journaling the slow life
in the suffolk countryside

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A Year of Suffolk Reading

We set ourselves five rural reads, and I soon fell in love with those books about the people who have lived and farmed here in Suffolk.

Journal

Sam

Dec 30, 20213 min read

Over-Consumption: 3 Ways to Break the Habit

Over-consumption is not going to be an easy habit to break, but after the excess of Christmas, this is the right time to challenge myself.

Sustainability

Elle

Dec 22, 20215 min read

Rural Reads V: The Fat of the Land

Today, the idea of the countryside being "an escape" seems very modern, but The Fat of the Land proves this urge is as old as the hills...

Journal

Sam & Elle

Dec 11, 20215 min read

Fog and Ruins: A Walk to Rougham Hall

Between the trees ahead of us, the ruin of Rougham Hall materialised out of the mid-morning fog like a ghost.

Journal

Sam

Nov 25, 20214 min read

Rural Reads IV: Adrian Bell's Corduroy Trilogy

Adrian Bell’s trilogy, beginning with Corduroy (1930), creates a world of quiet beauty that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Journal

Sam

Oct 29, 20214 min read

7 810 11

It’s probably not everyone's idea of a perfect afternoon, but we've been having almost too much fun reorganising our bookcases, separating our poetry and larger-format illustrated books from our fiction, and rediscovering a few treasures at the same time.
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One of those rediscoveries is this Ingoldsby Legend of ‘The Jackdaw of Rheims’, originally written in the early nineteenth century by Richard Harris Barham, and illustrated by Lynette Hemmant in a publication from 1976. It is a lovely poem about a noble Jackdaw who steals a ring from the Cardinal Lord Archbishop of Rheims, and the mayhem that ensues. It is beautifully illustrated, and with a rhyme and rhythm that makes it a delight to read aloud. Highly recommended: we’ve had a quick look, and second-hand copies seem to be available online, if anyone is interested!
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#books #livingwithbooks #beautifulbooks #bibliophile #booknerd #bookobsessed #readingaddict #illustration #bookillustration

A small colony of bracket fungi (probably lumpy bracket, or Trametes gibbosa) growing on the fallen and cut trunks of beech and silver birch trees near our house.
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Bracket fungi (polypores) are very dependent on dead wood left in situ, so it's a relief to see these trees being left to decompose naturally. They, in turn, support other species, such as algae (which gives the green colour to these older specimens) and beetles.
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#mushrooms #mycology #fungi #simplepleasures #slowsimpleseasonal #mushroomphotography #onmywalk #myseasonalstory #woodlandwalk

A short (and admittedly very quick) New Year's Day walk today, hoping to catch a brief pause in the wind and rain. We were unsuccessful, and arrived back home very wet and chilly, in need of hot soup (making the most of our Christmas leftovers! 😅)
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The diffused light did seem bring out the brightest colours though: the soft pink of the snowberries along the sides of the footpaths and the flame-red dogwood that surrounds our nearest park.
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Wishing everyone the best for 2025! 😊
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#symphoricarpus #symphoricarpusxdoorenbosii #pinksymphoricarpus #poisonousberries #pinkinwinter #snowberry #poetryofsimplethings #myseasonalstory #whimsicalwonderfulwild #suffolk #onmywalk #inspiredbynature #pinkberries #countrysidephotography #aseasonalyear #allkindsofnature #winterberries #suffolkwalk #winter #britishnature #nature #dogwood

Just before Christmas, we visited @ickworthnt to look at their recent 'Christmas on the Continent' display: the bright colours and impressive displays were a great contrast for the beautifully eerie weather outside, and we left feeling really rather festive. As always, phenomenally grateful to the wonderful staff and volunteers who make every trip to Ickworth a pleasure.
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Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, however you celebrated.
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#ickworthhouse #suffolk #suffolkdaysout #burystedmunds #burystedmundsandbeyond #nationaltrust #nationaltrustmember #georgianarchitecture #whimiscalwonderfulwild #ickworth #visitsuffolk #thisprettyengland

