There and Back

Beccles town is made up of small market squares and winding streets nestled by the River Waveney. It is a town that I have heard of, but never visited. The only reason for this overnight stay was to have a base for Rosey to do part of her walk challenge. We had booked an overnight stay in the Waveney Hotel which was beautiful, not only for the hotel itself but its gorgeous position beside the River Waveney and the spectacular church opposite. We will definitely go again! A view of the hotel from the church grounds with the river and barges behind My view as I sat and had breakfast. The church of St Michael the Archangel, opposite the Hotel, is a magnificent medieval building sited on a high scarp over looking the river Waveney. It has been at the centre of the life of the town since its foundation in 1369 and is still a thriving parish church. In 1749 Edmund Nelson, who had previously been a curate at St Michael's, married Catherine Suckling, from nearby Barsham, in St Michael'

On one of my visits to the Cathedral church in BSE, I have heard brief excerpts of music from the organ, and have been much impressed by it. So, when I read that they were doing lunchtime recitals  a few times in the summer, I decided to make sure I was there to listen to one - today was that day. While I was visiting the Abbey gardens, I also had in mind to search for the Medieval bridge that I had seen on maps - The Abbotts's Bridge.  This was my first aim for the day. The Abbott’s Bridge over the River Lark in Bury St Edmunds abbey grounds, was built around AD 1220. The land on the east side of the River Lark came to be used as the Vinefields, and on the abbey side, the monks could cross uninhibited. An iron grating being lowered, if necessary, to prevent any unwanted visitors on the river. The Abbots Bridge gave immediate access to these vinefields by the townspeople via planks through the bridge’s open buttresses. Two 14th century triangular ‘breakwaters’ on the bridge`s abbe

Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain Although it was burned in 60ce during the rising of the British queen Boudicca, Colchester soon became one of the chief towns in Roman Britain, and surviving relics of that period include walls and gateways. A wander around some of these parts today, allowed me to get a few images which I have included here. Although I have been to Colchester many times over the years, for some reason I have taken very few images - today I will start to redress that. The Balkern gateway In the Roman period the wall had six gates located at regular intervals. Of these only two survive above ground today: Balkerne Gate and Duncan’s Gate. The Balkerne Gate was the original main entrance to Colchester. It was upgraded to a Triumphal Arch celebrating the conquest of Britannia by the Roman Emperor Claudius. The remains of a Roman Guardroom can be found next to the Balkerne Gate. Originally, it would have been the gate for the main road leading towards London.