Thursday, 7 January 2016

Day: 196 30/10/98 Shingle Street to Chillesford

Weather:  Fine, cool and windy.

Distance:  15km (9.3 miles) Total Distance: 2554miles

I got dropped by Margaret and the boys at Shingle Street. They then went on to Orford and visited the castle and a nice tea shop on the front – something for me to look forward to when I do my next days walking.

The weather had improved and the strong winds had died down.  The walk started along the beach looking into the houses in various states of repair – some modern minimalist decoration and others in a state of disrepair.  The path then took to the sea defences, a little detour up a little estuary back to the road and then out again down to the sea.  For much of this stretch it was far easier to walk on the farm tracks just on the landward side of the sea defence than onto of the sea defences itself which were overgrown. 

At Butley River I turned inland for what is by Essex & Suffolk standards a minor estuary.  The path followed the river for a while before I was forced to go inland again, this time over Burrow Hill – yes a hill!  Down the other side and into the hamlet of Butley Low Corner and then along more farm tracks – not public footpaths but marked on the ground as rights of way. 

Eventually I got to another group of houses and workshops in Butley Mills and then onto Chillesford where I met Margaret just arriving at the pub!  We had lunch in the pub and it was another excellent choice – good beer and award winning sea -food and lots for the boys to look at whilst waiting.

Rather than rushing home we I took them to see Felixtowe docks in the afternoon.  I thought the boys would be fascinated by the cranes loading and unloading the containers off the boats.  Unfortunately they were not as nearly taken by it as I thought but they did go for a stroll and I had a cup of tea from the café before we made our way back to Coventry.






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