Tags
Constable, Dedham, Dedham Vale, Flatford, Flatford Mill, John Constable, lock, mill, National Trust, River Stour, Suffolk, the Hay Wain, water meadows, Willy Lott's House
My birthday falls at the beginning of September but last autumn, as we were very busy during that week we decided to put off any celebration or outing until later. A whole month later we found we had the time, and the weather had improved enough for a trip to Flatford Mill in the Dedham Vale.
Flatford Mill is owned by the National Trust and looking at their website we saw that we need not book a slot to visit but, as parking space is limited we thought we would set off fairly early. The weather forecast was for rain in the afternoon but the morning was glorious with plenty of sunshine.
We live in North Suffolk in the Waveney Valley and Flatford Mill is in the south of the county on the River Stour near the border with the county of Essex. If you click on the link just below you will see a map of Suffolk. Near the top of the map to the right of centre are the towns of Bungay, Halesworth and Harleston. We live in-between and almost equi-distant from those three towns. At the bottom of the map in the centre you will see the town of Sudbury and to the right of that is Dedham Vale.
https://images.app.goo.gl/fqi1Da7AAMkpD9GY8
Many of you will recognise the name of the place we visited for my birthday treat. Some of you may have been there already. Flatford Mill was owned by the painter John Constable’s father and John was born in East Bergholt, a village on the River Stour. It is a short walk down a fairly steep winding, wooded lane from the village to the mill.
We wandered round the outside of the mill and over the bridge to the other side of the river.
We found the lock which has recently been restored.
We also found the rear of the mill buildings and the mill pool.
We re-crossed the bridge and walked back down towards the mill, admiring the brick and timber buildings.
After our lunch we sat outside the mill in the sunshine.
It was satisfying to sit looking at a view that Constable looked at every day when he lived in that building and had also included in many of his paintings such as The Mill Stream, The Hay Wain and The White Horse.
Above are three slightly different views of Willy Lott’s House as seen from outside the mill. We then walked down the lane towards the house to get a closer view.
We then thought we would walk across the water meadows to Dedham which is just into Essex. Dedham was also painted by Constable and we could see the church tower in the distance. I have seen this same church tower every time I have travelled down the A12 on my way to London.
As you can see from the sky in these photos, it was looking more and more like rain so we reluctantly turned round and made our way back to Flatford. The water meadows were more water than meadow, thanks to the very wet weather we had had during September and we would have had great difficulty getting to Dedham dryshod. The last two photos above show Dedham church tower.
We had a last look at the Stour and then went home in the rain.
Laurie Graves said:
What a fabulous outing! Worth waiting for. How moving it is to reflect on the notion that you are looking at similar scenes that Constable saw. Glad the rain held off.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Laurie. We were very fortunate with the weather that day. We have had such a wet six months, you just can’t imagine! Even without the pandemic we would have been hard-pressed to find many dry days for outings! I found the experience of being at Flatford very moving, especially as it has hardly changed in 200 years! We sat near a couple outside the mill and suddenly the man pointed at Willy Lott’s house and said to his wife, “It’s that house! It’s that house from the painting!” He was so excited! He had suddenly seen the place anew; not just as a museum-piece but as living history.
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Laurie Graves said:
What a treat to see a scene as the artist did all those many years ago!
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Clare Pooley said:
Yes!
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cindy knoke said:
Looks so lovely and tranquil.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Cindy; it was incredibly peaceful despite the other visitors.
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Retirement Reflections said:
Happy Belated Birthday! Flatford Mills looks well worth the wait. Beautiful photos!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Donna. It was a lovely place to visit and was the last trip out we’ve made. We will definitely be going there again once the pandemic has abated.
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Liz said:
How wonderful to be able to take this trip via your gorgeous photos and narrative, Clare, thank you for taking the time to put it all together. I was looking longingly, only the other day, at Constable’s painting The Vale of Dedham on the National Galleries of Scotland website. It is one of the paintings I always seek out when I go to the gallery, which used to be pretty much every week. I can’t wait to be able to go back again and be in the presence of this and other masterpieces. We used to know a lovely lady who lived in Woodbridge. We only managed to visit once before she sadly died but I hoped we would be able to return to this gorgeous part of England. Later, some years ago now, my job took me occasionally to Lowestoft. I always looked forward to the train journey across from Peterborough. Gazing out over the flats while rattling along on a trundly local train felt like being in a 19th century novel! I still hope one day we can visit the area again at leisure and take in all that glorious Constable history (although I bet there will be more people around than in your photos!). X
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Liz. We hope to return to Flatford one day once the pandemic has gone away; and won’t it be strange to be surrounded by crowds! Life is so restricted at the moment. The arts have suffered very much with no exhibitions or concerts for months on end.
