|
Post by mossie on Mar 13, 2014 15:21:19 GMT
Woodbridge stands on the river Deben, and is now the highest point of navigation. I mentioned that it was a trading port with the Continent and the river was navigable much further up in the past. Some years ago I did work for a developer for some new houses in a low lying area of the town but some distance from the river. They were surprised to find that the houses had to be built on a piled foundation, where they had chosen was the site of an old inlet, long since silted up and forgatten, but where there were the remains of a quay. That is by the way, the towns main claim to fame is the possession of one of only two tide mills still working in England. A tide mill was mentioned here in 1170, but the present structure dates from the 17th century. The idea is now being considered elsewhere to provide hydo electric power, water is impounded in a pond as the tide comes in, and can be released at will to power the mill wheel when convenient to the miller, or electricity generator. Here is the pond The main business of the river now is to provde a marina for yachts and there is a large sailing club and this place, which I trust is nautical. There is a very strong rowing club and some of the shells are stored here Interestingly it also has a population of bargees inhabiting mainly old Dutch vessels here is where a longstanding resident has lately been removed from its berth There was also a boatbuilding industry although that has come down to the simple servicing and sale of pleasure craft. Of course our old friend Elfin Safety has to put her oar in Just off the river is a small park which just has to contain a medel yacht pond where very elderly boys play with beautiful radio controlled models And the obligatory nautical themed pub And a tea shop If anyone wants to ascend the throne they have the option here in a local cafe. But to be sensible it is still just possible to see the church through the trees I hope you have enjoyed this little insight into an East Anglian backwater, which is well worth a visit if you are in this area.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2014 17:55:47 GMT
You will be thrilled to know that my own throne requires one step up.
I like boating communities. There is an ambience in them that one does not find in landlocked places.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Mar 14, 2014 8:44:08 GMT
"Elfin Safety" I like water and boat places too. It's a bit of a shame that so many working ports have now simply become places for pleasure craft, but at least there are still boats there. The tea shop is a bit twee, but thanks for this stroll around the town, mossie.
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Mar 14, 2014 22:00:12 GMT
I like boating communities, as well. There's always change; lots of comings and goings to watch and observe. Nice photos, Mossie, and a very interesting waterside area.
I suppose I can relate to those overly protective signs about slipping. I slipped on a dock area covered with algae while carrying my one week old youngest child. She wasn't injured, but I'm still paying the price all these years later.
|
|
|
Post by lugg on Mar 15, 2014 18:59:23 GMT
Really enjoyed this report and your Woodbridge town report too Mossie. I guess I must have been there even though I cannot remember as I visited Sutton Hoo some years ago. It is an area that I am really unfamiliar with generally but it does look to be a very nice place to visit.
Yikes Htmb that must have been horrible for you
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Mar 15, 2014 19:10:23 GMT
Mossie, thanks for pointing out the church bell tower in this report, since it helps a good bit in getting some notion of locations. This really does look like an interesting area to wander.
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Mar 20, 2014 13:56:47 GMT
I loved looking at your photos Mossie because it reminded me so much of Wivenhoe. Looking at The Anchor Pub I see they stopped using the original entrance on the corner and must have made a side entrance door or enlarged a window for the current entrance. Pity really as that pub must have looked pretty good originally. Is that where the two steps up loo is? We have a restaurant loo like that in a village called Nottingham Road. I wonder why they had to make it an 'ascending the throne'?? Kerouac? Could be darn right dangerous to the tiddly gent or lady! Yeh, cruising has a different meaning today....you're a sharpie alright!
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Mar 22, 2014 13:59:08 GMT
Thanks Tod. The loo is in the station cafe, i guess the reason for the elevation is to allow for the waste pipe to exhaust at a sensible level because the toilet is in the basement and close to the river.
I can't remember Wivenhoe, although I did a lot of work up at the university of Essex at Wivenhoe Park. That is road work, not the complicated academic stuff which is miles above my head.
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Feb 9, 2015 15:11:55 GMT
Happened to pay a visit to Woodbridge and took a little walk along the river. Unfortunately it was a dreary cold morning but the tide was well out and exposed all the mud. At least it gave the waterbirds something to scavenge in The remains of the old ford showed up on the far side, whether that had been built up as abridge at some time to give the town its name I have no idea. Likewise I just call the birds dunlin but may be well off the mark I didn't hang around and soon retired to a cafe for coffee.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2015 20:37:57 GMT
It is sort of a consolation to know that the days are just as cold and dreary over there as over here.
