Barber's Marsh

Coastal Marsh, Saltings in Suffolk East Suffolk

England

Barber's Marsh

Barber's Marsh, located in Suffolk, England, is a picturesque coastal marshland known for its diverse ecosystem and stunning natural beauty. Stretching along the coast, it is part of a larger network of marshes and saltings that make up the Suffolk coast and heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The marshland is characterized by its flat, low-lying landscape and is predominantly covered in salt-tolerant vegetation such as samphire and sea lavender. These plants thrive in the brackish water that fills the marsh during high tides and recedes during low tides, creating a unique habitat for a variety of animal species.

The marsh is home to a wide range of bird species, making it a popular destination for birdwatchers. Visitors can spot wading birds such as redshanks, avocets, and oystercatchers, as well as migratory birds including Brent geese and godwits.

Barber's Marsh also plays an important role in flood prevention and coastal erosion control. The marsh acts as a natural buffer against storm surges and helps absorb excess water during heavy rainfall, reducing the risk of flooding in nearby areas.

Visitors to Barber's Marsh can enjoy scenic walks along the marshland, taking in the breathtaking views of the coastline and observing the diverse flora and fauna. The area is also a designated nature reserve, managed to protect and preserve its ecological importance.

Overall, Barber's Marsh is a must-visit destination for nature enthusiasts, offering a serene and captivating experience in the heart of Suffolk's coastal landscape.

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Barber's Marsh Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.355053/1.6145539 or Grid Reference TM4679. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Church of St. Mary, Uggeshall

Link

Sandy Gerrard

Road from Wangford to Uggeshall

Sandy Gerrard

Blomfield Wood

Sandy Gerrard

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