Southwold… and Fish and Chips

25 Tue Apr 2023

Posted by Clare Pooley in food, Rural Diary, seashore

Tags

fish and chips, seaside, Southwold, Suffolk, The Little Fish and Chip Shop, The Sole Bay Fish Company

Elinor has been extolling the fish and chips her father buys for her when they visit Southwold together. She tells me I would really like them as the fish is beautifully cooked with a thin crispy batter and the chips are not at all greasy.

She needed a new photograph for the (age) 26 to 30 railcard she was applying for and for the separate ID card to be used when we vote in a few days time. We thought we could go to the nearest photobooth which is at Morrison’s supermarket in Beccles, eleven miles away, get the photo done and then go to Southwold for lunch. Last Thursday was the ideal day to do it as Richard was going cycling with his friend John and they always have lunch out together. The forecast was for a dry but windy morning and then rain showers in the afternoon.

We set off at 10.30 am, got to Beccles just after 11.00 and Elinor used the photobooth. We then drove to Southwold and arrived at midday. The morning had been glorious with bright sunshine and beautiful blue sky. The wind was a very strong and cold easterly and this was particularly noticeable on the coast! We parked at the Pier carpark and walked along the front towards the town. The tide was in and the sea very rough so Elinor decided not to walk on the beach or even the promenade but along the upper road at the top of the cliff.

The sea at Southwold

Looking towards the Pier

Rough sea at Southwold

Looking down at the sea from the upper road

We noticed quite a large piece of driftwood had been thrown up by the sea next to the groyne. If you look closely you will see that it is part of the trunk of a long-dead tree. The woman in the ochre-yellow coat has her hood up against the blast of the wind. We too, had our winter coats on and hoods up!

Ten minutes walking brought us to the road into the town and the ‘Little Fish & Chip Shop’ in East Street. Here is a link to the shop. You will see from the link that this shop is part of the Sole Bay Fish Company which has a restaurant and wet fish shop at the harbour.

The shop is very small with extremely limited seating; one isn’t really expected to ‘eat in’ here. Our order for ‘two haddock and chips’ was taken and we were given pagers which would bleep when the food was ready. Some people go off and do their shopping and others wait on benches provided in the side alley next to the shop. We decided to wait.

The view from our bench

There is a wisteria arbour strung with lights and lobster pots and in the summer the shade under the wisteria must be welcome. The little lights shining in the evening as one waits for one’s food to be cooked must be very pleasant. As we waited in the chilly alley we saw that the wisteria was just coming into leaf and there were flower buds appearing.

The view from our bench out towards East Street

Collen and Clare, the shop you can see on the opposite side of East Street has managed to survive the pandemic. It is a shop I might go to if I had a special occasion to buy clothes for.

At last, after fifteen minutes wait, our lunch was ready. All freshly cooked and looking very good! We added a little salt to the fish and chips before we left and went to find a bench to sit on while we ate.

Fish and chips!

Elinor was quite right. I did enjoy my fish and chips and how often does one get parsley and a slice of lemon with take-away F&C? The key to good fish and chips is frying in lard. So many shops these days fry in vegetable oil but it does tend to make the food so greasy and the batter soft. I understand that many people do not wish to eat animal fats or pork products and lard is not particularly good if one is worried about cholesterol. However, I have take-away fried fish and chips very rarely and a treat now and again is extremely welcome.

By the time we had finished eating, clouds were beginning to appear. I had a small purchase to make in the stationers before we made our way back to the car. With the cloud quickly covering the sun and blue sky and the wind becoming even stronger it was a cold walk and we had to bend forward into the wind to get along. Fortunately, we managed to get all the way home and I’d even made myself a cup of tea by the time the rain started. Richard arrived home from his cycle ride shortly after that only having got a little damp.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Southwold!

Brancaster Beach

23 Wed Sep 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, Rural Diary

≈ 30 Comments

Tags

beach, Brancaster, sand, sand patterns, seaside, seaweed, shells

To mark my birthday I usually ask that we go for a walk together. The weather at the beginning of September is often warm and hazy and we always see plenty of dragonflies, which pleases me. This year, to ring the changes, I decided to ask for a family trip to the seaside which was acceded to with enthusiasm. So much enthusiasm that we went to Dunwich and Southwold as a taster and hors d’oeuvre to the main course. I then remembered that Mum loves the sea and hasn’t seen it for two or three years and so felt guilty. I arranged to take her to Dunwich Heath the day after my birthday treat.

