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| Lovely Tudor House in Laxfield |
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This lovely Tudor
House in the village of Laxfield is a classical timber framed
Suffolk House. Originally the roof would have been thatched
(note steep angle) and the door is in line with the chimney.
The house is just one room deep and the upper floor projects
beyond the lower floor (called jetting). Even the colour is
typical of the area. |
| The River Blyth rises
near Laxfield in Suffolk and wanders out to the sea between
Southwold and Walberswick. As it does so it passes a number
of ancient and attractive towns and villages. We
hope to give you a passing flavour of a few of these as we take
our photo tour. The Blyth is quite a short river and the gentle
scenery it passes through is typical of the area. |
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Early stages of the Blyth at Walpole |
| Heveningham Hall |
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Designed by Sir
Robert Taylor and James Wyatt and with Capability Brown grounds,
this is one of England's finest Georgian mansions. A Country
Fair is held on the Estate every year to raise funds for local
churches. |
| This is a fine example
of an early refrigerator in the grounds of Heveningham Hall!
In the days before mechanical cooling was invented the only
way to chill anything was by using ice. If you had a large estate
with a lake you could ensure a plentiful supply of ice all year
by collecting it from the lake on winter mornings and storing
it in special buildings like this. It has no windows and the
only door faces north and it is built on a north facing slope.
Once filled with ice the temperature would remain around freezing
all year. |
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Ice House, Heveningham Hall |
| Blyth Valley at Ubbeston |
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Archaeological finds
suggest a Roman villa was built at Wenhaston overlooking the
river.The Saxons fought the battle of Bulcamp beside the river
near Blythburgh and it was here in the 7th century that Bishop
Felix established a monastery. In the Middle Ages fortunes were
made exporting wool from the bustling port of Blythburgh. |
| Whilst the Blyth Valley
is well known for its gentle rural scenery there is still the
odd surprise to be found! This is part of an old Vulcan bomber
which is being restored in a private garden in the hamlet of
Mells near Halesworth. |
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Vulcan Bomber under restoration in a garden
in Mells hamlet |
| Steeple End, Halesworth |
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Former Almshouses
at Steeple End, Halesworth, built in 1686. |
| Dating back to a time
before the invention of Steam engines, Suffolk has a number
of fine windmills. This post mill has been extensively restored
by the owner with help from Suffolk County Council. The mill
is privately owned and only opened to the public one or two
days a year. It is a fine landmark in the village of Holton
St Peter just outside the town of Halesworth. |
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Holton Post Mill |
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