We were amazed to find snowdrops growing beside one of the paths at Ickworth House when we visited their 'Christmas on the Continent' display (photos of which to follow...)
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We get a little bit over-excited about snowdrops each year, and are reassured that there is a strong heritage for snowdrop-enthusiasm (called 'galanthomania'), but were surprised to find these ones growing so early. Perhaps someone at @ickworthnt would be able to tell us the variety?
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#snowdropseason #galanthus #galanthomania #galanthophile #snowdrop #snowdrops #ickworth #nationaltrust #nationaltrustmember #winter #myseasonalstory #winterblooms #winterflowering #flowersmakemehappy

A few more photographs from our holiday to the Waveney Valley last month: this time, Bungay.
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Bungay was a real joy. The associations with the folk legend of Black Shuck - the demonic black dog that haunts much of East Anglia - would have been enough to entice, but it was a beautiful little town in its own right. The churches - three of which were within a stone's throw of each other - were a particular highlight.
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We thought we had encountered Black Shuck in the cemetary at St Mary's Church, but it proved to be both incredibly friendly and feline...
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#bungay #bungaysuffolk #norfolksuffolkborder #suffolk #suffolknorfolkborder #riverwaveney #churchesofinstagram #churches #beautifulbritain

Thrilled to be welcoming Ian Collins to speak for the Bury Society here in Bury St Edmunds about the life and writing of one of my favourite writers: Ronald Blythe.
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I came to Ronald Blythe’s writing quite late, picking-up his 2013 ‘The Time By the Sea’, more for my love of Aldeburgh and Benjamin Britten, than for any particular expectations about the author. I had of course heard of ‘Akenfield’, but it wasn’t something I had yet read, and hadn’t yet developed my obsession for traditional agricultural writing! I quickly fell under the spell of Blythe’s vision of East Anglia: rural, seasonal, and rooted in the author’s faith and his love of music, literature and art.
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The talk, given by Ronald Blythe's long-term friend and biographer Ian Collins, will be at 3:30pm on 29 November 2024 at the Quaker Meeting House, Bury St Edmunds. Tickets (£6) are still available: please see details on the Events page of the Bury Society website (www.burysociety.com) if you’re interested in coming along!
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#akenfield #ronaldblythe #socialhistory #naturalhistory #naturewriting #suffolklife #theremarkablelifeofronaldblythe #books #burystedmunds #burystedmundsandbeyond #suffolk #countrylife #countryliving

Took the day off work to visit Hoxne and celebrate All Saints Day today with our favourite Saint - Edmund!
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Hoxne is a stunning, calm village, with a number of beautiful buildings and some really fantastic rural walks. It was looking particularly beautiful in is best autumnal colours today.
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#hoxne #onmywalk #embracingtheseasons #myseasonalstory #autumn #autumncolours #fall #fallcolors #thatautumnmagic #autumnleaves #countryliving #countrysidewalk #englishcountryside

One of the frustrations of living on a housing estate is the attempts by local authorities to 'improve' and 'maintain' the edgelands and in-between spaces that add colour, biodiversity and foraging opportunities. It took some persuasion, for instance, to convince the council not to mow the bee orchids that started growing – apparently spontaneously – in the green spaces near our home before they’d had chance to seed, in part due to pressure from other residents to keep the neighbourhood looking neat and tidy.
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Until few years ago, a small corner of mixed trees – wild cherry, blackthorn, spindle, hazel and dogwood – had been a regular foraging hotspot, especially for the shaggy inkcaps that popped-up each year.
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And then the area was ‘improved’: the trees were cut back, most of the low-hanging branches were removed, and the soil was replaced by unhealthy-looking lawn and woodchip, and we had to search for new places to forage.
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But this year, the shaggy inkcaps have returned! We won’t be harvesting this one – we want to give them a chance to recover – but it’s heartening to see nature fighting back against our misguided attempts at urban landscaping!
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#shaggyinkcap #mushrooms #fungi #mushroomsofinstagram #shaggymane #inkcaps #myseasonalstory #mushroomphotography #natureslarder #nature #autumn #ukcountryside #mushroomspotting #naturalengland #mushroomhunting #mushroomlover #wildmushrooms #countrysidewalk #forager #foragedfood #onmydoorstep #mycology #naturelovers #nature_seekers #ig_captures_nature #nature_good #simplepleasures

