Suffolk with Guy

Guy and Ken went for a three day trek to Suffolk, the homeland of our forebears on the Wade side of the family.

We went to Bury St Edmunds, Saxmundham, and then on to Aldeburgh by the sea. Then to Woodbridge and East bergholt on the way back to Margate.

The trip was in Guy’s new found camper van. The following photos represent Guy’s photo shoot of the trip.

Chedburgh, Suffolk

The village of Chedburgh its on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds. We visited Janet who we have not met for about 40 years. Our reunion was a special occasion with many memories to share and family history to catch up with. Janet is the daughter of Keith and Rachel Shepherd and has a brother Anthony. Their home in Great Bealings was a wonderful place for holidays when we were children.

Bury St Edmunds

We camped over night in a caravan park set in the middle of a Pine Forest of about 8000 Acres. The buildings and environment is heritage listed and the owner / developer has restored all the Link and Timber buildings from their ruins (often buried in the ground) to be a picturesque site.

It was our first night in the camper van, a little bit of a lottery, but a quiet night with bright stars over head was a beautiful setting for introduction to Suffolk.

In the morning we had a look at Bury St Edmunds, the castle and cathedral and town centre. Had lunch at the Corn Exchange and hit the road towards our destination, Aldeburgh. Along the way the luxuries of Suffolk country lanes and little traffic.

Bury has three memories for me

1. The town where Uncle Bob served his farming apprenticeship with the Macomb family
2. The sugar beet processing factory to which we shipped, by railway, truck loads of  sugar beet from Birchington in the early part of 1950’s
3. James and Alison Tennant lived here for a while and I visited them in 2004, while Nicholas was in hospital.

Saxtead Green Post Mill is a place that I visited when staying in Great Bealings. The family occupying in at that time (circa 1959) were known to us and were restoring the Mill to working order for public display.

We finally landed in Aldeburgh and took an evening stroll along the pebble beach at the going down of the sun.

Aldeburgh to East Bergholt

Aldeburgh

The home town for the Wade family and the Newson family. It is a place that I have visited many times and memories go back to a visit with my mother, Muriel, to visit her grandmother, Granny Wade.

We stayed with Samuel and Rachel Newson, my great aunt, and Janet’s grandmother and enjoyed their garden, so well kept by Uncle Sam as he was a professional gardener in the town.

Aldeburgh Town has been modernised over time; but the beautiful feeling of sleepy seaside remains. The sound of sea on shingle is special especially during the night and audible from the caravan park near the beach. The fisher community has dwindled significantly so that there are only 2 – 3 places that fresh fish (and other sea food) is available. The landmarks remain including the Moot Hall, Look out, and Lifeboat station that has played such an important role in the life of ocean going people.

Town Steps and Pump are central features reflecting the history of Aldeburgh. In particular, my mother recalled to my sister Rachel, on their last visit in 1998 to the Seat where Granny Wade sat and other haunts that were so familiar. Fawcett Road appears to have been the centre of their universe including home and meeting room for the brethren fellowship with was also centre of their lives.

Elisabeth Garret Anderson Home

Guy and I wandered the streets looking for the church and were met by an ageing gentlemen who invited us into his home garden. He retired to Aldeburgh in 1988 and purchased half of the home originally built by Elisabeth Garret Anderson. It is worth looking into the Website (hyperlinked above) as she is a very interesting and important character as a Physician, the first woman to be admitted to membership of the British Medical Association.

The photos show the garden as now with an amazing Wisteria plant growing up the corner stone of the building. All the gardens were well manicured and clearly the delight of the present owner. The rose bush shown was a cutting from the next door neighbour who brought a cutting back from Assisi in recognition of Saint Francis.

Aldeburgh Church

We found the church to be a wonderful place of beauty and quietness. Filled with the whole history of Aldeburgh and its surrounding countryside. The burial place of Benjamin Britten and other famous musical fraternity for which the town is famous. We were hunting for grave sites or records of family members only finding one (See Photo). Aunt Connie was buried here; but the rest of the family are most likely in public cemeteries as not part of the Church of England.

Woodbridge

Country town on the River Orwell close to Ipswich and on the way out of Aldeburgh to civilisation. It was late afternoon when we arrived and had such fun parking the camper van (with no brakes) on the outskirts of town. Then lots of walking to get in. The place was quite familiar to me with the town hall in the centre and the docks and tide mill along the river. I recall when the Thames Barges were tied up to the wharf loading and unloading their goods for the local community. We were too late to look over the Tide Mill. This is quite an extraordinary arrangement used for milling flour based on the water being retained from an ebbing tide in a pond that could keep the mill working. Many of the shops that used to be there have been replaced by wholesale supermarkets. However the Fiddle Shop was amazing.

Woodbridge Fiddle Shop

Opposite the Town Hall this shop trades in Violins, Violas, and other stringed instruments mainly to repair and restore to better than new. It was a remarkable working shop and attracted attention to a real working set of tradesman. Guy bought violin strings and a secondhand case.

East Bergholt

Pretty little village on the southern boundary of Suffolk with Essex. There is a pub and one shop and the Parish Church (with Bell cage). The first time I went there was with Kenneth Skinner in 1960 and saw two Franciscan Friars walking along the street. The place intrigued me at the time and I have been back several times since. On this occasion, we parked the camper van and walked to the church and past it. Met a gentleman. coming out of his terraced home who then directed, guided, us to the lane leading to the location of several of the painting sites of John Constable. We therefore walked to Flatford and back and looked at the calm waters of Flatford Mill and, as usual, were struck by the stillness of the water and the amazing reflections that are made of all the surrounding tress, sky, buildings, etc… Such an amazing place of quietness.

Parish Church and Bell Cage

The Bells are housed in a wooden structure on the ground beside the church and run by hand. See the Web site for more details. We were told that the bells would ring the next day. As we were about to leave they all started up. With earmuffs and camera Guy and I got quite close to the action and wow what a feast. It topped off there trip with a real buzz and vivid memory never to be forgotten

Return to Margate

Return to Margate vis Dartford Crossing with no major mishaps or wrong turning arriving back to Red House and a welcome home. from Margaret about 11:30 pm. Intrepid brothers returned home safely.