Author Archives: East of Elveden

About East of Elveden

Hidden places, secret histories and unsung geography from the east of England and beyond

All along the supple river: following the Ystwyth to the sea

Posted on September 29, 2016

  ystwyth (Welsh) adjective:  supple, flexible, pliable The harbour at Aberystwyth on the west coast of Wales holds the confluence of two rivers. One of these, the Rheidol, is probably best known for the narrow-gauge steam railway that plies its … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Human Geography, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Lammas Day, Suffolk Coast

Posted on August 8, 2016

Lammas Day – the first day of August. School holidays, warm weather, beach visits, perhaps a swim in the sea? Or, on a windy cloudy day, a walk; a beach walk. At low to mid tide it is possible to … Continue reading →

Posted in Suffolk, Travel, Walking, wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Marshland

Posted on July 5, 2016

The far west of Norfolk between Terrington St John and Walsoken on the Cambridgeshire border is often referred to as Fen country but technically it is part of the Norfolk Marshland. John Seymour in his Companion Guide to East Anglia (1970) … Continue reading →

Posted in Norfolk, Walking | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

In Bear Country

Posted on June 21, 2016

This was bear country. No doubt about it. Over breakfast Alfred from the guesthouse had said, “You should make sure that you talk when you go walking there – or maybe sing – that way you won’t take them by … Continue reading →

Posted in Balkans, Eastern Europe, Travel, wildlife | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Space is the Place – Shakespeare and Sun Ra

Posted on May 15, 2016

Still reeling from the solar onslaught of the Sun Ra Arkestra the previous night we travelled yesterday to Great Yarmouth to see The Tempest at the town’s Hippodrome Theatre. The Sun Ra Arkestra fronted by nonagenarian alto-sax maestro Marshall Allen … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, music, Norfolk, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

San rock art – Drakensberg, South Africa

Posted on April 27, 2016

One of the highlights of my recent trip to South Africa was to see some really well-preserved rock art. The cave paintings were made by the San people, the hunter-gatherers who inhabited the Drakensberg mountain region in KwaZulu-Natal province close … Continue reading →

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Kumano Kodō, Japan

Posted on March 9, 2016

My feature on walking part of the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage trail in Japan will be published in a few days time in Elsewhere journal. Elsewhere is a Berlin-based print journal, published twice a year, dedicated to writing and visual art that explores the idea of … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Travel, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ghosts of Empire – Park Street Cemetery, Kolkata

Posted on February 25, 2016

One way of looking at this evocative, if mildly disturbing, place is as a hidden enclave populated with the ghosts of colonialism. Situated right in the middle of Kolkata, tucked away purdah-like from the mayhem of the city streets, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, History, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Beauty and the beach: Winterton-on-Sea, Norfolk

Posted on January 19, 2016

What is it that draws us to the sea; to the coast, the beach? On hot days in summer the answer is fairly obvious: to sunbathe, to swim, to cool off in the sea. Hot summer days are not such … Continue reading →

Posted in Norfolk, Ocean | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Winter solstice – Wells to Blakeney

Posted on December 24, 2015

It was the day after the winter solstice – a bright sunny day with the wind from the south, the temperature mild. Conscious of the turning of the year, a last minute escape from the frenzied Christmas build-up seemed appropriate, … Continue reading →

Posted in Norfolk, Walking, wildlife | Tagged , , | 10 Comments