The start of the journey

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I think this will be a bit like time travelling as I am not sure where I will start. So I thought I'd might as well start at home in Suffolk. This beautiful county has been home to us for over 30 years now which seems incredible. The countryside around Ipswich is beautiful and still holds a fascination for us. The magnificant span of the surprisingly elegant Orwell bridge sets the scene and is the gateway to many beautiful places. So my first journey will take you round the local fields and meadows of Belstead Brook. Once under the A14 tunnel the countryside spreads out towards Copdock. Bentley and the peninsula. There are many pathways to follow.
Walking near our home allows us to see so much of nature despite the roar of traffic from the annoying A14 . Sparrow hawks, muntjac and red deer are nearby visitors in the meadows. Woodpeckers, kingfishers, herons and egrets all live a stones throw from home. Walks nearby take us up to Spring Wood which is covered in bluebells and wood anenomes in Spring. The meadow beside the wood is covered in cowslips and primroses. Nightingales can be heard in the wood in May and Sparrow hawks can be spotted on the electricity pylons waiting for some unsuspecting creature. Below the wood are the water meadows where small white egrets fish in the water. Herons also nest here and frequently fly along the brook and over our roof tops. Further along takes you to the Ipswich Mammoth trail down to the marina and shoreline. A short walk from here takes you under the Orwell bridge with a most beautiful view of the river and shoreline. Another walk goes up towards Belstead church and beyond past Charity farm to the Bentley woods. May time brings an amazing carpet of bluebells here and autumn brings the sweet chestnuts tumbling down. All this wonderful nature on the outskirts of Ipswich in earshot of the A14 carrying its neverending container traffic to and from Felixstowe.

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Comments

[AnnaAdventuring]

Lovely pictures
Nice to see photos of home! Love those bluebell woods. :)

[TravelWankers]

pics
Your picture of the Blueballs was on the top rated photo page just now, incase you didn't know!

[Jude Wiseman]

Bentley Woods
Seeing Bentley Woods here takes me back to my childhood in the 1940's and 1950's when my brother and I used to go with the Ipswich Rambling Club to all these beautiful areas. Bentley Woods has remained vividly in my memory and, for me, is the ultimate bluebell wood. Seeing the cowslips on our walks is another lovely memory - it's good to know that they are still there.

[katie]

very nice
that is s pretty awww love it pretty flowers by katie

[katie]

very nice
that is s pretty awww love it pretty flowers by katie

[Juliana Stoner]

Beautiful
Wow, this picture is highly beautiful and worth a thousand words (words such as 'Amazing', 'Pretty', 'Ravishing', and of course 'Beautiful'). Bluebells are my favorite flower and I should like to visit this place just to see the beauty captured in this picture... Wonderful job!

[Juliana]

Another Beauty
Wow. Absolutely fairy-tale like and magical. Splendid.