Ramsholt on the Deben
On the River Deben in Suffolk sits the tiny village of Ramsholt, a place I had never visited. From a book of photographic walks by local photographer Gill Moon, we picked this one for a walk with our cameras, on a very bright sunny day. I took a Nikon lens with a circular polarising filter, as I thought it would help with the bright sky. However, having not used the filter for some time, I had forgotten that I have ruined a number of images using a polariser, as the filter often made the sky far too dark. I almost managed the same today! However, it did help on some images.
What a position to sit and have your evening meal! By the time we had finished our walk, the front terrace was getting quite full. According to the advertising blurb:
The Ramsholt Arms is a popular riverside pub and dining room, situated on the banks of the river Deben. The pub is recommended in the Michelin guide and in July 2015 was voted one of the top 20 places to dine alfresco in the UK by the Sunday Times. Being the only south facing pub on the river, the Ramsholt Arms enjoys beautiful sunsets and is popular in the summer with holidaymakers, families and sailors who make the most of the sun soaked terrace, neighbouring beach and crab fishing jetty.
Over a few stiles on our way across the fields - some a bit worse for wear.
An early view of the church as we crossed the fields.
This is an ancient and mysterious place but in medieval times when King Edward III’s fleet was moored in the estuary below this would have been a thriving and busy settlement.
All Saints Church, Ramsholt is one of only 38 round tower churches in Suffolk. It sits in a tranquil location overlooking the River Deben and has a beautifully tended churchyard full of flowers in the summer. A chart of 1287 apparently shows the church as a sea mark. Much of the Norman church remains, though the windows are broadly medieval. The church fell to ruin in the early 19th century and was rescued in the 1850s when it was fitted out with box pews and a two-decker pulpit, although, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, we were unable to enter.
The tower has large buttresses on the outside a characteristic found on only one other round tower church in Suffolk. It is, perhaps, these buttresses which make the tower appear oval, although it is round on the inside.
The current tower is built of Septaria (light to medium- brown limestone of coarse texture which outcrops in this area), flint and medieval brick. It is argued that this tower was built in late C13 or early C14 together with its three buttresses as tower and buttresses have a similar mix of building materials, perhaps suggesting a problem with an earlier tower.
The Priest`s Door
Entrance is through a C19 porch.
Back at the quay side, a view across the Deben and the moored boats.
I don`t know how far he was rowing, but he set off at a good pace.
Looking from the quay toward the Ramsholt Arms
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