Titchmarsh and bonus Flatford – Early August 2022

31st July – Sunday

It came home.  We are not normally football fans, but thoroughly enjoyed the exciting game.

2nd August – Tuesday – Flatford, Constable Country

A Grand Day Out to Flatford, known as Constable Country, where the artist and his family lived and where he painted his most famous work, The Hay Wain, which Mick insisted on calling Way Hay.  It is £5 to park but that is the only charge to visit the site.

The volunteers helpfully pointed us in the right direction to the Visitor Centre.  There are copies of the paintings and a map which shows which location relates to which painting.

The Hay Wain painted in 1821.  Sketches were taken and the painting was completed in London.

Our best picture in the same location, at Willy Lott’s House.

Constables father owned and ran Flatford Mill.

Bridge Cottage and the excellent café and shop. 

The lock from another of Constables paintings.

We would recommend that you wait for a good day to visit, we were lucky.

3rd August – Wednesday – Manningtree

We went in the van to see Anne Plummer’s Art exhibition at Navistitch in Manningtree.  Anne and Marc have a boat on the same pontoon as ours and Anne is a very talented artist, specialising in nautical views and vessels.

Her recently published book ‘Yacht Ate-A-Cake’ (Yacht Etiquette) is sprinkled with excellent cartoons of the trials and tribulations of sailing.

4th August – Thursday – To Titchmarsh, Nr Walton on the Naze

It only took us 4 hours to make the 16 miles to Titchmarsh, on the Walton Backwaters, arriving at 3.00pm.  We have never been here before and the wiggly channel is a bit of a challenge.

The marina office houses the office, Chandlers (with Second Hand Dept), and Gallery.

View at Low Water from the shore.

Sign outside the ‘Harbour Lights’ on site restaurant.

Harbour Lights Restaurant

5th August – Friday – Walton on the Naze

Titchmarsh Marina is a 30 minute walk to the promenade at WotN.  There is a new ALDI and M&S Food 20 minutes from the marina on the way into town.

Walton is an old fashioned seaside town.

Complete with Pier and very modern Amusements.

Many, Many picturesque beach huts.

About half way down the promenade, we turn a corner and see the nearby seaside town of Frinton.  It is possible to walk to Frinton on the sea front, which we would have done on a cooler day.

Yarn Bombing on the sea front post box.

We bought some goodies at M&S and walked back to the marina.  The sign at the end of the lane would be easy to miss.

The lane walk takes 15 to 20 minutes.  A taxi costs £7 each way according to a fellow sailor.

6th August – Saturday – Titchmarsh to Ipswich

On the way in we saw these deliberately sunken barges, which created an artificial wall in the sand to prevent erosion.

Closer picture of part of the long line of barges.

Marshes and sandbanks create this seascape.  Here boats moor up very close to the shore and enjoy the beaches.  As the shelf from the land is steep.

A populated sandbank at Stone Point.

Picture of the charter plotter showing the channel.  Hamford Water was mostly showing 3.2 metres deep as we exited at 2 hours after Low Water into the deeper channel which was 6 metres until we got nearer to Felixstowe.

Marina Traffic image of this trip from Ipswich, down the River Orwell, past Felixstowe docks and on to Titchmarsh.

We sailed past Felixstowe and quite a distance up the river.  It was such a beautiful day, with 10 knots of wind and very little big marine traffic.

Sailors Info

Titchmarsh Marina has a Chandlers, Shop, Café and Gallery, with an onsite restaurant, The Harbour Lights.

The restaurant will prove useful to anyone who arrives without transport and does not fancy the walk into town.  Pub grub.

The facilities near the office are old fashioned, the ones near the restaurant have had a refresh.

20p coin for hairdryer, grrrrr.  Electric needed £1 cards.  But only £24 per night so no complaints.

Wifi was dependant on the state of the tide.

We would definitely return and walk to Frinton.