightly longer walk from her home.

Ann is Boris-sitting with the help of Alexander.

The tide is rising but is not yet full in . . . both these boats will float when the water reaches its height.

The nearer boat has the name of Generation Journey.

Generation Journey is a UK based charitable organisation created to support the lesser privileged children throughout the world.

These guys rowed in from one of the yachts moored out in the channel.

I think they were aiming for the Butt and Oyster . . . they'll not be alone then !

The old  Melissa Thames Barge. . .	. . . and the newer Nina of Daresbury sailing cruiser.

The Thames Barge was moored up opposite the pub, the sailing cruiser on the yacht club pontoon close by.

[ Note an old barge with red sails in the background of the second photo . . . more in a moment.]

Pin Mill has a community of houseboats moored up just downstream from the pub.

The whole area has been cleaned up in recent years and is looking a lot tidier.

After a woodland walk following the river down, we emerge onto the water side once again at The Clamp.

Moored out is a rather nicely painted barge, its sails furled but ready.

The barge board hanging amidships is lowered into the water once under way and compensated for the lack of a deep keel on these old river boats.

Fortunately it's high tide and the water is clean rather than muddy !

The old barge that had been following us down the river was slowly approaching so we waited to see it pass.

It was a nice day after and time was not pressing us back home.

Under sail on the Orwell

I believe this is one of the Top Sail barges doing a commercial river cruise out of Ipswich.

The old barge is mid-channel and will pass us soon.

Keen eyes will see a stern wave from the front of the boat !

She had stopped mid river and was in the process of turning round (under power) for the return trip back up to Ipswich.

It must have been a shorter sailing trip rather than the full day out.

Our dogs play "hunt the stick" . . .	. . . as the passengers set sail again for their journey back.

We leave the river and walk slightly inland, toward the higher ground on the top side of the woods.

On the way we passed a small lake which was looking delightful this summer afternoon.

Cow Parsley and thistle, the latter having its seeds blown in the gentle breeze by the lake.

Common Blue damsel fly on the water's edge.	We glimpse the barge later, this time through the trees.

Back at the slipway in the centre of the village.

The tide is further in now and the boats are nearly afloat.

Cathy and Richard's house in over the back of the Harry Kings boatyard complex.

One last job . . . to repaint the garden sculpture.	Silver and gold, coincidently like the topical Olympic medals.

[ Sorry about the scruff painting gear . . . or lack of it . . . right hand photo taken later by Richard ]

- - - o o o - - -

I did scrub up well for the journey home . . .

. . . in order to attend an evening meal at the Mortal Man in Troutbeck (Ambleside) to celebrate Ed's birthday.

Myself, Susan, Ann and birthday boy Edmund (age not disclosed !)

The famous Mortal Man pub sign . . .	. . . and an equally attractive one alongside

Terms and conditions apply . . . please read the small print !

(sorry about the blur . . . I was being distracted by the dogs and that's my story and I'm sticking to it)

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with my Canon G10 digital camera.

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

This site best viewed with . . .  a glass of that free beer !

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Previous walk - 6th / 7th August 2012 Meting Boris at Pin Mill

A previous time up here - 22nd August 2011 Constable Country

Next walk - 20th August 2012 Grey Knotts with Paula and Sue