Story contributed by Glen, pics by Christina.
A gentle breeze and cheery sunshine greeted the start and indeed the duration of an autumnal amble from Manningtree to Dedham and back. Several participants were unlucky to encounter significant travelling difficulties in reaching our start point, courtesy of a frustrating package of temporary road closures in the central Ipswich area, but such unforeseen stresses were soon smoothed by the colourful calm charm of the undulating Essex Way route westwards to Dedham.
And it was quite a crowd! There were 37 of us who enjoyed the stroll, punctuated by a lunch/pubstop in gorgeous Dedham (amply living up to the walk’s Delight billing). We returned via the meadows to Flatford, Mill Hill and behind Lawford Church, taking in some good Stour estuary views.
On the approach to Flatford, we spied a huge flock of noisy geese heading eastward. Though we did not quite match their number, there were times when collectively we were probably as loud!