I left the choice of beach to Richard as he had kindly offered to drive us there. He plumped for Brancaster on the north Norfolk coast which is about an hour and three-quarters drive away. He said we should have lunch in Fakenham on the way and I agreed!

Brancaster Beach

This was our first view of the beach with the sea some distance away. The sun was shining brightly but there was a strong north-westerly breeze blowing so as usual I was pleased I had brought my jacket.

This effect was caused by the wind on the sand.

You can also see the sand blowing across the beach on this picture.

It was a lovely afternoon.

Even when the sun disappeared behind a cloud and the tide began to come in it was still a good afternoon.

Sand with Worm/Razorshell holes

Worm Casts

Razor shell and worm casts

Seaweed – Horn Wrack

Sand with crushed shells

I love the patterns on the sand.

A warm pool in which I saw tiny fish and shrimps.

Seaweed –

Razorshells (Ensis arcuatus)

Crab Carapace

I wonder if the limpets were living on the crab shell before it died. The shell at the top of the photo is a cockle shell.

A view of the sand dunes

More sand patterns

Kite surfing

Brancaster Beach with Flock of Birds - Oyster Catchers

A flock of Oyster Catchers (Haematopus ostralegus)

Once the tide starts to turn it is advisable to get as close to the sand dunes as possible as quickly as you can. The water races in and if you are stranded on a sand bank it is not very pleasant! There is a ship-wreck on one of the sand banks which attracts a lot of people and the channels of water are warm to paddle in. It is easy to lose your sense of time here. Three children have died on this beach in the last ten years.

I cannot identify this bird. It may be a female wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe). It behaved like one, running about on the sand and through the grass catching insects. I just couldn’t get near enough to it.

Whelk (Buccinum undatum) Egg-cases

The tide approaching

Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

I found some Sea Buckthorn with berries.

View inland from Brancaster Beach car park

Another view inland

Altogether, a perfect day!

Thanks for visiting!

Oh I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside

17 Thu Sep 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in Days out, plants, Rural Diary, wild birds

≈ 34 Comments

Tags

beach huts, beach shop, cannon.Battle of Sole Bay, community radio station, flowers, fungus, GunHill, herring gull, high tide, lichen, life guards, pier, promenade, sand dunes, sea, seaside, shrubs, Southwold, Southwold & Walberswick ferry, Suffolk

My last but one post featured a walk we took on Dunwich beach. This post is about a walk at Southwold.

As most people who live near the sea know, the best time to visit the beach is after the end of the school holidays. There are fewer visitors and there’s a greater chance of finding somewhere to park your car. The sea is warmer than at the beginning of summer and with luck the weather is good too.

We have been having fairly changeable weather this summer so when we saw that the weather was bright and breezy the other Saturday afternoon we decided to make the most of it and go to Southwold. When we arrived we saw that the tide was right in and the northerly wind was causing the sea to be quite lively.

High Tide

The waves were rolling in round the base of the steps that go down to the sand so we couldn’t get onto the beach just yet.

Stairway to the sea

We walked along the promenade while the tide started to recede.

Southwold Pier

As I mentioned in a former post about Southwold, the pier was restored a few years ago. It is fun to walk out there when the tide is in and see the waves splashing just under your feet. There are places to sit and watch the waves and there are places to buy food and drink and shelter from the wind. The end of the pier is very popular with fishermen. This is a link to the Pier Cam which will show you a little of what we like to see. There isn’t much to see at night except the lighthouse flashing but during the day-time it’s quite interesting and you get to find out what the temperature is on the coast too. Don’t forget the time difference if you live overseas!

End of the Pier

There seemed to be a number of young Herring Gulls about. (Larus argentatus)

Immature Herring Gull

It was a really pleasant walk along the front with other promenaders. As the sand started to appear people ventured onto the beach and the life guards marked out the safe bathing areas. Huddled in coats and blankets, the beach hut owners were sitting with the doors opened as they read or drank hot tea or coffee.

