th August – Tuesday – Bury St Edmunds
We drove to Bury St Edmunds for a minibreak for our 10th Wedding Anniversary.
We stayed at The Angel Hotel, which is very central so we could walk everywhere.
We went for a wander and came across The Nutshell which is Britain’s Smallest pub, but it has plenty of outdoor seating.
Right across the road is this impressive building, The Corn Exchange, which is now a Wetherspoons.
It is as impressive inside.
There are many quality shops and cute old streets to walk around too.
On the first night we went to the Giggling Squid, Thai Restaurant, which we now know is a southern chain restaurant, hurray, next…..
10th August 2022 – Our 10th Wedding Anniversary
It was a scorcher of a day so nothing more strenuous than sauntering around from shady place to shady place.
The rose garden in the grounds of the St Edmundsbury Cathedral, relatively new built in 1831. A church has stood here since the 11th century, with many reincarnations. The Millennium Tower was completed in 2005.
Inside the Millennium Tower.
There is a good café at the back of the church for shade and refreshment.
Next we visited the church of St Mary, just along the street. Notable for the unique hammer beam ‘Angel Roof’ which is lined with dozens of Angel carvings, which are all different. The church is also the final resting place of Mary Tudor, Queen of France. Henry VIII favourite sister, after whom the ‘Mary Rose’ was named.
We finished the day with a lovely meal in the hotel.
Margarita Time.
11th August – Thursday – To Ickworth House
As it was close by we visited Ickworth House on the way back to the boat.
It is a neoclassical building set in parkland. The residence of the Marquess of Bristol until it was passed to the National Trust in 1998.
Built between 1795 and 1829, originally the estate of the Hervey family, later Marquess of Bristol. The East Wing is now run as a hotel.
The house was intended to be a gallery and many fine works still remain.
Including this portrait of the owners son, painted on tin, so that it would not perish at sea.
We managed to walk to the chapel in the sunshine, but did not walk around the extensive grounds, which are currently suffering from the heat, as we were. Another excellent National Trust café helped.
Three very hot days followed. It was 31 degrees inside the boat.
15th August – Monday – To Harwich and Dovercourt.
Stir crazy after the hot weather we needed a day out. We had seen lots of beach huts near Harwich when we were returning from Titchmarsh, so went to investigate.
Half Penny Pier is the place in Harwich for Fish and Chips and Ice Cream. It is also an overnight stopping place with a small harbour for passing sailors. But beware it is very rocky.
LV18 is the last remaining example of a manned light vessel in British Waters and is moored at Harwich. It was the boat used in the film ‘The Boat That Rocks’. It is open to visitors.
We then went for a walk on the promenade at Dovercourt along the bay. Many more beach huts.
16th August - Tuesday
Ipswich Harbour hosts much larger vessels than us, and this is one example.
The ship is REVERSING through the lock. The pontoons are floated away to make extra space. These are usually timber ships, which we also saw in Troon.
18th August – Thursday – To Brightlingsea
Back to sailing after a little break.
Showers were in the forecast, but we were ready for a change. This large black cloud, played Rain Shower Roulette with us as we sailed down the River Orwell and won, about half way down. Mick, at the helm, was drenched. But it was a warm day and he soon dried off.
We set off at 10.15 in a lock rotation with 3 other boats. Arriving at 5.00pm after 31.7 miles. We thought one seasick pill would be enough, but after the shallow rock and roll past Clacton, the consensus was, that two pills would have been better.
We were met in the shallow channel by the harbourmaster and much to our surprise were allocated a marina berth, so no water taxi’s, hurray. Most of the moorings at Brightlingsea are on pontoons in the river Colne.
We had two recommendations for ‘Winkies’ Eat In Chippy on New Street. A 10 minute walk into town from the marina. They serve draft beer too.
Later we met Adrian, of ‘Colne Rose’ who with Jane helped us with the information to get to Holland earlier in the year, at the Colne Yacht Club on the harbourside. One of three sailing clubs in town.
The harbourside is busy and lots of people are taxied ashore, catch ferries, go crabbing, take trips on boats.
Boats are also launched by Tractor from trailers. Always a good watch.
Brightlingsea is an ancient Cinque Port. The notable harbour buildings from the left are the Harbourmasters office in the background, The Hard Shelter and the imposing Anchor Hotel, which was converted to flats in 2000.
Fleur nestled along the linear pontoon in the marina. Tide was out here.
19th August – Friday
Our friend Sandra walked to the harbour to meet us. We had a very pleasant lunch in the Yachtsman's Arms, Sandra and I had crab.
Then we walked around the coast path, passed the beach huts and had an ice cream. Then walked back into town to say Bye Bye. Until next time Sandra XXX
20th August - Saturday
We took in the highlights of Brightlingsea. Or ‘Planet Brightlingsea’ as I call it, as they have one of everything, Butcher, Baker, Bargain shop, cafes and restaurants, pubs, chippy’s, Lido, Museum, Coop, Spar and Tesco. You never have to leave.
The town square, or triangle, is a 10 minute walk from the harbour.
Heading from town on Station Road is the new purpose built museum. It is free to enter with donation. It is small but perfectly formed, with modern interactive displays and loads of interesting local information, from oyster catching to ship building.
A history of the Americas Cup attempts is projected onto the sail. Also ‘talking heads’ of fishermen and their tales.
Heading back to the beach we pass the Lido, celebrating 90 years this summer. It was badly damaged by a tidal surge in 2020 and reopened after the pandemic in June 2021. It is well used and has a lovely café, open to all.
Back at the beach we find Bateman’s Tower. A folly built in 1883 by John Bateman for his daughter to recuperate from consumption. It was used by the Royal Observer Corps in WWII. It is now used by the Colne Yacht Club and others as a race box to start and finish races.
Low water from the Beach Huts, showing the channel into harbour. Many boats have run aground here on the sand. If a sailor gets it really wrong, at the wrong time, it can be a two week stay.
The ‘Leading Lines’ above, need to be lined up to make sure the boat is in the channel.
Later we met Adrian for dinner and then to the marina bar. Lovely evening.
21st August – Sunday – Brightlingsea to Ipswich
The tide marker in the marina at low water. The sand is clearly visible.
The tide marker at 7.15am just before we left at High Water showing 3 metres, above the Sill at the entrance to the marina.
Clacton from the sea. We had one of our longest day sails in the while, on the way home, very peaceful and some good tunes on the radio. Easy Like Sunday Morning.
Felixstowe Docks, eerily quiet on the first day of the strike. We sailed passed in the silence.
We arrived back at 14.30 to the sound of the funfair on the harbourside.
Sailors Info
We have now stayed on the pontoons and in the marina. The marina is quite tight but very useful if you have people to see.
Water taxi fares £1.50 each way per person or 10 tokens for £11, 1 token per trip.
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spl3zzQNRZ0
The approach to the harbour is tricky and the You Tube video by the Harbour Commisioners above is helpful.
£28 per night on the pontoon or in the marina.
Good new facilities in the harbour flats building. Plug socket near the washing machine. Where I left my hairdryer grrrr.
Tesco, Spar, Coop and independent shops in town. Minimart at the harbour. Lots of Restaurants and Pubs. Winkies eat in chippy 5 stars.
A great place to idle away a few sunny days and meet old friends.