A River Stour Scrapbook (part two)

We left it last time with boats scattered along the foreshore and the tide gradually making its way back in.

You may be wondering exactly how to pronounce the name of this river

and the truth seems to be that no one knows for sure.

Some people rhyme it with the word "tour",

others rhyme it with "tor" or perhaps "tower".

And there seem to be various opinions on what the word might mean too.

I was attracted to this little patch of seaweed,

its repeating shapes and unusual colours.

This boat, or half a boat, seems to have been abandoned long ago.
Growing beside it is a young oak, not the kind of tree 

you'd expect to see growing in such a place.

But there are oaks growing all along this side of the estuary.

I imagine they self-seed from acorns washed in on the tide

from the oak woods a little further downstream.

Both Stour Wood and Copperas Wood are managed as bird reserves,

with plenty of oaks and hornbeam trees.

And bracken.

A few birch trees for variety.

In springtime these woodlands are full of songbirds 

singing to defend their territories.

But there are other glories to be enjoyed as Autumn

takes its first tentative steps.

It was incredibly quiet in Copperas Wood in particular,

considering what lies a short distance away.

The ports of Felixstowe and Harwich lie on opposite sides of the river mouth

with their container depots, ferry terminals and refinery.

Those dark splodges on the shoreline are Curlews and

there's a Swan on the water too,

all apparently unconcerned about the industrial scenes

just over their shoulders.

That shot was taken with a long lens,

but even so lets retrace our steps back upstream.

I'm aware that my last post promised "even stranger things"

and to find that you have to take just a few steps inland...

This remarkable house was designed by the cross-dressing artist Grayson Perry

as a shrine to his fictitious "secular saint", Julie Cope, and a tribute

to the much underrated county of Essex.

People just call it "The Grayson Perry House"

and the artist is not at all averse to the self-promoting publicity.

And you can rent it for your holiday home

 should you have the inclination and financial resources.

Be warned though, some have described the experience as akin

to "living inside a migraine".

You can view the remarkable interior here:

https://www.we-heart.com/2015/05/19/grayson-perry-house-essex-fat-architecture/

We think we saw the person who is renting it at present:

he was sitting outside!

And just a short walk away you will find the perfect restful antidote

to the visual excesses of Mr Perry....

Take care