GRANDPA'S CYCLE RIDES

UK - SUFFOLK - POLSTEAD

APRIL 2015

I had received payment for Alchemi and completed all my obligations under the Sale Agreement by the end of March 2015 and thought that ended the matter (mistakenly as it turned out) and that I could now turn my attention to developing a post-cruising life.

I still had in mind the general idea of finding a way to make cycling expeditions “Tottering from one auberge to another” along the canal towpaths of rural France – as first conceived in 2010. But I hadn't progressed to the point of having a clear plan about how to put the idea into practice.

CONVERSION OF AN IDEA INTO A PLAN

Planning to stay in Country Inns or B&Bs as a “credit card tourist” had the attraction of reducing the need to carry a lot of luggage on the bike, but I wasn't getting any stronger or fitter as I approached my 79^th birthday, so even the minimal luggage needed by such a method might prove too burdensome. An alternative I also considered was the idea of renting a small apartment for a period and using it as a base for day expeditions by car and bike before moving on somewhere else.

But both of those ideas had the disadvantages of higher cost (especially in peak months), greater inconvenience in getting to and from the area(s) of my choice, and limitations on my ability to change plans as I went along if I wanted to move on more quickly from one place to another or stay longer than originally booked.

So, my ideas started to converge on the idea of a tent, a caravan or a motor-home. The last two would require a significant investment before I knew whether my ambitions were out-stripping my capability. So I decided in the first instance to buy a tent and go “Glamping” with tent and kit stowed in the car and the bike on a tow-bar mounted rack.

“Glamping” could be best accomplished by having a comfortable air-bed, a chair and table, and a means of preparing food and drinks in the simplest possible way. That led to a plan to stay only at sites with an electricity supply to all pitches and to take a microwave and portable fridge.

A TRIAL CAMP

The next step was to put these ideas and preparations into practice. Looking for somewhere suitable a reasonable distance from my home, and remembering that John Constable (1776-1832) had lived and created many of his marvellous paintings in the countryside of the Dedham valley in Suffolk, I thought that would make a suitable and interesting area to explore. I booked a week at Polstead campsite between Sudbury and Ipswich close to the Dedham Valley.

Regional Map

My Mobile Home

RIDE TO HADLEIGH TOWN

The best way to record my first experiences is to reproduce the contents of an email to Family interspersed with some photos:

Awoke at 05-15 on ground 'cos air bed valve missing an O-Ring seal. Cold outside - stayed snug in bag until couldn't resist call of nature any longer.

Email from S Africa - send new Bill of Sale Urgently! Drafted hostile reply.Made cup of tea in microwave - better than last night - I've gone all-electric as so many modern sites have pitch supplies - just like being in the boat with shore-power available. Visited camp facilities again. Got bike out with all gear. Rested a bit. Had bowl of Granola and another cup of tea. Visited camp facilities again - must be the cold and the tea. Revised email reply - less hostile - still firm - can't do anything 'til back home next week. Sent off.

Set out on bike through minor, minor roads. OK to begin with - flat, small farmhouses surrounded by large fields of vegetables and newly sown crops.

Agriculture near Polstead

Set off again - fast downhill single track road dodging potholes. A bit like going through a narrow reef entrance in a cross-tide. Perhaps cycling won't be as dull as I feared after all.

Approaching Hadleigh

Arrived at Hadleigh - centuries old market town that has preserved its character - great Ironmongers - bought huge box of O-Ring seals for £ 8. Lunch at S'market cafe.

Hadleigh High Street

Left town by new route but soon diverted down riverside footpath - beautiful, beautiful.

River Brett at Hadleigh

Hadleigh Church

Emerged on inward route past fields with wild pheasant flying overhead but omitted hill with fast ride on outward journey

Wild Pheasant

Found longer route with less steep but never-ending climb - struggle, struggle. Eventually emerged on higher and flatter land. Back to camp after only 12 miles or less but still satisfying for a first outing.

Found Gin missing last night and enjoyed G&T whilst worrying about sunburn thro' absence of 'block' during ride, and probable stiffness tomorrow.

None of scores of new O-Rings fitted groove in air bed cap seal - tried improvising with tediously prepared small pieces of tissue paper - hope it will keep me off the ground tonight. (I later found there never had been a seal there and the leak must have been due to poor valve design or a slow puncture somewhere).

Had another G&T and composed this email.

RIDE AROUND ALTON WATER

My next outing was to Alton Water, a reservoir used for both water supply and recreation including walking and cycling along a track around its periphery.

Along the north east boundary occasional breaks in a screen of bushes and trees beside the track afford a view of the water.

Alton Water

The land here is quite rolling with minor valleys leading down to the water's edge that create a series of surprisingly steep but thankfully quite short hills.

Track around the reservoir

There is a dinghy sailing club at the southern end of the reservoir near the dam with a snack bar nearby.

Dinghy Sailing

The ride back along the western edge is less hilly than its counterpart on the other side and is brightened from time to time by highly coloured Gorse bushes in full bloom at the end of April.

Gorse in full bloom

LOCAL RIDES

There were a couple of pubs within a short ride from the campsite and I visited the Cock Inn at Polstead Green a couple of times for a pint one lunchtime and supper on another occasion.

The Cock Inn

A VISIT TO FLATFORD MILL

Polstead is close to the heart of Constable Country at Flatford Mill which was owned by the wealthy corn merchant Golding Constable. Golding had two sons, Abram who succeeded him as owner of Flatford Mill and other business interests, and John who became the famous painter. Golding and Abram were barge builders and transport contractors as well as corn merchants and millers. Next to his Mill Golding constructed a dry-dock, now restored, in which to build barges for the transport side of his business.

Dry Dock in which Barges were built.

The Mill itself is now a National Trust property used in parts by the Field Studies Council who organise and run residential courses and activities for children and older students wishing to learn more about the local wildlife and environment.

There is also the inevitable shop and café but in addition guided tours of the property and adjacent buildings are available. I took advantage of this and had the benefit of a personal guide as there were no other visitors wishing to join our party when I was there.

The Mill is situated on the River Stour whose source lies well inland that also passes near Sudbury that was a very large and important town in the 18^th and early 19^th centuries. Downstream of Flatford it joins the Orwell near Harwich where the two have a common and short estuary where they emerge into the North Sea.

In Constables' time the Stour was navigable between Harwich and Sudbury for barges capable of carrying bulk cargo, typically coal and iron from Harwich to Sudbury and bricks and tiles in the opposite direction.

Interestingly the barges were often shackled together end-to-end rather like today's articulated trucks. Together the train was over 100 feet long and capable of carrying 56 tons of cargo. The whole lot was crewed by a man and a boy. The boy often rode the single horse that pulled the train for the two days it took to make the entire journey between Sudbury and Harwich – men, boys and horses were tough and worked hard in those days.

The best pictures of these buildings, bridges, rivers, Hay Wains etc are those painted by John Constable but here are a few photos I took of the same subjects from the places where the artist placed his easel.