I like that journey across the Fens too! The trundly local train is still the only train there is, and that’s the route I take when visiting my daughter in Sheffield. Take care, Liz. I will be in touch soon xx
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Liz said:
Thanks Clare – you take care too xxx
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Clare Pooley said:
xxx
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Annika Perry said:
Clare, a very belated Happy Birthday and I see our birthdays fall very close to one another. What a magical day out and Flatford Mill is one of my favourite places in Suffolk! It has a truly amazing atmosphere … the peace and tranquillity is incredible and one can sense history all around! Wow, your photos capture the area beautifully and I think you will have many flocking to see the mill, surrounding buildings and the River Stour.
I hope your mother is settling back well in her home after the dreadful floods over Christmas. What a nightmare for you all and I feel for your deeply. Has she been able to have the recarpeting done yet or are you waiting for better times? Is your daughter studying from home this year or did she go back to Uni? My son is away at the moment and this will be by far the longest we have ever been apart i … such is life for now. Much patience needed by all.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful day out with us; it’s made me nostalgic for trips out and will now be my first to visit when possible! Xx
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Annika. That part of the Suffolk/Essex border is so lovely with its water-meadows and wooded valleys. Quintessential southern England, no less!
Mum has settled in back in her own home very nicely, thank you. She is leaving having carpets fitted until things are a little more settled. She has rugs so things aren’t quite as stark as they could have been. Elinor is still studying on-line and hasn’t visited the university for months. You must miss your son very much but I hope he is enjoying his course and experiencing life away from home; which isn’t always as exciting as we imagine it will be, is it!?
Take care, Annika. I hope we will all be able to get out again very soon xxx
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susanpoozan said:
Thank you for giving us such an interesting look round a very well known place. Your photographs more than do it justice, most enjoyable.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Susan. We all enjoyed our visit and hope to return when there are fewer restrictions and less rain perhaps!
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susanpoozan said:
I was sorry about the rain, bad luck.
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Clare Pooley said:
It has been a very wet six months. Actually, once we are allowed to visit places again I won’t care if it’s pouring down with rain, I will be so pleased to be out!
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John’s Postcards said:
Thanks for sharing Clare. We made a brief visit a few years ago and vowed we would return when time wasn’t limited but we haven’t made it yet. Your photos have reminded me – we may even make it when things get back to normal.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, John. I do hope you manage to return one day. We said we’d return there post-Covid restrictions and perhaps in drier conditions!
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derrickjknight said:
A wonderful tour of the master’s environment
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Derrick. That trip was our last outing, apart from shopping trips.
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Andrew Petcher said:
I remember my parents having a cheap reproduction print of Flatford Mill in the dining room. Thanks for the memory nudge.
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Clare Pooley said:
My pleasure, Andrew and thank you for adding your memories. Constable’s paintings are still so popular and prints, framed or unframed are easily available.
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bowlandclimber said:
I visited Flatford Mill over 50years ago – nothing much has changed.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, John; I hope you are well. I don’t think much has changed there in 200 years!
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margaret21 said:
Exceedingly late birthday greetings! And thanks for this tour of an area of the country I simply don’t know. I need to put this right as Suffolk is where my ancestors on my grandfather’s side come from. Once Lockdown’s over ….
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Margaret. It is a lovely part of the world and worth a visit or two….once lockdown’s over!
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willedare said:
Thank you for this soothing visit to a very special place. I gaze at your great photos and also at the links to Constable’s paintings with a naive nostalgia for pre-Industrial life — when we were water- and human- and horse-powered. I also love looking at the map of Suffolk and seeing many names which were brought here to Massachusetts. I look forward to upcoming blog posts/outings you will — I hope — share with us!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, Will! I also hope to be able to post a little more frequently than of late. Oh, to have a little more freedom to visit nice places and share the experience with my friends here on WP! I hope you are coping okay with your local restrictions. I am gradually trying to catch-up with everyone after my absence from blogging. Take care, my friend 😊
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Genessa West said:
What a wonderful outing! I love the warm red bricks and the tranquility of the place. Your photos are stunning, and the narrative is very interesting and so well written John Constable’s parents picked a beautiful spot all those years ago. How amazing to see the place and know that so little has changed. I’ve noticed that many well known artists lived in lovely places. I’m certain that’s not a coincidence! As you know our birthdays are very close together. I walked on the beach at Minnis bay in Birchington for my celebratory trip. I spent the first four or five birthdays there with my family, sadly, because I was so small, I’ve few memories of those holidays. But it’s a beautiful bay, and it will always be a special place for me.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Genessa. I know Minnis Bay well as my aunt still lives in Birchington. The last time I went to that beach was just after my uncle’s funeral in the company of both my parents! It was a calming and restorative moment before we all set off back home to Suffolk.
