Wangford Common Covert

Wood, Forest in Suffolk East Suffolk

England

Wangford Common Covert

Serpentine wall at Henham Park This is the westernmost wall of the four walls which form the boundary of the Henham Hall walled garden, its length, extending to 120 yards or 110 metres. There is one segmental-arched doorway built into the southern half of the wall. The other three walls are of the normal variety each having wide access gates and enclose a total of about three and one third acres.
Built in the late 18th and early 19th century of red brick with brick copings, and amounting to about 3.5m. high. It is listed as a grade II building.
My grateful thanks to Hektor Rous for allowing me access. — Serpentine wall at Henham Park Credit: Adrian S Pye

Wangford Common Covert is a picturesque woodland located in the county of Suffolk, England. Covering an area of approximately 50 acres, this ancient woodland is renowned for its biodiversity and natural beauty.

The covert is predominantly composed of mixed broadleaf trees, including oak, ash, and beech, which create a dense and diverse canopy. The woodland floor is covered in a rich carpet of wildflowers during the spring and summer months, including bluebells, primroses, and wood anemones.

Wangford Common Covert is home to a wide variety of wildlife, making it a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers. The woodland provides a habitat for several bird species, such as great spotted woodpeckers, tawny owls, and chiffchaffs. Mammals such as deer, badgers, and foxes can also be spotted within the covert.

The woodland is crisscrossed with a network of footpaths, allowing visitors to explore its beauty at their leisure. These paths wind through the trees, providing glimpses of sunlight filtering through the leaves and creating a tranquil atmosphere.

Wangford Common Covert is managed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, which works to preserve and enhance the natural features of the woodland. The trust organizes various educational programs and events, including guided walks and talks, to raise awareness about the importance of woodland conservation.

Overall, Wangford Common Covert is a haven for nature lovers, offering a peaceful retreat and a chance to immerse oneself in the beauty of Suffolk's woodlands.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Wangford Common Covert Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.341194/1.6191937 or Grid Reference TM4677. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Serpentine wall at Henham Park

This is the westernmost wall of the four walls which form the boundary of the Henham Hall walled garden, its length, extending to 120 yards or 110 metres. There is one segmental-arched doorway built into the southern half of the wall. The other three walls are of the normal variety each having wide access gates and enclose a total of about three and one third acres. Built in the late 18th and early 19th century of red brick with brick copings, and amounting to about 3.5m. high. It is listed as a grade II building. My grateful thanks to Hektor Rous for allowing me access.

Adrian S Pye

A short length of serpentine wall on Henham Park

The wall is close to, but not part of the 120 yards or 110 metre length of garden wall. TM4478 : Serpentine wall at Henham Park

Adrian S Pye

Alms houses at Wangford

A plaque between the central windows reads thus: "These almshouses were built by George, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke and Helena his wife in memory of their son Christopher Simon Rous who died in Melbourne, Australia after long suffering bourne with heroic patience and cheerfulness." The plaque can be seen here TM4679 : Plaque on the almshouses at Wangford

Adrian S Pye

Plaque on the almshouses at Wangford

The plaque between the central windows reads thus: "These almshouses were built by George, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke and Helena his wife in memory of their son Christopher Simon Rous who died in Melbourne, Australia after long suffering bourne with heroic patience and cheerfulness." TM4679 : Alms houses at Wangford

Adrian S Pye

Serpentine wall at Parson's Meadow, Wangford

A serpentine or crinkle-crankle wall was initially designed to save bricks and reduce to cost of building walls. Suffolk seems to be the historical birthplace of the metamorphic remodelling of the straightforward into the curiously peculiar. A wavy wall can be built with the thickness of a single brick and is self supporting even in very strong winds whereas a straight wall requires a thickness of at least two bricks (9 inches) and even buttresses if raised over about three feet. Wikipedia has a few words to add: A crinkle crankle wall, also known as a crinkum crankum, slangenmuur (snake-wall) sinusoidal, serpentine, ribbon or wavy wall, is an unusual type of structural or garden wall built in a serpentine shape with alternating curves, originally used in Ancient Egypt, but also typically found in Suffolk in England. The alternate convex and concave curves in the wall provide stability and help it to resist lateral forces, leading to greater strength than a straight wall of the same thickness of bricks without the need for buttresses. The phrase "crinkle crankle" is an ablaut reduplication, defined as something with bends and turns, first attested in 1598 (though "crinkle" and "crankle" have somewhat longer histories).

Adrian S Pye

Old Post Office at Wangford

Link

Sandy Gerrard

Maltings at Elms Farm

Link

Sandy Gerrard

Field south of Rissemere Lane East

Christopher Hilton

Wolsey's Creek

Looking along Wolsey's Creek near to Reydon, Suffolk on a dull winters day.

Keith Evans

Footbridge

Footbridge into the nature reserve near to Reydon, Suffolk.

Keith Evans

Mardley Road

Looking along Mardley Road near to Reydon, Suffolk.

Keith Evans

Road Junction

Road junction as seen from Mardley Road near to Reydon, Suffolk.

Keith Evans

Track

Track near to Reydon, Suffolk.

Keith Evans

Norfolk Road

Norfolk Road Reydon, Suffolk.

Keith Evans

Halesworth Road

Looking east along Halesworth Road near to Blythburgh, Suffolk.

Keith Evans

Henham Park lake 'en fete' ...

From a temporary footbridge over the lake at Latitude 2016.

Peter Turner

Approaching the lake bridge at festival time

The continuing success of Latitude seems to have spawned a number of bridges over the lake, this being the major one and appears to be a permanent fixture.

Peter Turner

Henham Park lake and bridge

Latitude subjects the local ovine population to a transfiguration and leaves them in the pink. The normally secluded lakeside banks subjected to heavy foot traffic by humans but after a few days all is quiet again. But the sheep are presumably still pink.

Peter Turner

Show me another place!

Wangford Common Covert is located at Grid Ref: TM4677 (Lat: 52.341194, Lng: 1.6191937)

Administrative County: Suffolk

District: East Suffolk

Police Authority: Suffolk