Dunwich is a tiny village on the Suffolk coast between the two popular tourist towns of Southwold and Aldeburgh but once it was a town bigger than both of them.
The yellow dotted line is where the coast line is now, all that below is long gone
When the shingle moved during storms and blocked the harbour the town became unimportant and not worth defending and further storms over centuries encroached on the village and all six churches, the streets and homes were gradually washed away.
The beach is shingle and to the north you can see Southwold ..................
This collection of drawings and photos show how the last of the 6 churches disappeared into the sea
I hadn't been to Dunwich for several years so it was a nice day out. I parked on the car park behind the shingle beach, no sea view sadly, and it gradually filled during the day with crowds of people having the famous huge plates of fish and chips from the café.
Treated myself to a sausage roll with a side salad and sat outside, which was a mistake, as it was so windy the lettuce kept blowing off my plate!
Back Soon
Sue
I love seacoast towns/cities and have lived in houses on a cliff overlooking the sea. The sea is a force unto itself. Dunwich gives excellent testimony to this fact. The sea definitely reclaims land and it is happening in many places. For example, in Massachusetts, some homeowners with help from the Federal and State government are building sea walls to prevent homes from being washed into the sea. Some homeowners are putting their homes on stilts (pillars) so the sea washes underneath. Personally, I believe, the sea will win out over time. Your day in Dulwich sounds outstanding. The wind was strong but winds off the ocean can be harrowing and unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteAll down the East coast of Suffolk and Norfolk the sea is still washing the cliffs away - the sea always does it's own thing
DeleteLovely post. I've always wanted to visit but haven't made it yet. I have seen lots of news stories and programmes about it though. I find it fascinating.
ReplyDeleteNext time you are over to visit perhaps you'll get there
DeleteWhat a beautiful day. I love the sea, probably because it is a place I rarely have a chance to visit.
ReplyDeleteI love the sea but here on the North Sea coast it's always grey - The Cornish coast is the best
DeleteLovely experience reading that. All the stories of church bells ringing under the sea comes to mind. The sea looked rough as well!
ReplyDeleteThere are many tales of church bells ringing - but I should think they went rusty years ago!
DeleteI just cannot understand why ANYBODY should think this coastline is a wise choice for a nuclear power station!
ReplyDeleteIt's looking more likely it will be built now
DeleteThat is a lot of land to lose to the sea. It seems a bizarre choice to be extending sizewell in that location.
ReplyDeleteI expect they will build C there - glad I'm not living close but sadly Youngest daughter is still there
DeleteVery interesting place. One wonders what Dunwich would be like now if the sea had not reclaimed the port town. Perhaps Harwich would be a quaint coastal village! We have sampled the famous fish and chips at the cafe in Dunwich. They were certainly high quality but those with small appetites might struggle.
ReplyDeleteThe battered fish is always bigger than the plate!
DeleteI seem to remember about the church bells ringing from beneath the sea during a storm? What an interesting day out and great photos. Sniggering gently here about your mobile lettuce!!
ReplyDeleteYes lots of tales of what remains under the sea but divers have never found much
DeleteDunwich has been on my 'want to visit' list for ages, but it's rather a long way from Cumbria so thank you for sharing it so well.
ReplyDeleteQuite a journey from West to East - perhaps you'll get here one day
DeleteWhat a lovely day out-I love to be at the seashore. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI need to spend more days by the sea - perhaps next year
Deletethe nuclear plant on the coastline why do they always put them there? The one we have here is on the tiny bit of coastline Nh has.
ReplyDeletevery interesting about how the sea claimed the village. I do think there will be more of that in the century ahead.
Cathy
The sea is still claiming the cliffs and homes just a few miles further north on the Suffolk coast
DeleteA nuclear plant of any description HAS to be near to a large body of water to be able to pipe in enough to desalinate and cool the reactors or storage cannisters.
DeleteVery interesting and poignant too.
ReplyDeleteHow did you resist the Fish n Chips?
Alison in Wales x
Easy to resist Fish and Chips there as it costs £15! My pensioners price F&C from up the road is only £4 - unless it's gone up again
DeleteI hate to think of homes and whole streets being lost to the sea. I'll have to ask Alan about the plans for Sizewell C, there must be a reason it's deemed safe to build it there.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at the thought of your lettuce blowing away ... sorry. ;-)