Flatford is well worth a visit if you are ever in Suffolk; I think you may have a point about beautiful surroundings encouraging artistic endeavour. Some of us are beyond encouragement, sadly! 😄
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Clive said:
Happy belated birthday from a fellow Virgoan! I’m glad to see from the comments above that all is well with your Mum.
Thank you for this wonderful collection of photos which bring back good memories for me. When our girls were little we had a caravan on a site in Walton-on-the-Naze and they loved Flatford so much that it became an annual visit for us. For me, it was a delight to see in the flesh the locations for paintings that had been part of my History of Art studies at uni. Happy days, in a beautiful place.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Clive! I am so glad you have special memories of this wonderful place. It is worth revisiting as there are so many different things to see and experience. Take care, my friend x
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Clive said:
It’s a beautiful spot, and does indeed bear revisiting. It’s many years since I was last there, but maybe one day…
You take care too x
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Jill Weatherholt said:
Before the rain moved in, the weather looked perfect for an outing. Thank you for taking us along, Clare. I really enjoyed the tour. Happy belated birthday! Wishing you and your family all the best. Stay safe! xo
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Jill. We were grateful for that morning of sunshine and dry weather after so much wet weather in September. I am pleased you enjoyed the tour ❤ We remember it with fondness too, as it was our last outing before we had to stay at home again. I hope you are well and keeping safe xo
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Peter Klopp said:
You captured the beauty and tranquillity of the English countryside very well, Clare. A virtual treat in our turbulent times!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Peter; I am glad you enjoyed the tour. There is very little to enjoy these days, unfortunately 🙂
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John Hric said:
Clare looks like a very neat visit. And that one tree looks like a whomping willow. Stay safe and healthy.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, John; I am pleased you enjoyed the visit. Poor willow! It’s whomping days are over 😦 I hope you and your family are well and keeping safe xo
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Lavinia Ross said:
I enjoyed the virtual tour, Clare! It looks like a lovely place to have celebrated your birthday!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, Lavinia! It was the most perfect place to celebrate my birthday ❤ I hope you and Rick are keeping safe and well xo
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unionhomestead said:
Even I, a bit of an art dunce, felt like I had been there before. Beautiful photos of a weirdly familiar place. Belated birthday greetings 😁
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much! The place has hardly changed at all in 200 years which is amazing for somewhere in the UK. 😀
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tootlepedal said:
What an excellent birthday outing, even if it was a little late. The buildings are lovely.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Tom. The architecture is wonderful and the buildings have been restored so carefully.
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tootlepedal said:
They looked really good.
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
As soon as you said a painter lived there I thought “he must have been a landscape painter.” How could he be anything else, growing up is such beautiful countryside!
I was trying to figure out what was going on with the bare branched tree that looks as if it’s splitting in half but I can’t. I’ve never seen a tree like it.
I’m guessing that you must have had a very happy birthday in such beautiful surroundings!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Allen. I had a very happy birthday at Flatford and yes, the countryside is beautiful there. I believe the dead tree is a Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/trees-and-shrubs/crack-willow I think this description answers your question about the splitting trunk!
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New Hampshire Garden Solutions said:
Thanks for the information on the willow. I looked it up but I didn’t see any others as visually pleasing as the one you showed. I’d like to have it in my yard!
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Clare Pooley said:
Yes, I’m with you there. It’s a beauty!
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Laleh Chini said:
Stunning.❤️⭐️
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Laleh xoxo
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Laleh Chini said:
Always pleasure.❤️
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Richard Sutton said:
Delightful post Clare. Great photos of those lovely scenes that Constable said made him a painter. How grateful we all are that they did!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Richard. We were utterly charmed by the place!
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clivebennett796 said:
I love old mills and this looks like it’s been well restored. Thanks for sharing your bit of the world. It’s lovely 😊
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Helen said:
We had been planning to go to Suffolk last May but who knows, it may be possible to do so at some point this year! I will make a note of Flatford Mill – it looks a very restful place.
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sherijkennedyriverside said:
Beautiful tour. I’m glad you got out for such a lovely day. Am I correct some of the roofs are thatch? It’s a little hard to see for certain, but they appear so. I’d never heard of a ‘withy’ fence. Are the branches willow or do they use blackberry cane and other random findings to build them?
That dead tree is quite dramatic. Perhaps a willow? Looks like it must have been split by lightning. So interesting.
