Once clear of Sudbury the morning walk was exclusively on the Essex side of the border: the afternoon's return on the Suffolk side, though I did catch a bus for the last bit back to the car! So, a kind of incomplete circular!
Closed in 1967, the track was lifted just 3 years later though there are still campaigners for its restoration
Borley Church & its magnificently-manicured trees!
Sadly, the area will always be linked with failed paper-bag salesman & paranormal-investigator extraordinaire, Harry Price
The 'most haunted house in Britain', Borley Rectory, burned down in 1939 but the history of the site, pre-Price, is interesting......
Highlight of the Day: Foxearth Village
Fascinating story of a village 'rebuilt' by the influence of wealthy vicar, John Foster: he funded the construction of a brewery in 1878, run by the Ward family, which broke the farming/agricultural dominance of employment in the community
Finally sold to Charrington Breweries in 1963, the site is now a housing estate!
The house (Above Left) was built by Foster as a Lodge to his rectory, Foxearth House
The impressive village sign was donated by the Chapman family & carved by Len Ratcliffe in 1983
Pentlow Tower
Creation of another interesting Reverend, Edward Bull! This 95' folly was erected in his garden in 1859 'In honour of his parents, on the spot they loved so well'.... though some local stories put the date a little later & claim that it was built in memory of Bull's wife!
A private garden - this was as close as I could get!
Had hoped to enjoy a pint at Pentlow's intriguingly-named 'Pinkuah Arms' (named after a dance, I understand!) but I'm yet to visit the village when it's open - half an hour early today, the landlady informed me.... before she offered to drive me to Clare!
The magnificent Pentlow Mill - on the Stour, naturally, it's more than a mile from the main part of the village but just over the road from Pentlow Church
Both are much closer to Cavendish than to their own village!
The block to the left is a 20th century addition, built after the mill ceased working
Lunch-time stop & it has been on several visits to Cavendish over the years!
Steak & Mushroom ale pie - highly recommended!
Beer of the Day: a new Adnams ale to me, 'Ghost Ship'; a seasonal beer which is now being made available in bottles
Pale bitter that I wanted to be a bit sharper - it's OK but a bit uninspiring
Back on the Stour Valley Path for this superb walk to Glemsford & on towards Kentwell
Kentwell Hall Favourite spot for school trips but all closed up for the winter! Not quite - there are Halloween & Christmas Specials to come!
Impressive Tudor building but there's been a manor house here since before the Domesday Book was compiled
Church of The Holy Trinity, Long Melford
Could have caught a bus back to Sudbury from Cavendish & saved myself all of this afternoon's fiddling about but the approach to Long Melford from the north is quite special
The picture I took from the far side of the church is distinctly ordinary yet its sharp, dark silhouette against the sky alone was worth the extra hour & a half's walking! Ghostly, ethereal, magical - a bundle of contradictions as is the church itself. An enormous 15th century building which seems quite out of proportion with its surroundings until you remember Kentwell, Melford Hall & the fabulous wealth created in this area by the woollen trade....
... and here's the village sign to acknowledge that!
Had intended to wander about for a while, pop into the historic 'Bull' public house as I have on several occasions in the past, but a No 236 bus trundled towards me &, without a timetable, it seemed like a good idea to jump aboard & head back to the car!
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