Ruins in Covehithe

We headed north up the A22 to explore, stopping first at Kessingland from which we could see as far as Lowestoft, the most easterly settlement in England. Marram grass was planted behind the beach in the 1900s by Henry Rider Haggard who had a holiday home here and it has reduced erosion.

A stop for a walk and coffee and we drove back to Covehithe and parked behind others at the side of a lane. Covehithe was a thriving community with a wealth to rival Lowestoft in the 14th century when St Andrews church was built. Later the river silted up, the population dwindled and the church fell into disrepair and was pulled down except for the tower, and the stone used to build a smaller church within the ruins which has been in use since 1672.

Then we made our way about a mile down the footpath to the beach, past a field of pigs, having a lovely time in a muddy puddle.

Needless to say, with more effort required to reach it and no facilities, there were few visitors. We could see Southwold about 3 miles away, although the beach between the two is only passable at low tide due to bad erosion and even the Suffolk coastal path takes a more inland route here.

We sat for a while and ate our sandwiches, then chilled, listening to the waves breaking.

We returned to Southwold in time to shower and walk to Coasters for dinner, having booked a table for 6pm. We had a fabulous meal of crayfish and local pork for me and blue cheese and walnut pate then veggie gnocchi for Chris, all washed down with a very nice dry French white.

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