Beach Shop

Southwold Beach

Elinor bewails the fact that our sea isn’t blue. The North Sea is not deep and the sand on the sea-floor gets churned up especially in stormy weather. Our sea is brown most of the time.

At the end of the prom. the path goes up the slope to Gun Hill.

Gun Hill

On the 28th May 1672 a famous sea battle was fought just off-shore from Southwold. This was the Battle of Sole Bay when the English and French fleets clashed with the Dutch fleet. It was the first naval battle of the 3rd Anglo-Dutch War and ended with a tactically indecisive result though a strategic Dutch victory. The English and French fleets combined had a total of 71 warships and the Dutch had 61 vessels and the total number of men taking part was said to have been 50,000. There was great loss of life. James, Duke of York the brother of King Charles II was Admiral of the English Fleet and took up residence for the duration of the battle in Sutherland House in the town.

Cannon on Gun Hill

There are six 18lb cannon on the green and were given to the town in 1746 by The Royal Armouries as protection to shipping against raids.

Gun Hill

Their last known firing was in 1842 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales birthday. Southwold was bombed during the First World War because the German army considered that Southwold might be a fortified place because they had seen the cannon. The cannon were buried for safety during the Second World War!

Cannon

Another feature of Gun Hill is the radio station building.

Community Radio Station in the Casino

The primary radio transmitting studio is located in an old WWII bunker in the grounds of St Felix School Reydon, a village next to Southwold but further inland.

Erigeron glauca

A few naturalised garden plants thrive on the slopes up from the beach.

Unknown Yellow Daisy

I don’t know what this flower is; I see it is suffering from mildew!

FrenchTamerisk (Tamarix gallica)

These plants are often planted for soil stabilisation or to act as a wind-break. They aren’t native but have been established here for a long time and do very well on the coast.

Beach Huts

There are beach huts all the length of the sea-front.

Gun Hill Beach Café

This is one of the two kiosks that sell food and drink.

Looking Towards Walberswick

Walberswick is the seaside village next to Southwold going south down the coast. The two places are separated by the River Blyth as it flows out to sea. There is a ferry operating during the summer months.

Looking Towards Walberswick

Sand Dunes

We thought we might walk through the sand dunes to the ferry.

Sand Dunes

The Marram Grass (Ammophila arenaria) was bending in the strong wind.

Fairy-ring Champignons (Marasmius oreades)

I found a rather shrivelled fairy-ring.

Sea-Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)

The tree is small and suckers easily. It has thorny twigs that have silvery scales that rub off. The bark is fissured and peeling.

Sea-Buckthorn

The leaves are long and thin with silvery scales on them. I couldn’t see any fruits on these trees so they were probably male trees.

Camp Site

There is a camp-site on the outskirts of the town.

We almost got to the River Blyth but Elinor began to get a back-ache and we had to turn round and make our way back to Southwold.

Towards Southwold

As well as the lighthouse you can see the tower of St Edmund’s church and the water tower.

Towards Southwold

Tiny House

Lichen

Chicory (Chicorium intybus)

Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus)

Southwold with one of it’s many greens.

Southwold

Lifeguards

Southwold Beach

Sea at Southwold

Southwold

Here we were approaching the pier again and the car park beyond it. You can also see the two-storey pavillion building at the end of the pier built in 1936.

I hope you have enjoyed this visit to Southwold.

Thanks for visiting!

A Trip to the Seaside

16 Mon Feb 2015

Posted by Clare Pooley in plants, Rural Diary, walking, weather, wild birds

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

architecture, beach huts, coast, lighthouse, pier, Punch and Judy, Sailor's Reading Room, seaside, Southwold, Suffolk

Southwold beach

Maybe this wasn’t a good day for a frolic in the sea!

I have had a heavy head cold since last Wednesday and on Sunday Richard thought a trip to the sea was in order. We had mist first thing in the morning and on the way to church with my mother the sun was trying to break through. We thought it would be fine when we got out of church but sadly it wasn’t. The mist had risen slightly but cloud had descended and the rest of the day was very gloomy indeed. The temperature was about 7 degrees centigrade but when we got to the coast the strong on-shore breeze made us feel very cold and our ears started to ache.

