Short walk between Bures, which straddles the County boundary, & Sudbury which used to until changes in the 1950s moved the Ballingdon district from Essex to Suffolk! Handy place to stop, though, as the train link means I could walk this in one direction rather than as a circular!
Bures Hamlet is the part of the village in Essex so that seemed like a good place to start - unfortunately the church is over the Stour in Bures St Mary, Suffolk, & I hadn't explored on my last visit...!
Church of St Mary, Bures
Interestingly the dedication is 19th century - the medieval dedication being to All Saints
First registered as an alehouse in 1769, I've paused here for a beer &, occasionally, for food on many walks over the years!
Beer of the Day: enjoyed a pint of Woodforde's 'Wherry' whilst sheltering from the wind & reading the morning papers
A gentle, amber bitter, very drinkable & popular in these parts;
coming from Woodbastwick, Norwich, it's almost local!
Lovely quiet stretch of the Stour between Bures & Lamarsh
Highlight of the Day: spotted this fox cub sunbathing, occasionally scratching his ears & happily sitting in the middle of the railway just before Lamarsh - having seen me, he was soon off into the undergrowth!
'The Lamarsh Lion' - reputed to have been an inn since 1305 but this was the very first occasion I've ever passed when it has been open... though the front door was locked! They were so busy with a large group of ramblers that they hadn't got round to opening all the doors!
Used to be 'The Red Lion' & had very restricted hours - now has 3 real ales, the food looks very good & it's obviously popular!
Interesting Feature: the bar obviously originated elsewhere - it bears the legend 'In Loving Memory of Alfred Bradley Rooke, for many years a member & treasurer of this Church'; my research has revealed nothing!
Lots of 19th century restoration work but the original building dates from 1140
Love this approach to Great Henny & St Mary's Church... it was either this route or by the 'Henny Swan' - that's how much I love it!
Crossed back into Suffolk somewhere around here... the landscape should give an idea of the arbitrary nature of that 1950's decision!
Once upon a time I could have ridden along here all the way to Cambridge!
Some excellent views from the old bridges
Above: Crossing the Stour (again!)
Left: All Saints Church, Ballingdon.... & if you can see the deer in the garden, they aren't real!
Sudbury's Quay Theatre - the last of the town's old industrial buildings, this is a restored Georgian riverside warehouse.... opposite the town's rowing club!
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