9 August 2009

Huts

We're back from the "deep south". Rye is a lovely little town. Once a virtual island above the salt marshes of east Sussex, it retains much of its old character with cobbled streets, independent businesses, a little castle, a commanding old church and a mish-mesh of quaint little houses and alleyways. As one of England's ancient "cinque ports", its history stretches wayback. On the edge of "the salts", our small apartment overlooked the River Brede. We watched tides coming in and out and the comings and goings of seabirds, waders, ducks and ravens. Beyond were the flat plains of Walland and Romney marshes. You could see for miles.One day we visited Dungeness for the first time. This is a vast area of shifting shingle and pebbles. It has had several lighthouses for in past times many ships were wrecked on this unforgiving coastline. Mention Dungeness and many people would immediately think of the huge nuclear power station that was erected there in the sixties but for me my lasting memory will be of incongruous fishermen's huts, wrecks and debris amidst the pebbles, the dunegrass and the sea cabbages. Fortunately we visited on an afternoon when the light was a clear as crystal...

Above: Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage

9 comments:

  1. Looks like you had good weather, anyway, YP.

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  2. Fantastic photos. And I've caught your flu. I always wondered what was meant by "viral" use of the web, now I know.

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  3. Seems they are having a bit of an..
    "Economic downturn".

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  4. I love huts of all kinds AND boats - - especially when they're a bit old and melancholy. And I love the seaside. So I have to say that I loved this post - - great photos and I want to go there now!

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  5. Great pictures YP, but I still can't enjoy the Southern landscape it is too flat !

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  6. JENNY - Yes we had nine days out of ten with blue skies and sunshine.
    MOPSA - Living on a farm with all those infected animals is obviously dangerous.
    KIPPERS - You mean the abandoned huts and debris?
    DAPHNE - My photos are obviously not unique. Those huts have been snapped many times but it is because of the way they relate to the surrounding natural environment. Yes - "melancholy" - that would be a word I would also choose to describe them.
    DAVID Okay Dungeness is flat but the South Downs of Sussex are certainly not. Try googling images of them and you'll see.

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  7. Ah, but you mention "Dungeness" to someone from the state of Maryland, and that person will probably think crab-feast. I'm guessing that sea-cabbages wouldn't make tasty side-dishes,though.

    I enjoyed looking at these photos.

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  8. Rye is one of my favourite places in the world. Lovely photos - the clear, bright like looks a lot like New Zealand...

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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