Wonderful to see a new post from you Clare. I hope you’re well!
~Sheri
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Sheri. Yes, Many of the roofs are thatched which is still a popular roofing material in this part of the country, though very expensive to insure. The withy fence is woven willow, though the one in the photograph was covered in bramble and other scrambling plants. Reeds for thatch and willow for fencing are materials easily available here. The dead tree is a willow. It is a crack willow which splits and twists as it grows. I have added a link here if you are interested. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/crack-willow/
I am well thank you, Sheri. I took some time off from blogging because I needed to help my mother after her house got flooded. Not that I’d been posting much in recent months – I’ve not been out because of the pandemic and we aren’t allowed to travel more than a couple of miles form home so I’ve had nothing to blog about. I hope you and your husband are keeping safe and well.
Clare
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sherijkennedyriverside said:
Thanks for the further explanation. It’s always interesting to see things that aren’t common, or sometimes even known, in our own areas. I know the feeling of ‘nothing to blog about,’ though I’ve been finding beauty and good days close to home. Just turned inward more, I suppose. Take care, my friend! -Sheri
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Sheri ❤
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sherijkennedyriverside said:
❤
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Andrea Stephenson said:
I’m glad you were able to get out for a birthday treat, if a little belated! I am familiar with the scene from the painting but it must be strange to see such a familiar view in the flesh.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Andrea. It was definitely strange to see the scenes from the paintings ‘in the flesh’. With most other famous paintings the known locations have changed so much that they are almost unrecognisable, but not these ones! I watched a documentary a couple of years ago in which the locations of JM Turner’s paintings were researched almost forensically for points of recognition.
I hope you have coped with this dark, cold and wet winter (with added pandemic!) better than …. was it last winter or the winter before? I am losing track of time.
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Andrea Stephenson said:
I have coped very well thanks Clare. It was only the beginning of last year that I had a difficult time but that seems so long ago after the year we had!
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Clare Pooley said:
I am so pleased, Andrea! Yes, ‘time’ is different now. Very strange!
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Jolandi Steven said:
What a gorgeous place to choose for a birthday outing, Clare. Even if it was much later than your birthday, I think it is special to mark it in a specific way. I love that you included links to paintings of John Constable. It is wonderful to discover so many lovely places in England through your eyes. I do get the impression that it is easy to go for wonderful walks everywhere in the country. What a blessing. I’m so glad the weather played along nicely on that day, even though you had to make your return journey in the rain.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Jolandi. There are certainly many wonderful places to walk in England whether in the countryside, in villages, in towns or cities but I must admit there are some places I wouldn’t recommend walking in as well! Our time at Flatford was extremely enjoyable, especially after so much isolation due to the pandemic.
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Ste J said:
A beautiful place, a great place for walking and enjoying nature, and probably even better for the lack of people. I love the sunlight streaming throuh the trees, reminds me of a line from Tolstoy that I can’t recall but remember in spirit.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Ste J. It was an extremely enjoyable place to visit and there were plenty of places to walk in the surrounding countryside. We will return there as soon as we can! I have plenty of quotes floating about in my brain, just out of reach! If only my memory was a little better.
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Lisa G. said:
Clare, I’m so glad you had this outing! Constable’s work always appeals to me – I love landscapes, especially summer ones. I had come here the other day and typed something, but my computer protested, and I’ve since forgot what I was wanting to say. 😀
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, dear Lisa! Constable’s paintings are so full of life. His landscapes usually have people and horses working somewhere in the picture and the clouds and trees look as though a breeze is blowing them about. I am pleased you managed to get your computer to work properly again! xoxo
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Luanne said:
Your photos are so adept at taking me on an outing with you! These make me feel as if I am there with you. I can even imagine the weather!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Luanne. Oh yes, the weather. The sky tells all, hehe! The weather plays a big part in our lives as it is so changeable; the success or otherwise of an outing depends on whether it’s raining or not and how windy it is. Last summer and early autumn when we weren’t in some kind of a lockdown we were allowed to visit places but usually had to book a ‘slot’ or seats/tables etc. It was most unfortunate if our set time coincided with foul weather. Pre-pandemic, we looked at the forecast for the day and had a look out the window and if all seemed fair we went out. I hope this will be the case in the future once the pandemic has calmed down.
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Luanne said:
I remember living in Michigan and it was like that there. Maybe because it’s not only northerly (is that a word?) but surrounded by the big lakes. I would never have planned an outdoor wedding. In Arizona I can’t imagine an indoor wedding!
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Clare Pooley said:
I follow a photographer from Michigan and remember reading about the ‘lake effect’ that makes the weather very much like ours.
