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squiz Member Member#: 6644 Location: Registered: 27-05-2007 Diary Entries: 2898 |
14th October 2017 Hiking - Walking: Shotley two rivers Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: sunny periods Max Speed: Distance Covered: 6 miles (Nautical Miles - unless stated otherwise) Saturday 14th October – walk ***** Shotley two rivers – sunny periods. After yesterday’s epic 95 km. windsurf I was pleased to wake to a sunny light morning:) After breakfast we packed a picnic and drove the 22 miles to Shotley parking at the marina with great views of Felixstowe and Harwich where the Orwell meets the Stour! We started off walking up to the marina lock to watch the yachts heading out before continuing past the basin on the left and a line of container ships on the right with the Orwell full of boats making the most of the mild sunshine. A squadron of swans flew past and there were waders feeding in the mud. We followed the river wall with Levington approaching on the other bank, past the timber defences in the mud until we reached the turning inland. It was up the hill to Shotley church which is the site of a wars grave cemetery overlooking the river with mostly sailors who died in World War Two. After a quick look around the church, noticing some top embroided cushions we found a seat in the grave yard for our picnic and enjoyed the warm sun. The small vineyard here looked a little sad but there were still blackberries to be had. The last couple of times we did this walk we continued to Erwarton then down to the Stour but that walk is nine miles so we cut it short by turning left towards Shotley. After a section along the main road where Mag found a barrow of free apples to make some chutney we found a footpath to the right leading down to the Stour. We came out in a hamlet of cottages right opposite Parkstone quay, one cottage even had a couple of old wooden sailing barges moored in the mud! The path carries on through Erwarton bay and with the tide fully out there were birds feeding again including several Brent Geese flying in. We then came to a short section of path barriered off as lots of slimy mud was washing over the path. I tried to walk above it and got covered while Mag took the beach route! I met a man in a high vis. Jacket heading along the path and asked him what the mud was? He said they were drilling under the river to lay an electric cable, this is the same cable that has come across the Orwell by the docks at Trimley Marshes and it is the lubrication used in the drilling finding it’s way to the surface! I was lucky to find a toilet near the pub to clean my shoes before heading back to the van for a cuppa and scone. We saw a curlew having a bath then relaxed and read recovering from the 6 mile, three and a half hour walk:) Photo Gallery here |
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