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Feb 9, 2015 21:27:31 GMT
Ohhhhh! Looks cold, Mossie. Retreating inside for a coffee was smart.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Feb 10, 2015 3:10:12 GMT
Can't believe this is the first time I'm seeing this great thread! I'm always fascinated by places like this with such extreme tides. What causes that?
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Apr 25, 2015 15:46:20 GMT
I have reopened this thread because I paid a visit to the tide mill last week while entertaining my SiL and husband. The mill pond was considerably larger than I showed in earlier, most of it is now a yacht marina. The pond held enough water to give about 8 hours work, here is the wheel which is driven by the water as it is released back into the river. And here is the large gear wheel which transferred the power to the stones. Note that the gear teeth are wooden blocks which can be replaced as they wear, a job for the millers mate during spare time. The view from the top level
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on May 7, 2015 12:42:33 GMT
Most interesting Mossie! Very clever to have that enormous gear wheel in wood and easy to fix quite rapidly.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 8, 2015 6:15:14 GMT
I really regret that so many such devices were abandoned in the name of "progress." They were much more ecological than what replaced them.
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Aug 28, 2018 14:56:08 GMT
Too myself off to the riverside at Woodbridge yesterday for exercise. The ducks were patiently dozing in a line postimg.cc/image/by3kyrgth/] [/url the resident swans were on the alert for grub and a couple soon came paddling up, no luck I'm afraid postimg.cc/image/xx9zlzkt1/] [/url
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Aug 28, 2018 14:58:00 GMT
Bugger. Photofuckit has gone sour on me and now I can't work this postimage. back to the drawing board.
Sorry
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Aug 28, 2018 15:30:49 GMT
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Aug 28, 2018 18:25:26 GMT
Sending you a PM, Mossie.
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Aug 29, 2018 7:53:42 GMT
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Aug 29, 2018 7:56:54 GMT
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Aug 29, 2018 8:17:48 GMT
At last, my thick brain has worked it out. Time I packed it all in. But no, I will carry on and muddle through. The last picture is of the tide mill, which I have shown previously, there is great activity with small boats and several million pounds worth of rich mens tys lie idle here most of the time Some of them in the little basin, trapped in the mud from where they have to be hauled out But one, laid up in the boatyard with a broken keel, particularly caught my eye The name Kasfareet immediately had me back about 65 years. When people were posted overseas the only contact with home was by mail which took several days. Many people would keep a "boat chart", a form of calendar on which they could cross off the days until they got on the troopship to return home. One such ship was an old liner which had been pressed into service a couple of times, called 'Somersetshire'. When a few pints had been sunk it was not unusual to hear a drunken choir sing this, or variations. I should warn those of a tender disposition that the language is a bit ripe. "we're leaving Khartoum, by the light of the moon we're sailing by night and by day, We've passed Kasfareet and we've fuck all to eat cos we've thrown all our rations away. Oh shine, shine Somersetshire, her skipper looks on her with pride and he'd have a blue fit if he saw any shit on the side of the Somersetshire. Oh this is my story, this is my song I've been in this air force too fucking long So roll on the Nelson the Rodney, Renown But you can't sing the Hood cos the bastards gone down
|
|
|
Post by mossie on Aug 29, 2018 19:22:29 GMT
I should have explained that Kasfareet was an airfield on the side of the Great Bitter Lake on the Suez Canal, just round the corner from the dump we were on. It housed a maintenance unit, which was engaged in the repair or major servicing, of aircraft when the job was beyond the capabilities of that aircrafts' home base.
The Nelson etc were battleships in the Royal Navy. The Hood being the latest and greatest, but having been sunk by a single lucky hit on a magazine full of shells. This resulted in the loss of all but 3 of the crew of about 1300.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Sept 1, 2018 4:41:59 GMT
You are so right that the tide mill is much bigger!
Happy to see that mill building again that is shown several times throughout this thread. I think, am not sure, that it's what is called a saltbox in New England.
I like your quaint sea chantey *cough*.. Still, thanks for that extra bit of history. It's pieces like that which are always in danger of being lost even as the "big picture" is being recorded.
That's absolutely horrible about the Hood.
|
|