One of our favourite moments each year: the autumnal colours of the field maples. It doesn't matter what sort of day we're having, a sight like this always manages to put a smile on our faces. 🍂🍁
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#onmywalk #coloursofautumn #fallcolors #autumn #fall #autumnphotography #myfavouriteseason #embracingtheseasons #goldenleaves #iloveautumn #nature #crunchyleaves #thatautumnmagic #leaveschanging #slowliving #simplepleasures #aseasonalyear #myseasonalstory

Georgous colours from our walk at Knettishall Heath Nature Reserve.
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Knettishall Heath felt like a major feature of my childhood, and I have lost count of the number of times I've tried to describe it to Elle, yet somehow this was my first return visit since then. Thankfully, my long-delayed return didn't disappoint!
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Knettishall feels ecologically ancient in a way few other places in Suffolk do: open expanses of grasses and pink heather, grazed by Exmoor Ponies, and mixed woodlands thick with chest-high ferns.
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@knettishallhswt @suffolkwildlifetrust
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#knettishallheath #knettishallheathcountrypark #purpleheather #visitsuffolk #suffolkcountryside #heathland #beautıfulscenery #thisprettyengland #onmywalk #suffolk #pinkflowers

A little while ago, Sam organised a talk for the Bury Society on the Earl's Summerhouse at @ickworthnt, which is currently undergoing an extensive renovation. The incredibly helpful and knowledgeable team really brought the history of the building to life.
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Built before the famous Rotunda of Ickworth House, this early-eighteenth century beauty sits in the middle of the walled garden and overlooking a tiny lake on River Linnet, and is more than worth the short walk down from the car park, even before the restoration work is complete.
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We returned more recently to enjoy a quiet (and admittedly rather blustery) impromptu picnic of cannoli and hot coffee before the autumnal rains began.
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#ickworthhouse #suffolk #suffolkdaysout #burystedmunds #burystedmundsandbeyond #nationaltrust #nationaltrustmember #ickworth #visitsuffolk #thisprettyengland #simplepleasures #historicalbuilding #oldbuilding #historicalarchitecture

Today is Michaelmas, or the Feast of St Michael and All Angels, and marks the third Quarter Day, the traditional civic divisions of the seasons.
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Somehow, it has been six months (two 'Quarters'!) since we last posted on Instagram: our last post marked Lady's Day, the first Quarter Day, back at the end of March. We aren't sure why it has been so long, but it felt like we needed some time away from our screens.
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This meadow near our home was chest-high in wild carrot (Daucus carota) and agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), both of which look stunning at this time of year. Agrimony has a fascinating history, being traditionally used to heal wounds caused by a fiftheeth-century firearm, the arquebus, but also for reducing bruising, upset stomachs and sore throats. Wild carrot is traditionally used to treat bladder infections. Both are also used as natural dyes.
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#agrimony #wildcarrot #naturaldyeing #naturaldye #naturaldyes #meadow #wildflower #meadowflowers #coloursofautumn #colorsofautumn #suffolk #burystedmunds #burystedmundsandbeyond #autumn #autumncolors #autumncolours

Today is Lady Day, otherwise known as the Feast of the Annunciation, which marks Mary being told by the archangel Gabriel that she would be mother to Jesus.
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Until 1752, today was also the beginning of the civil year, and the first of four so-called ‘quarter days’ - the others being Old Midsummer’s Day (24 June), Michaelmas Day (29 September) and Christmas Day (25 December).
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We have always felt that celebrating the New Year at the beginning of January was so unseasonal: winter can be such a bleak season, and it seems like we are defying nature to celebrate renewal in the depths of cold darkness.
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Yet today, with the new buds, birdsong and blossom, it feels natural to celebrate new beginnings, so we are defying the calendar and partying like it’s 1751…
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#roses #yellowroses #myseasonalstory #flower #bloomsoftheday #flowermagic #happinessisflowers #cutflowers #inspiredbyflowers #floralstyle #theartofslowliving #simpleflowers #simpleliving #yellow #beautifulflowers #myhousethismonth #flowersinavase #floralarrangement #embracingtheseasons

In town early today to represent the Bury Society on the last day of the ‘One Town, Many Stories’ exhibition at the Guildhall here in Bury St Edmunds, but I couldn’t resist stopping to take this photo of yet more yellow and green flowers in the morning light.
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#yellowflowers #yellowandgreen #burystedmunds #urbanflowers #signsofspring #onmywalk #flowers #flowersmakemehappy #ihavethisthingwithflowers #myseasonalstory #flowerlovers

