Mistley - Robert Adam Designs etc

 The first quay was built around 1720 but around about 1770, the quay was enlarged by Richard Rigby and was known as Port of Mistley. At that time, the village of Mistley, then known as Mistleythorn, consisted of warehouses, a granary, a large malting office and new quays.Newcastle ships brought in coal for Essex or Suffolk and corn was stored for the London markets and all the coastal ports.  Rigby wanted to turn Mistley into a fashionable spa and Robert Adam was asked to design a saltwater bath by the river. The Swan Pool was the only part constructed plus the unusual church, which had towers at the east and west ends and semi-circular porticoes on the north and south sides.The main body of the church was demolished in 1870. The warehouses and other riverside building are being converted into flats and there is the threat that Edme Mills may leave the village (see next post)

Birdwatching from Thames Barge Hydrogen

 On Sunday, I joined a small group of birdwatchers for a trip up the River Colne to Wivenhoe observing the numerous birds that frequent the mud banks and saltmarshes. The weather was overcast most of the time so difficult for photography but I was pleased to record most of the species we saw. The Avocets were the stars with large flocks in several areas. Ducks included Wigeon and Shelduck, Brent Geese were not as numerous as I expected and then there were the Waders - first image Curlew and three Knot, followed by Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit (Bar-tailed also seen), Redshank and Dunlin. A Cormorant using a convenient perch, single Oystercatcher, immature Gull in flight and the star for many - a Peregrine disobeying the rules (another was seen catching a wader in the distance) completed the line-up.

Clacton Under Lockdown

A few images from our afternoon in Clacton - a late break in the clouds gave some very dramatic lighting - difficult to capture the colours and tones. Unsurprisingly, there were very few people about on the beach. The imposing Pavilion building has been renovated since my last visit to Clacton with a full Adventure playground and other amusements behind the façade. There is an extensive plan for Clacton's future but I guess after the withdrawal of EU support this is unlikely to happen. With Covid19 notices everywhere, it was good to see even the seagulls taking it seriously. There was excitement as police cars arrived in the evening and two policemen went off in pursuit of someone, while this local inhabitant put Phil right on one or two matters!

 

Birds Return As the Tide Recedes

We left it a bit too long after the hide tide to take a walk along The Walls at Manningtree so most of the birds were a fair distance away except for this Black-tailed Godwit collecting small animals on the shingle close to us. The camouflage is so good it was hard to see without going in close with the lens. The Turnstones and Jackdaws were much more confiding and Black-headed Gulls, Lesser Black-Backed Gulls and Redshank also showed.

Under the Pier

I am spending the weekend near Clacton for a postponed Bird Watching cruise from Brightlingsea tomorrow. Yesterday afternoon the sun came out for a short while and I made use of the light to investigate the world under the pier. There are abundant textures and colours but I mainly concentrated on the  'underwater world' and small glimpses cameos.

Tree Felling

My neighbours had to have a poplar that was right next to their house and obviously a danger to the property in high winds felled today. The skill of the tree surgeon was impressive as he first trimmed all the top branches before starting to take down the trunk.