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Luanne said:
That is what I was thinking. So interesting!
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bitaboutbritain said:
That was a lovely post, Clare. And you had a nice day for it! We visited a few years back and loved it there. It is striking how little, relatively, has changed since Constable’s days. Just for fun, on the website I compared selected paintings with photos taken from the same spot.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Mike. We were amazed at how little the landscape had changed since Constable’s time. I will now visit your website and have a look at the comparisons! I had wondered if I could do the same when I wrote my post and then realised my tech. skills were inadequate.
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quercuscommunity said:
We often used to visit because Julia’s parents lived just outside Hadleigh. Seeing these photos made me realise how long it is since we last visited. We will have to put it on the list for when we can finally get out.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Simon. We found it a most peaceful and beautiful place to visit and will definitely be going again once the pandemic is over.
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quercuscommunity said:
🙂 Yes, so many things on hold.
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Clare Pooley said:
🙂
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cindy knoke said:
Very beautiful Clare. We were both born in early September.
David Lessard Poems
Sep 2018
September’s child.
September’s child is special
born in autumn’s gold;
brother to the pumpkin
sister to the cold.
September’s child is lovely
the heart’s in the right place;
born in the changing leaves
adorned with God’s own grace.
September’s child is full of love
for family and for friends;
granting each an honored spot
with love that never ends.
September’s child is filled with life
for enjoying nature’s touch;
relishing the autumn rains
not too little, nor too much.
September’s child is special
between the heat and cold;
graced with special beauty
graced by autumn’s gold.
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Clare Pooley said:
What a lovely poem, Cindy – thank you!
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maryannniemczura said:
Clare, I so enjoyed the walk through your eyes. My Nana in Massachusetts lived on the hill above a mill where fabric was made. The time frame of your photos and this town where my Nana lived are about the same. Your geography lesson was fascinating. I enjoyed the photos and links to the paintings. You combined art, history, geography and photos for a beautiful birthday gift for us as well. Thank you for the most enjoyable post. oxox
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Clare Pooley said:
My pleasure, Mary Ann and thank you so much for your kind comment. I am truly glad you enjoyed the post xoxo
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maryannniemczura said:
Clare, glad you liked my comment. I just had to pass your post on to a dear friend who loved it. He asked if you published travelogues. He too had been a school superintendent in an old mill town in Massachusetts. Be well and have a good week. oxox
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you so much, Mary Ann! I hope you have a wonderful week xoxo
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maryannniemczura said:
My pleasure, Clare. You made my day. Be well. oxox
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Clare Pooley said:
xoxo
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maryannniemczura said:
See you later with the new blog today. oxox
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M T McGuire said:
That looks stunning. Great pictures as well.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much, Mary. It was a peaceful and memorable visit.
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Cynthia Reyes said:
What a gem of a place, Clare! And such a good idea for a birthday treat. I’m glad you shared it with us, complete with photos. You couldn’t have sent a slice of birthday cake, but this is a slice of loveliness and history. Thank you for allowing us to share in your birthday treat!
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Monica Singh said:
Love the countryside charm of Flatford Mill portrayed through these pictures. The setting looks so tranquil, standing in contrast to the ever-evolving modernity of today’s world.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment on my post. It certainly is a charming place and was very peaceful on the day we visited.
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Charlotte Hoather said:
What a beautiful place it’s no wonder Constable was so inspired. One of my friends from the conservatoire was from Lowestoft is that near to you?
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Clare Pooley said:
Yes, Lowestoft is just over twenty miles away from my home and I was there yesterday because my car needed a service and MOT. It was lovely seeing the sea again after months stuck at home! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, Charlotte. I hope both you and George are well xx
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Ari said:
Truly stunning place, I could live in a place like that – quaint houses and I love canals with locks, there’s something so calming about walking beside the canal or even better – travelling by long boat!
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you, Ari. It was such an enjoyable visit! We aim to go back there as soon as we can. I love canals, too and we’ve been on a few tourist outings on canals – I remember especially the canal at Llangollen in Wales and the canals in Bruges in Belgium – but I’ve never been on a longboat holiday/journey.
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namelessneed said:
Thanx Claire, for the warm text & photos. (& the maps for when I can get yr way again) gray
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Clare Pooley said:
My pleasure and thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Clare
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poitoucharentesinphotos said:
Lovely photos. I went to Flatford Mill for my A level field course in 1966.
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Infusod'arancio said:
Such a beautiful place
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much; it is!
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Infusod'arancio said:
😊
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Priti said:
Beautiful spot.
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Clare Pooley said:
Thank you very much!
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Priti said:
😄😄🌹
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