The plum tree in the garden has been a hive of activity, with blue tits hopping between the branches and bees diligently visiting every open flower.
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We are currently beginning to think about moving house, so this might be the last time we see this plum in blossom - though to be fair, it has never given us much in the way of fruit, despite its stunning spring display!
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#signsofspring #springblossom #blossoming #plumtree #whiteblossoms #whiteblossom #nature #inmygarden #trees #treesmakemehappy #springiscoming #aseasonalshift #slowandsimpledays #spring #bluesky #blueskies #suffolk #embracingtheseasons #springisintheair #whimsicalwonderfulwild #moodforfloral

Yellow and green must be the colours of the season. The daffodils are loud flowers, but the lesser celandine are a much more subtle harbinger of spring, and a welcome bit of colour in the otherwise rather grey countryside.
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#lessercelandine #daffodils #yellowflowers #spring #signsofspring #flowersmakemehappy #ihavethisthingwithflowers #yellow #green #yellowandgreen #britishcountrysidewalks #suffolkwalks #flowers #onmywalk #flowerlovers

A moment of sunshine and birdsong, while exploring the graveyard at our nearest church.
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#church #birdsong #churchesofinstagram #aslowmoment #spring #theslowlife #slowliving #churchsound #soundscape #nature #blossom #suffolkskies #onmywalk

We have a new post on the blog, beginning a new series on slow (or perhaps sloe?) crafts: this one is on writing, especially by hand or, in this case, using a typewriter.
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There is something special about writing at the slower pace that handwriting or typewriting allows: a closer connection with your words, the tactile nature of your actions, and the wellbeing that comes from separating from the digital world for a little while.
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In the spirit of slow writing, I have also typed the entire blog post out on my Remington Quiet-Riter: if anyone (UK-only!) would like the actual printed copy, please send us a direct message, and I’ll post it! 😅
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#slowcraft #writing #flatlay #typewriter #typewriting #slowandsimpledays #flatlayphotography #newpost #crafts #calligraphy #slowliving #slowlife #simplepleasures #madebyhand #handmade

The garden may be underwater, and the sky looking rather ominous, but the blossom is still coming out according to schedule. If anything, it is a little early, as though trying to hurry us out of these gloomy days.
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#blossom #whiteblossom #spring #blossomseason #cherryblossom #embracingtheseasons #nature #springiscoming #springisintheair #onmywalk #aseasonalshift #flowerphotography #trees #treesmakemehappy

The other highlight of our visit to @ickworthnt last week were the winter aconites, dotted between the snowdrops. They seem such unpretentious flowers, yet make a stunning display.
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#aconite #winteraconite #yellowflowers #winterflowers #ihavethisthingwithflowers #flowerlover #flowerlovers #seasonspoetry #winter #myseasonalstory #flowersmakemehappy

Snowdrops, at last. We look forward to this season every year. These photographs were taken during a fantastic guided walk with the head gardener at @ickworthnt last week.
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There are two main species of snowdrop at Ickworth: the Galanthus nivalis, which are small and early flowering, and the Galanthus elwesii, which are taller and had only recently started flowering when we were there. There was endless variation within these species, however.
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The snowdrops in the second picture were particularly impressive. They were on an almost vertical surface that had been uprooted by a falling tree, yet still managed to pull themselves up to flower (almost) upright!
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#snowdropseason #galanthus #galanthomania #galanthophile #snowdrop #snowdrops #ickworth #nationaltrust #nationaltrustmember #winter #myseasonalstory #winterblooms #winterflowering #flowersmakemehappy

We have been finding it hard to get back into the habit of seeing small pockets of natural beauty while on our walks, and the weather hasn’t helped either: our garden is currently underwater.
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And then, crossing the lawns in the Bury St Edmunds Abbey Gardens this weekend, we find an endless carpet of beautiful crocuses sheltering under the trees, as though nature is trying to make sure we pay more attention.
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#crocuses #crocus #rainydaywalk #onmywalk #crocusflowers #naturelovers #floralflourish #flowers #purpleflowers #burystedmunds #burystedmundsabbey #purplecrocus #abbeygardensburystedmunds #floral

