Framlingham Castle and Something Fishy

Wednesday, the day after my birthday, was not the best day of our trip. I developed a headache at breakfast time and the weather was cold and wet. However, not wanting to waste an opportunity I took some Migraleve and we set out inland to visit Framlingham Castle. We drove 18 miles on very twisty narrow lanes (not good when one's head aches) only to find that this being November the castle only opened on 3 days of the week and this was not one of them. We therefore had a coffee at the Castle Inn and just walked around the outside.

The castle is a magnificent 12th century fortress - a symbol of baronial pride, and once the refuge of Mary Tudor who mustered her troops here before being crowned Queen in 1553. The castle has seen many uses during it's long and colourful past:
a medieval stronghold, the home of the Earl's and Duke's of Norfolk, an Elizabethan prison and a 17th-century poor house.

This mere has supplied the castle with water for over 1000 years

Having walked around outside we decided to drive back to Aldeburgh and on the way visit Snape Maltings nearby. Known for it's Concert Hall, Music festivals and the U.K's largest provider of of performance training for the world's young professional musicians, Snape is also an Antique's, Art, Craft and gourmet food centre.

We had lunch and managed to buy some Christmas presents at which point I really did not feel my best so without taking any photographs we returned to our hotel and walked along the front in the bracing sea air instead. I know this bit is boring, but it is how life is sometimes.

Let's jump to Thursday, our last day in Aldeburgh. We had planned before leaving to buy some fresh fish to take home. (I had come prepared with an ice box and the hotel had kindly kept my icepacks frozen) In fact our hotel even offered to refrigerate our fish if needed. Not many places would do that today.

We arrived at the Fish Shack on the beach to find that the boat had only just come in and the fish were not yet sorted. Would be 90 minutes. We decided to just make our way home. We drove 4 miles when I realised I would be disappointed arriving home without some gorgious fresh fish so we turned the car around and went back to our hotel and sat drinking coffee until it was time to go back for the fish.

The Fish Shack

This guy who was more than happy to pose for a photograph had been a fisherman since he was 15. He was now retired from fishing but loved to help out on dry land and do all the jobs that everyone else hated like preparing the bait etc.

The Gulls are waiting for the fish to be sorted too

The boat comes up this ramp from the sea

and here it is just before unloading

Here is one of the fishermen cleaning out the 2 very large Cod that I bought which meant some time spent preparing it for the freezer when I got home. Sixteen portions of the freshest and tenderest fish ever. It was worth the wait.

Stay tuned for the wrap up of this particular trip. We stopped off at Dedham, in our own county on the way home, a beautiful village with a 16th century tea room.