Edward Fitzgerald (1809-1883) was from a wealthy family and a gentleman of leisure. Known primarily for his translation of a Persian poem he was of a bohemian disposition and lived an unconventional life. He was one of the ‘Woodbridge Wits’, a group of poets and artists, which included Thomas Churchyard, George Crabbe and Bernard Barton. …
Deben Soundings FB Suffolk Inlets HB – good images from Sentinel data on the bar. Bawdsey tide gauge.
This archive of earlier copies of the ‘Deben’ magazine is a trove of hidden treasures and readers will find their time in reviewing it rewarded. To read. Tribes of the Deben Anglo Saxons. Gosnold Autumn 2000, also various other history pieces. Wrecks on the Deben – Spring 2000
For literary reasons, we will take our imaginary trip in 1881. It is mid-November and fortunately the weather is set fair; this has been a year of dramatic weather extremes. Repairs have been made from the Great Storm of a few weeks ago; thankfully we were on a sheltered berth at the time. We are …
Portland cement was made at Masons Cement Works in Waldringfield on the Deben. 120,000 tons of mud was taken Hemley Point and Early Creek in SB Kingfisher
The Galleon’s racing mark is most likely misnamed. The hard to the southeast was once known as Girling’s Hard. There are records of the Girling family owning land in the area as far back as 1521. So, barring a convincing Galleon tale that is probably the origin. In the late nineteenth century, …
For sailors, much of the navigational interest of the Deben is getting in and out of Woodbridge Haven: there is, however, the more prosaic topic of how the way to Woodbridge has been marked over the years. This is a tour through the sources and changes. George Arnott says the first reference to beacons was …
Dummy Landing Craft were built at Waldringfield and moored on the Deben before D-Day to deceive the Nazis. These were probably the largest craft ever to be in the river.
The 1845 Deben Survey shows an oxbow bend with Troublesome Reach to the south and Kingston Reach to the west. ‘Troublesome’ relates to the difficulty experienced by sailing vessels in rounding the bend at Kingston (now Kyson Point) due to the prevailing southwesterly and erratic winds from Martlesham Creek. At the west end of Troublesome …
Read more “Loder’s Cut and John Loder, Troublesome Reach, Bloody Point and Kyson Point.”
Cuttings in saltmarsh – none similar – purpose not known.
Is it an island? – is in Waldringfield? – changes in banks and channels
Once buoyed – Alker Tripp – Winkle Island – Stonnor Channel
TBA
First detailed Survey – Tidal heights – Reach names – not a chart – Captain Stanley – HMS Blazer
The Deben or Woodbridge River was once guarded by a Roman Fort. The channel changes as do the methods of marking it…
Until 1934 a 50 foot high seamark on Bawdsey Cliff marked the Sledway.
King’s Fleet on the Deben Port of Goseford – Canes Seed – Edward III’s Fleet – Charles I engineers
TBA
There is little activity at Kirton Creek nowadays. However, it was once the mouth of the Mill River and, after enclosure, boasted a Brick Works. This was dependent upon barge transport which seemed quite challenging given the nature of the channel. A relic of that era is the hulk of a Thames Sailing Barge which is slowly being claimed by the mud.
“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” Albert Einstein George Arnott suggested that most local churches “…stand on the banks of a creek and were at one time accessible by boat, so that material.. could be brought by water…” 1Locations of local Churches – Arnott, W.G. (1950) Suffolk …