Walberswick December 27th 2008

[Irish Stu]

Yesterday was a beautiful winters' day, cold but sunny and very fresh. So we decided to drive an hour up the coast from where I live to the ancient Suffolk village of Walberswick. My family used to go there every summer when I was a kid so it holds a lot of memories for me, and this was my first visit in many years, and also my first visit during winter.

After lunch in one of the village's two pubs we went to a walk around the village green to visit some of the interesting boutiques and craft shops. Over half the houses in the village are owned as holiday homes, so sadly many stand empty during the winter months :









Then we explored the ruins of the 15th century church. A 'new' church was built in its grounds and opened for business in 1492 :



Followed by a walk down to the ancient port :









It's hard to believe that people actually live in here :





Finally we walked down to the beach as the sun was going down and the light was beginning to fade. It was freezing cold and there was no shelter from the icy wind, so we went for a short walk and took a few pictures until we couldn't stand the cold any longer :
























Simon

[nolaflacav]

Great photos. I expect to see a links style golf course running along the beach with golfers out in big wool sweaters.

Don't know why but just for grins I Googled the name of the back of the boat in the one picture. And up pops a photographer with a similar image. Does it have any importance or just a great shot?

www.imagesofsouthwold.co.uk/howtobuy.htm

And I like your stuff just as well as anything I saw on the web.

[Irish Stu]

Dec 28, 2008 13:55:58 GMT -6 nolaflacav said:

Don't know why but just for grins I Googled the name of the back of the boat in the one picture. And up pops a photographer with a similar image. Does it have any importance or just a great shot?

www.imagesofsouthwold.co.uk/howtobuy.htm

I don't believe the boat is of any special significance. I saw it, liked, so took a picture. Must just be one hell of a coincidence that there was already of pic of it out there!!

Simon

[nolaflacav]

Dec 28, 2008 13:59:56 GMT -6 Irish Stu said:

Dec 28, 2008 13:55:58 GMT -6 nolaflacav said:

Don't know why but just for grins I Googled the name of the back of the boat in the one picture. And up pops a photographer with a similar image. Does it have any importance or just a great shot?

www.imagesofsouthwold.co.uk/howtobuy.htm

I don't believe the boat is of any special significance. I saw it, liked, so took a picture. Must just be one hell of a coincidence that there was already of pic of it out there!!

Simon

Great artistic minds think alike!

[Merlot Joe]

Beautiful country and pictures there Simon. Some day I hope to make it over there.


Joe

[pixiedust]

The last few are particularly beautiful with the sea in them. I can't believe that someone was actually out there flying a kite in that cold - is that what is in the pic with the dog at the beach? The remanent of the church is wonderful too!

Thanks for sharing - I enjoyed seeing your pics!

Colleen

[innit Geezer]

What great photos Si. I think you have a natural eye for taking quality pictures. I'm glad you posted them, thanks.

[Irish Stu]

Dec 28, 2008 18:15:09 GMT -6 pixiedust said:

The last few are particularly beautiful with the sea in them. I can't believe that someone was actually out there flying a kite in that cold - is that what is in the pic with the dog at the beach?

Yes that was a kite, I was surprised too!!

The remanent of the church is wonderful too!

Here's a pic of the 'new' church. You can see the ruins of the old church on the right of it. They both seem to have been built in exactly the same style. I think the old one fell into disrepair so they built a new one. The ruins were probably much more extensive once, but over the centuries local people probably plundered them for the bricks and stones to build their own houses :



Simon

[Hedo69]

Wonderful [pictures Simon, I just love the timeless look of the area. It could just as easy be 20 or 200 years ago. It's very different from the beaches I've been on, but quite lovely.

Colleen, Per the kite flyer; he is much braver than you think. It's someone (someone stupid in my opinion, but then I get cold when it drops below 70F degrees) who is Kite Surfing. You can see the little person speck underneath in the water. I have given them a circle to point them out. I only know this as they are prolific in the bay here when it's storming out and the wind is up.



Here is a shot I got a month or so ago



This one is from a year or so ago at Byron Bay. He was the only one enjoying the water that day.


Boy it looks like fun!!

[Ardbeg... innit]

Simon, any clue what the structure in the background is? Normally near the water I would assume it was something related to port activities. But, this appears circular, more like an ancient Greek or Roman coliseum.

[Irish Stu]

Gordon, by the look of it I'd say it's probably a water tower.

Simon

[Ardbeg... innit]

Fancy! Functional and aesthetically pleasing

[edie2u]

Great pics, Simon!

[Irish Stu]

Dec 29, 2008 7:04:35 GMT -6 Ardbeg... innit said:

Fancy! Functional and aesthetically pleasing

There are many similar water towers around the UK, they are quite a common sight.

Simon