Apologies for the delay responding recently: we have not been on Instagram for a few weeks.
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It’s been a difficult time: we unfortunately lost our beautiful little cat Smudger at the end of January. She had been ill for some time, with a variety of issues, and we had to make the hard decision when we noticed that she had started to deteriorate.
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Smudger was the last cat in our household, after we lost her sister Coco in 2022. Over the last 18 months, Smudger has been at our sides (or on our laps) constantly, and she has left a large hole in our little family.
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They had both been rescued, along with 3 other siblings, as week-old kittens, abandoned in a shoebox in the middle of winter 16 years ago.
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Again, we would like to thank @themayhew, who rescued them all those years ago, as well as Moreton Hall Veterinary Centre for nursing Smudger through her many illnesses, and @suffolkpetcrem for giving her such a good end.
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These photos were taken at the lovely lake at Suffolk Pet Crematorium, which was looking very subdued and calm.

After the storms, a calmer day in the garden. There isn’t much growing at the moment: just a single pop of pink. We think this is red campion, but apparently that only flowers between April and September, so I’m not sure our identification is quite accurate!
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#pinkflower #flower #inmygarden #january #petals #floral #gardening #whatisthisflower #macrophotography #slowfloralstyle #garden #simpleflowers #winter

Looking back through our Instagram posts, it is fascinating to see which natural events take place at about the same time each year, and which seem to be wildly different.

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Just a few years ago, the alder catkins had already turned a vivid purple colour by now, yet this year – at least near where we live – they are still a dull brown. Hoping for a little more colour in the hedgerows soon!
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#alder #aldercatkins #catkins #changingseasons #myseasonalstory #livingtheseasons #winter #wintertree #barebranches #aldertree #winterphotography #january #trees #theartofslowliving #embracingtheseasons

Well, it’s certainly been cold the last few days. Our morning and lunchtime walks have been brisk, hoping that speed will keep our bodies warm. But it’s been worth getting outside: blue skies, bright sunshine and crisp landscapes.
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#englishwinter #embracingtheseasons #tree #field #suffolkskies #thiscornerofsuffolk #suffolk #suffolkcountryside #onmywalk #rurallandscape #winterwalk #earlymorning #slowliving

Calmer - almost impressionistic - colours over the fields opposite Wyken yesterday morning. The field in the foreground is of asparagus: it is reassuring to remember that - while the wind is bitter, the sun staying low in the sky, and we have many cold months ahead - below the ground, the plants are already responding to the slowly lengthening days and beginning to stir…
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#fields #wykenvineyards #field #suffolk #myseasonalstory #localwalks #rurallandscape #thisprettyengland #britishcountryside #wyken #slowliving

This morning, we made the most of the clear blue skies to venture out to @wykenvineyards for breakfast and a visit to the farmers’ market. The low winter sun made the eighteenth century barn and surrounding fields look even more beautiful than usual.
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#wyken #wykenvineyards #historicbuilding #suffolk #suffolkskies #field #suffolkfields #thisprettyengland #winter #wykenvineyardsfarmersmarket #blueskies #visitsuffolk #myseasonalstory

The fruit of what I think is a Sweet Gum tree. During the autumn, these beautiful trees explodes into the most stunning display of reds, oranges and purples, but we rarely look closely at them during the winter: walking beneath them today, we looked up and noticed that they were completely covered in these curious spiked fruit.
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My Collins Tree Guide seems to suggest they rarely fruit in the UK, so perhaps I’ve identified incorrectly: any thoughts?
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#trees #suffolk #wintertrees #naturephotography #sweetgum #sweetgumtree #whatisthisplant #whatisthistree #winter #ukwinter #thebeautyofwinter #thiswintermoment #simplethingsmadebeautiful #winterwalk #microphotography #seasonspoetry #myseasonalstory

A morning walk across the fields.
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There is something wholesome about a perfect countryside view. It is something about the silence; a silence you can absorb, or take like medicine; something that feels like health and energy.
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Of course, it isn’t really silence: if you listen and focus, you will hear the sounds within the silence. Today, it was nearby blue tits, distant crows, and the wind through the trees.
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#ofquietmoments #onmywalk #nature #field #englishwinter #myseasonalstory #capturequiet #suffolk #suffolkcountryside #fields #rurallandscape #ruralphotography #suffolkskies #wintertrees #barebranches #slowsimpleseasonal

