Pin Mill hulk

With a list to port, this no-doubt once-proud coastal vessel lies in the mud off Pin Mill on the Orwell Estuary near Ipswich. Pin Mill, difficult to get to in winter if it's icy, is a wonderful old-fashioned (not a gin-palace in sight) mix of boatyard, houseboats, working boats and ships junkyard, with cadavers scattered all around in various stages of decomposition. The central draw of the place, the welcome landmark, is, of course, the Butt and Oyster pub. Good food, well-kept beer drawn from the barrel, and, if you get there early enough, somewhere to park. A walk in the woods past the houseboats will work up a healthy appetite for their fish and chips, and if you're lucky you get to watch the river world go by from the big bay window in the bar. It's only when you're introduced to Suffolk properly that you get to know about Pin Mill, or where it is; the rest of the world's ignorance is our bliss. Which applies to much of the rest of Suffolk as well - there's no motorways here, and you have to make a bit of an effort to get here. That's why it's worth it, and what makes Pin Mill such a memorable spot.

This picture can also be seen in the black and white section, as a ....black and white.

A smaller picture in a biggish frame sometimes works really well

Suffolk