Empty Fields
Once more the dotted cattle
Move along the distant spit of land,
From left to right
In this early morning mist.
Later this evening
A slow return across their green stage,
Each cow and calf precisely lit
In the westering sunlight.
The great bull moving with them,
Bulking and content among his ladies
And his patchwork progeny.
Their movement seems as tidal as the river.
A rhythmic washing to and fro
Along the spit's green and narrow length.
Dark trees behind the cattle,
Gathered for the night
By a herdsman whose presence
Alone in the field,
Is enough to set them
On their evening journey
Homeward to the farm.
And in the distant, opalescent air,
White and pink houses
Like a child's cut-out picture book,
Centre on the towers and gleaming lighthouse
That seems the pivot for this evening world,
Where night overtakes each piece of scenery,
Slowly removing to the wings
The fading marsh and townscaped horizon,
A fretted darkness covering everything.
The land settling;
Full of the unmelodious, nightly chaos,
Waterborne and magically signalled
Into abrupt silence.
This wet world sleeping,
As the long, renewing hours
Bring us all to peace
And dreams.
From "A Kind Of Heaven" by Richard Maslen
Some Favourite Websites For October 2025:
Green Haven Holidays - Wheelwrights Cottage – Self Catering accommodation for up to three people + two dogs, in Rumburgh near Halesworth
Just 500 metres to the dog-friendly CAMRA village pub! This beamed cottage has been beautifully modernised to provide one-bedroom accommodation with kingsize bed, plus additional single bed if required. WiFi. Front garden plus rear courtyard with outdoor furniture. Parking for two cars. Pets welcome at no extra charge. Short breaks available. Close to Halesworth and within 20 minutes drive to Southwold on the Suffolk Heritage Coast.
Juliet Penwarden Coaching – Juliet Penwarden Coaching - Horse riding and care
Juliet is an experienced and qualified coach who places a strong emphasis on harmony between horse and rider and takes great pleasure in helping partnerships progress, whatever their goals.
Logs Logs Logs – Family Firm delivering kiln dried logs to Norfolk and Suffolk, including Norwich, Diss and Woodbridge
Logs available in tipper loads and bulk bags for wood burning stoves, open fires and pizza ovens. In addition supplying firewood in bulk bags to Essex, Cambridgeshire, London and beyond.
The Southwold Railway Trust – Open days at the Southwold Railway Steamworks project
The Southwold Railway was a 3-foot gauge line running between Halesworth and Southwold, a distance of almost 9 miles. Opened in 1879 and closed in 1929, it is remembered for its tall-chimneyed steam engines. The Steamworks project aims to restore this line.
Chris Pretty Mountaineering – Rock Climbing/Mountaineering Instructor and International Mountain Leader
Chris aims to give you an experience which ensures you are taught to the highest national standards and to ensure that you actually learn the skills required to rock climb, trek, navigate and otherwise move around the mountainous environment autonomously. The teaching is delivered by an expert team who are tried and tested in both their personal skills and their ability to teach and ensure learning with an emphasis on personal progression.