Wednesday 19th October 2011
We couldn’t believe it – the weather for the walk turned out even better than for the recce. three weeks before! Given the stunning scenery, what a gift! Granted it was slightly cooler but just as cloudless.
As is often the way of it we left the village by the back door fingerpost route, having arrived by the main road. As we left it the real look of Holbrook made its mark – tree-lined paths led to open fields; quite steep in places, for us The Flat Earth Society of Norfolk! Then opening up was the sight of Alton Water from the Dam ( a gaggle of greylag geese, oblivious to the beauty of the scene, complained about the tourists interrupting their regular 10.30am community bicker ). “Over there”, said our leader, “is the tower of The Royal Hospital School.” This vision of educational architecture stayed with us, on our left, all morning. We could have called the walk “ A voyage round my school” if any of us had actually been there in our formative years.
We then headed to the village of Stutton. Beautiful houses, coyly hidden behind big hedges and high fences, leading to the pretty church of St Peter – open and welcoming to the extent that we were invited to make ourselves a cuppa at their expense! We didn’t presume of course, but a nice gesture nonetheless. Then a small section of parkland brought us to a magnificent view of the The Royal Hospital. Suffice it to say that if the planners were ever to give consent for photoelectric panels, this south-facing roof could power Ipswich with ease! Huge? It most certainly was.
Suddenly we were climbing the sea defences and looking out over the estuary of the River Stour. A flock of starlings casually threw us some abstract shapes, swooping and zooming as only they can. You couldn’t help feeling that they would have done it anyway, even if we hadn’t been there to watch!
A lovely little inlet was the idyllic harbour for a number of small pleasure boats as we followed the coastal path. We walked up the slope away from the water just as an argumentative squadron of Brent geese rolled in an immaculate landing on the newly harvested sugar beet field next to our path. Clearly not one of them was completely satisfied with their performance, but it all looked perfectly fine to us.
The last bit was all uphill – “What again?” But the pub beckoned as we broke out of a really lovely bit of dense woodland straight into All Saints churchyard in Holbrook village. “Wasn’t that lovely?” Intimate woodland rubbed shoulders with a lake, a piece of impressive architecture, a river estuary and (the best bit for me) groups of birds being and doing what only they can be and do; regardless of mere humanity being on hand.
