Tags
Homersfield, Homersfield church, Mark Goldsworthy, Millennium Sculpture, Sir Robert Alexander Shafto Adair, St Mary's church, Suffolk, Waveney River, Waveney Valley, Waveney Valley Line
For the past few days I have been looking at flood water and driving through deep puddles on the roads but until Monday had been unable to take any pictures of what I’d seen. On Monday afternoon I decided I’d take a five minute drive to Homersfield, walk round the village and see the flooded watermeadows.
The day was very grey and gloomy but apart from a short shower of rain I managed to stay dry for most of the time I was out.
I parked my car on the edge of the village near to the totem pole-like millennium sculpture carved from wood by local artist Mark Goldsworthy. At the top of the sculpture is a man in a small boat and below him, water with different species of fish swimming in it. Near the base are the words ‘I dreamed of a beautiful woman who carried me away’ and below those words the name of the village is carved in capitals. The sculpture has been signed by the artist. I believe the beautiful woman referred to is the River Waveney which flows past the village and forms the border between the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk.
I walked through the village to the further side where the road starts to rise away from the river on its way to the village of St Cross. From here I could look out over the water meadows.
The water level had gone down a little during the last twenty-four hours but the fields were still inundated.
On the other side of the lane is one of the entrances to the Community Wood.
The two photos above were taken last February.
This bridge is one of the oldest surviving concrete bridges in Britain and was constructed in 1869 at the request of Sir Robert Alexander Shafto Adair, Baronet of the Flixton Estate. Here is a link to a description of the bridge and its history.
A number of seagulls were floating on the water. The buildings just beyond the far bank, line the A143 road which was built in the early 1980’s along the former route of The Waveney Valley Line. This was a rail branch line which ran from Tivetshall in Norfolk to Beccles in Suffolk but was closed in 1966 and the track removed soon afterwards. The red-coloured building on the right of the picture is a garage which I think used to be an engine shed.
After having viewed the river from all points I walked back through the village. It is a pretty place with lots of attractive cottages. As it was getting late I only took a few more photos.
We used to bring Elinor here when she was very small!
Thanks for visiting!