IMG_4031Beach huts in the car park (640x453)

The car-park by the pier

During the winter months, owners of these beach huts get them lifted up from down by the beach to here, in the car-park, where there is less chance they will get battered by storms. Those that can’t afford to move their huts have to hope that we don’t have too many high tides and gale force winds. You may wonder why the owners would want to pay to have what looks like a shed moved to the car-park. You may be surprised to hear that last year one of these huts went on the market for £100,000 and it was thought that it might have sold for more than that. For this price you get a painted hut with no electricity or running water but in a ‘prime location’. You also get a 30 year lease from the council but you have to pay non-domestic annual rates and other charges. Last year the rates were £720.

The view looking inland from the car-park. Buss Creek.

The boating lake

The seagulls appreciate the calm waters here. Seaside resorts are a little sad in the winter-time I think. I like the sadness.

There is only one road in and out of Southwold which is almost an island, bordered by the North Sea to the east, the River Blyth and Southwold harbour to the south-west and Buss Creek to the north.

A Punch and Judy performance on the sea front

A few views of the sea. I expect you wish you had been with us!

Southwold pier

The pier was built right at the end of the 19th century and was approximately 810 feet long with a T junction at the end to make a landing stage for ‘Belle’, the steamer bringing holiday makers to the town. The T junction was swept away in a great storm in 1934 and was only replaced in 2001. The pier was further damaged in 1955 and 1979 and had to be closed to the public in 1998. Restoration started in 1999 and it is now an award-winning pier with a pavillion, restaurant, bar and amusements. When we were in Southwold on Sunday we could hear a saxophonist playing from the pier. We didn’t venture onto it because of the wind-chill.

Southwold lighthouse

The whitewashed tower of the lighthouse can be seen from afar but is very difficult to find when you walk round the town with its narrow winding streets. It is 101 feet tall and commenced operation in 1890. It was originally illuminated by paraffin but was converted to electricity in 1938.

A couple of small cannon near the sea front.

Southwold does in fact own six 18 pound cannons which were given to the town by the Royal Armouries as protection for the town and to shipping from pirate raids in the 18th century. We didn’t get as far as Gun Hill on Sunday.

Southwold cottages

There are many second homes and holiday cottages in the town which most of the year stand empty. Local people can’t afford to live in these tiny cottages.

A couple of grander houses.

Richard and Elinor walking in Southwold

IMG_4047Southwold architecture (640x480)

Richard and Elinor in the shelter and behind it some examples of the interesting architecture to be found in the town.

I am often reminded of ‘Mary Poppins’ by P L Travers looking at the platform above the shelter and think that Admiral Boom would find it ideal for firing his cannon from. ‘The Ghost and Mrs Muir’ comes to mind when I look at one of those grander houses I showed above.

More Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) with some new leaves of Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum) in front

I joined Richard and Elinor in the shelter for a while and just in front of us on the grass slope that descended to the beach was this large patch of Heliotrope. It really shouldn’t be there and shows how invasive it is. Since seeing the Heliotrope last Sunday that I included in my post ‘Weekend’ I have seen this plant everywhere. It does have a wonderful scent though and in spite of my cold I could smell the vanilla perfume very well.

A chilly little Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) was walking about near our feet.

The Sailor’s Reading Room

This was built in 1864 in memory of Captain Charles Rayley RN a naval officer who served at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar and who died in 1863. Its purpose was as a refuge for fishermen and mariners when not out at sea and it was hoped it would keep them out of the pubs and would encourage them in Christian ideals. The Reading Room still provides daily papers and a place to read them and continues to be a social base for local fishermen, lifeboatmen and coastguards. It is now a Registered Charity and contains a museum with exhibits showing the town’s seafaring past.

East Green

In 1659 there was a devastating fire in the town and most of the buildings were lost and many people were made homeless and destitute. In the rebuilding of the town, it was decided to incorporate a number of greens as fire breaks. This is East Green.

Some of you may remember a film made for TV in 1987 by Michael Palin called ‘East of Ipswich’ which was based on his own memories of seaside holidays in the 50’s. It was filmed in Southwold.

Best wishes to you all!