I find it hard to believe I've never mentioned this place on the blog before (except
in passing), as it is somewhere we go at least 3 times a year.
Thornham Estate is about 1/2 hour drive from Bury St Edmunds, but it's worth the trip. It's easy enough to find ' head down the A14 towards Ipswich, take the A140 towards Diss and turn left, following the brown signs, just after Stoke Ash. You can find it
here on the map. There is a field study centre, tea-room and shop by the car-park, which costs £2 for the day.
There are several walks to choose from - we like the 2-mile loop. Lots of useful and interesting information is provided. Some of the trees have got labels telling you about them. So who knows what these ones are?
Lovers of
Nowton Park will recognise these from the avenue of them there - they are Limes (aka Lindens).
Watch out also for the rock specimens and little signs with pictures of ancient beasts. They have put a few new panels up since we were last there explaining the history of the estate. Here is the one with the story of the walled garden...
Do go in and see it, especially in autumn. There are geraniums galore and grapes in the greenhouse and the apple trees are laden (or have dropped their fruit). Some interesting varieties of apple too. But the 4 corners of the orchard area have something different. At the greenhouse end there are huge quince trees, but at the other corners the trees bear this fruit...
They are
Medlars. Quite unusual in this country, I think - I've never seen them anywhere else.
After visiting the bird-hide, the garden and the caged birds round the back, we did the 2-mile loop - it is shortened a bit in winter to protect some of the paths. Even so, you will need wellies. Just about now you get the full spectrum of autumn colours...
Little W and I discussed what our favourite coloured leaves are. These were the winners...
It all makes for an excellent Sunday morning outing. Then it was home to Dad's home made soup and freshly baked bread. Yum.
Actually they come in pairs, so I had to get 2. And having got her some, I had to get one each for the other 2 kids, so now we've got a herd!
Christmas has come early!
Fortunately this was just a stopover on my way to Hyderabad. Nevertheless the terrible events in Mumbai had an effect on our week and I flew home via Dubai.
...which is in the FT Top 20 business schools in the world. Unfortuantely, during the week we saw nothing ither than the ISB Campus, the Capgemini offices...
... and the bit of road between them. The scale of construction in the area is incredible, with large gangs working 24x7x365 to cosntruct office campuses for major global IT firms.
So 20 past 2 becomes 10 to 8.
...where we were served with a large selection and variety of curries all week. Yum!
There is a choice of revierside, woodland or heathland walks. As we couldn't agree, I decided - heathland it was.
It being autumn, we did our usual Mushroom hunting. Here's a prize specimen...
We also so loads of cobwebs, highlghted by the little droplets of water that had settled on them...
But it is the shapes in the fog I enjoyed most. Here's Kut Hill...
Woooooo. Spooky.
You can follow the arrows, but it's pretty hard to get lost if you just stay to paths and gates...
As yo can see it was nice and frosty...
We walked all the way round the lake. There are plenty of waterfowl to look out for... 
... after all, Lackford Lakes are just over the other side of the River Lark.
... getting to the top of the slide. Well done!
Lovers of Nowton Park will recognise these from the avenue of them there - they are Limes (aka Lindens).
Do go in and see it, especially in autumn. There are geraniums galore and grapes in the greenhouse and the apple trees are laden (or have dropped their fruit). Some interesting varieties of apple too. But the 4 corners of the orchard area have something different. At the greenhouse end there are huge quince trees, but at the other corners the trees bear this fruit...
They are Medlars. Quite unusual in this country, I think - I've never seen them anywhere else.
Little W and I discussed what our favourite coloured leaves are. These were the winners...
It all makes for an excellent Sunday morning outing. Then it was home to Dad's home made soup and freshly baked bread. Yum.
...and walked in the other direction - northwards. Very slowly. Yes they were all looking for shells and pebble to add to our collection.
I was struck by the way the beach was being eroded in places, despite the sea defences and despite the sea not being particularly rough.
At the north end you run out of beach at Cobbolds Point where there is this interesting "reef" defence...
Here's the view back along the promenade...
Spot the docks in the distance! A nice easy Sunday Morning walk; our pork was roasting nicely when we got home.
Then there was the costume making. Big Miss is a Superhero (not sure what that's got to do with Halloween, but never mind), Little Miss a bat and Little W a ghost. Oh, and as for me... to be revealed below!
So here are the pumpkins lit up outside the front door... 
...to attract the unsuspecting trick-or-treaters to my lair. Little did they suspect what would greet them...
It's just an ordinary white loaf recipe, but with a slug of black food-colouring added to the water before putting it into the bread maker. With that I was able to make my "Bat sandwiches" (and feed the kids bacon sandwiches for their tea). 
There were also some salami and ham (when we ran out of bacon) and with passata to make the "Blood sandwiches". Having done our own brief trick-or-treating, we returned home, lit some more candles, turned out the lights and waited for our victims....