Looking back over another year, we wanted to share a collage of photographs of one of our favourite spots: a small corner of a Suffolk field, where we like to watch the seasons change.
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Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy and happy 2024.
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#suffolkcountryside #embracingtheseasons #seasonschanging #seasonspoetry #ayearinpictures #suffolkskies #suffolkfields #rural #slowliving #myseasonalstory #seasonal #slow

The quiet days between Christmas and New Year. On Boxing Day, we took another walk out to Holy Innocents’ Church, a beautiful church surrounded by the fields south of Great Barton. Today is also Holy Innocents’ Day, often called Childermas.
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Both church and day are dedicated to the children who were - according to Matthew’s gospel - ordered to be killed by King Herod in an attempt to prevent Jesus from contesting Herod’s power. While few believe this event actually took place (Saint Stephen is usually considered the first Christian martyr), the story is haunting, and forms the basis of the moving Coventry Carol.
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#onmywalk #englishcountryside #countrysidewalk #thisprettyengland #myseasonalpoetry #rurallife #ruralliving #seasonspoetry #suffolk #churchesofinstagram #slowliving #visitsuffolk #burystedmundsandbeyond #burystedmunds #mysuffolk #historicbuildings #aseasonalyear

The weather outside is grey, stormy and mild, which - despite the picture-postcard image of snowy streets and clear blue skies - is actually pretty standard around here for Christmas. I don’t think we remember a white Christmas, but that does stop us from dreaming of one. So here’s a photo from early last December, taken in the Abbey Gardens here in Bury St Edmunds.
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Our Christmas tends to be a much-needed moment of quiet calm away from work, mostly spent crafting and cooking. Wishing everyone a lovely Christmas, whatever that looks like for you.
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#christmas #dreamingofsnow #abbeygardens #abbeygardensburystedmunds #burystedmunds #winterscape #winterscene #slowliving #slowlife #myseasonalstory #christmaseve #festive

Our favourite time of year… ☺️ We are enjoying staying-in, cosy, surrounded by decorations, lights, candles and good food.
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#christmas #simplepleasures #slowliving #christmasdecorations #christmasdecor #theartofslowliving

A beautiful, bright, clear day, perfect for a circular walk to the lake near our house. It is, in fact, a drainage basin for the surrounding industrial estate, but, left alone for enough time, nature has a habit of making almost anything beautiful.
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What is it about water - from ponds and lakes, to the sea - that always feels like a destination? Somewhere to stop and think.
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#beautyofnature #macrophotography #suffolkwalks #onmyway #seedheads #plants #winterwalk #moodyshots #nature #natureforsoul #outforawalk #burystedmunds #burystedmundsandbeyond #naturewalks #naturewalk #suffolk

In what is becoming an annual tradition, we present this year’s photograph of frozen leaves! 😅
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The rhythmic crunch of walking on across a frozen field must be one of the most satisfying sounds of winter, and we are hoping for some more frosts soon.
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Our latest blog post follows a really beautiful walk Sam took at the end of November, before all the wind and rain arrived!
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#winter #winterwonderland #frozenleaves #winterdays #newblogpost #aquietwinter #suffolk #suffolkwalks #frostymorning #frostywalks #frostyplants #burystedmunds #slowsimpleseasonal #embracingtheseasons #frost #ofquietmoments #suffolkcountryside #winterwalks #winterwalking

We didn’t really know what to expect from the new Georgian-inspired Staged Splendour display at @ickworthnt, but we have to admit, it was completely magical. Each room has been transformed into a vision of decadent fantasy extravagance, all with little more than beautiful artistic displays, a few props and clever lighting. A wonderful morning out: we highly recommend.
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#stagedsplendour #ickworthhouse #suffolk #suffolkdaysout #burystedmunds #burystedmundsandbeyond #nationaltrust #nationaltrustmember #georgianarchitecture #whimiscalwonderfulwild #ickworth #visitsuffolk #thisprettyengland

I have to admit, it is something of a dream come true: seeing my words printed in one of my favourite publications.
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This month, my piece on Edwin A Abbott’s Flatland was published in the winter issue of Slightly Foxed, after being joint-winner of their 2022 Slightly Foxed Writers’ Competition. I have not yet dared read it!
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For anyone unacquainted with @foxedquarterly, we couldn’t recommend it enough: a doorway to a calmer, slower world of books and reading.
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#foxedwriters #books #bibliophile #slightlyfoxed #bookstagram #feelingbookish

