This morning we took a footpath which follows Buss Creek, a water channel that leads to the River Blythe. The name is thought to have come from seagoing Dutch and Flemish sailing craft called busses that used to be used for herring fishing. The path was raised above the creek on a dyke and we had a good view across the fields to the old wind pump tower.
We saw a man taking a mower for a walk …
… and more men repairing the Bailey bridge which carries the footpath to Walberswick …
… and saw an egret in the shallows.
On to the Harbour pub, an Adnams house, as are all the pubs in Southwold, and Chris stepped up to the crease and had a pint of Breakpoint, a farmhouse pale ale, in which land and sea collide!
Southwold’s brewing history began with the ale wives of the 14th century, constantly in trouble with the law for various infringements when beer was the everyday drink since water was often polluted. By the 17th century, most prominent names of Southwold had a hand in brewing. In 1825 the brew-house at the back of the Old Swan inn was sold and re-built as the Sole Bay Brewery which later changed hands several times before being bought by the Adnams brothers from Berkshire in 1872. George Adnams got bored with country life, left for Africa and was eaten by a crocodile, but his brother Ernest stayed and converted Adnams into a limited company. Verging on insolvency by 1902, it was rescued by P C Loftus, an experienced brewer, who acquired a stake, reorganised the company and turned things around. Its survival was again at risk in the 1960’s as consolidation of the brewing industry and development of keg beer threatened. Fortunately a new generation on the family and the revival of real ale by CAMRA helped secure their future. Today Adnams has a huge presence in Southwold with the brewery, umpteen pubs with dining, and a shop not just selling their own huge range of beer, but also other diversification including their various distilled spirits and collaborations which bring Adnams branded worldwide wines as well.
From there, it was across the town marshes which have been managed for centuries as grazing marshes, using an elaborate system of dykes which drain out to the River Blythe at low tide. Water levels are raised during the winter, ready for the breeding season in the spring, lowered in the summer so fields can be harvested for hay and when cattle return to farms in the autumn, grass is left at an ideal height for wintering birds.
Then across the common and golf course, and through the back paths.
As we returned to Reydon, I took a snap of the village sign. We’ve enjoyed looking out for these signs, usually in a prominent place, but not always easy to photograph, so here is a small collection we passed on foot! The meanings of some are obvious like the Battle of Sole Bay for Southwold and the House in the Clouds and Windmill for Thorpeness. Others are a little more complicated! Reydon comes from Rye on the Hill, hence the sheafs, also for agriculture, the oaks which grow well here. The central cross and cogwheel depict the importance of the church and blacksmith in village life and the brick wall is for strength and solidarity. Kessingland, which being on the east coast is one of the first places the sun touches at dawn also has the three crowns of East Anglia. The shield with a ship’s wheel and bell can all be found in the local church and the rest relate to agriculture and the sea
In the afternoon, we drove down to the Pier and took advantage of a sunny afternoon for a little more beach time as it might be cloudy tomorrow. It was a little blowy, but we found a sheltered corner, and I even went in for a dip.
Later we went along the pier to find out more about the Under The Pier show, a quirky amusement arcade with a difference. There are no slot machines or noisy electronics, instead a bunch of interactive machines made by Tim Hunkin – you can walk a dog, have your head examined, go on a package holiday or take a trip under the pier. We thought we’d have a go, but it was all a bit busy so we gave it a miss.
He also made the Quantum Tunneling Telescope at the end of the pier which in theory allows the viewer to see something a little more exciting than just the horizon, except unfortunately it wasn’t working quite as it should when we had a go.
We had dinner at The Sail Loft, and felt pleased we’d thought to book ahead when we saw crowds being turned away. We had a lovely dinner featuring hummus, half a pint of prawns, Goan pork curry and a beetroot and falafel burger … with chips of course! The sun was low in the sky as we left … perfect for a few pics on the way back.
Off Travelling Together 