It was a clear night and the temp dropped to 5 degC. Some parts of the country were able to see a meteor shower but I was camped under a very leafy tree so couldn’t see much of the sky anyway. The back tyre wasn’t completely flat so I pumped it up to see how far I could get on it. I set off at 07:55 under a chilly blue sky. There was no wind yet so the riding was very enjoyable.

Sunny morning at the Church of the Holy Innocents

After about 3 miles the back tyre had gone down so I found a sunny spot to stop and change the inner tube. I was surprised to find a very long and thick thorn had gone through the tyre and about 4mm into the inner tube. How I got about 8 miles each pump up was amazing. I was on my way again and the tyre stayed up. In the delightful village of Woolpit was an interesting Queen Victoria Jubilee memorial.

Woolpit - forever England

Unlike the stone structures I’d seen previously this was made of wooden over a manual lever water pump. Wooden carvings of previous queens were around the outside. I reached Stowmarket and before I knew it was out of the other side. Apart from the Memorial Gates there was nothing memorable or photographic to stop for and as I continued couldn’t remember a single redeeming feature of the town.

Stowmarket, 1920 Memorial Gates

For a while the road was uncomfortably busy but after crossing the A140 things seemed to quieten down a bit. I was on the A1120 and looking forward to reaching Saxstead Green and turning off towards Framlingham. Through Framlingham were several signs pointing to the Castle but I didn’t top in the town but had a brief stop on the way out to nibble some biscuits. I continued to Saxmundham and found it the busiest and liveliest town I’d been through so far. A new Tesco store was on the right so I stopped in the warm sunshine to buy some water and a pack of biscuits. Riding along the B1119 the sun left and so did the warmth. In Leiston I smelled the delicious aroma of chips and couldn’t resist stopping at the fish and chip shop for chips.

Sizewell Power Stations

They were excellent and came in a proper brown paper bag which the chips didn’t stick to. The greaseproof bags I usually get chips in tend to stick. These details are important so well done Leiston chippy. I wanted to see the power stations at Sizewell and hadn’t gone far before the white dome of Sizewell B appeared in the distance. It was too far off my route to go right up to the buildings but I got close enough.

Sizewell B

Leiston Abbey

Leiston Abbey

The road north went past Leiston Abbey, which was founded in 1182, and I could see the ruins across a field. I couldn’t resist making the detour to wander around the magnificent ruins. The amazing thing is it was all free and I had the whole place to myself.

Leiston Abbey

Middleton guardian

The Middleton guardian

Riding on I was approaching Middleton when I saw the sort of innovation by the road that always makes me smile. There was a larger than life shiny steel cowboy with 6 shooters drawn in a menacing manner. The detail in the statue was excellent with bicycle chain on the spurs, which were a bike rear sprocket, and facial stubble spot welded on. This beats flowers in hanging baskets which are nice but far from original.

The spurs

I picked up a signpost to Dunwich, my last objective of the day. On the final approach to the village is the entrance gate to the ruined Priory. I had a quick look but as I intend returning shortly didn’t spend much time there. Down the hill is the car park and refreshment building but the true gem is the Museum along the main street. A £1 donation is all that is asked for to get in.

Dunwich Museum

All Saints Church before falling into the sea

All Saints Church around 1903

Dunwich, Suffolk c. 1830 by J.M.W.Turner

The St Elizabeth Flood of 1570

Schoolchildren in Dunwich

Members of Parliament for the Borough of Dunwich

Greyfriars Priory entrance gate

Greyfriars Priory

Wide view from the cliffs above Dunwich looking east to the North Sea.
In the 14th century there was a further 1.5km to the seashore.

Artist's impression of the same area in the 14th century

There was an incredible model of the medieval town of Dunwich which has all been reclaimed by the sea. Only the Priory ruin remains. Old photos of All Saints Church were on display as a series over time, showing how the sea had nibbled it away bit by bit. The last buttress was rescued and rebuilt in the current church graveyard. I returned to the Abbey and wheeled my bike towards the sea cliff edge. There is a path and a wall but the wall will go over the side when the next storm hits. I narrow strip of overgrown thicket is all that remains of All Saints Graveyard.

There is a grave stone visible and another smaller one close bye. In the SE corner was a piece of rough land between a fence and the wall and wide enough to get my tent in. Better still was a short unofficial path to the cliff edge giving a clear view out to sea and the area that was once a huge medieval town of major importance. It’s the ultimate illustration of how man’s power is nothing compared with nature. It will be interesting to see if the man’s remains in the last grave are moved to the current church before nature uproots his bones and rolls them down the cliff and into the sea. I managed some late afternoon sun on the tent before the sun dipped below the trees to the south. The nights are approaching at their fastest as today is the Autumnal Equinox.

The last gravestone is of Jacob Forster
who died in the late 18th Century