Early morning yesterday: a walk before the sun was up, with only the moon for company. Unfortunately, the weather today has not been as picturesque - very wet and miserable!
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Today is the first day of Advent, the beginning of the Christian year: as one of the Church’s ‘moveable feasts’, Advent can begin anywhere between 27 November and 3 December, making this year’s the latest the season can begin.
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#advent #capturequiet #winter #ofquietmoments #onmywalk #winterwalks #morningwalk #frozenplants #slowsimpleseasonal #myseasonalstory #ukwinter #englishwinter #nature #rural #frostymorning

We woke this morning to a crisp, dry frost, which held the leaves rigid and crunched beneath our boots. The first properly cold day is always a highlight of the year, something we have to experience outdoors.
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#englishwinter #frosty #tree #field #frostymorning #winter #winterwalk #embracingtheseasons #suffolkskies #aseasonalyear #thiscornerofsuffolk #rural #burystedmunds #seasonspoetry #suffolkcountryside #onmywalk

The colours may be a little more subdued at this time of year, but they are every bit as beautiful as the frothy pinks and bright greens of spring. This walk out to Holy Innocents outside of Great Barton has become a real favourite, and never more than at this time of year: a crisp breeze, crows cawing from the distant poplars, and this calm palette of browns, creams, greys and greens.
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#englishcountryside #suffolk #countrysidewalks #suffolkskies #rural #ruralliving #rurallandscape #ukscenery #onmywalk #fields #ruralphotography #rurallife #thisprettyengland #fields #myseasonalstory #seasonspoetry

Our cathedral here in Bury St Edmunds. The stained glass windows in @stedscath are stunning: they have a unified beauty uncommon in many churches and cathedrals. The effect is of being inside a huge blown glass bauble.
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#stedmundsburycathedral #abbey #burystedmundsabbey #exploresuffolk #suffolk #eastanglia #thisprettyengland #visitsuffolk #cathedral #cathedralsofinstagram #slowliving #stainedglass #heritage

The other reason for our visit to the @fitzmuseum_uk a few weeks ago: Sam might be a little obsessed with Dutch flower paintings… A little bit of colour for these dark evenings.
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From left to right: Jan Brueghel the elder, Flowers in a Stoneware Vase; Jan Brueghel the elder, Vase of Flowers; Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Flowers in a Glass Vase.
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#dutchflowerpainting #ihavethisthingwithflowers #beautifulflowers #flowers #botanicalart #floralstyle #happinessisflowers #flowersinavase #flowersmakemehappy #flora #floral

At this time on year, when we aren’t outside making the most of the autumnal colours, we are usually either buying books or reading books. We read quite seasonally, and some books seem particularly well suited to this time of year.
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In the latest post on our blog, we’ve recommended three reads that seem inherently autumnal:
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- The Book of Trespass, by Nick Hayes (@nickhayesillustration)
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- My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne du Maurier
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- The Italian, by Ann Radcliffe.
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Enjoy!
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#books #livingwithbooks #autumnreads #fallreading #bookstagram #bibliophile #ihavethisthingwithbooks #feelingbookish #slowliving #slowreading #sloereads #bookishflatlay #booksbooksbooks

Even with all the rain we have been having, it is a relief that we have not been denied the pleasure of crunchy leaves underfoot on our lunchtime walks. Looking back through our Instagram feed, it seems the excitement of piles of fallen leaves overpowers us at least once every year.
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#onmywalk #coloursofautumn #fallcolors #autumn #fall #autumnphotography #myfavouriteseason #embracingtheseasons #goldenleaves #iloveautumn #nature #crunchyleaves #thatautumnmagic #leaveschanging #slowliving #simplepleasures

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Thanks for your interest in the sloe life. You can contact us by email, or follow us on Instagram. We would love to hear from you!

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journaling the slow life in the suffolk countryside

Recent posts

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Rural Reads V: The Fat of the Land

Fog and Ruins: A Walk to Rougham Hall

Rural Reads IV: Adrian Bell's Corduroy Trilogy

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journaling the slow life
in the suffolk countryside