Sunday: Skegness, Frampton Marshes, Snettisham, Brancaster

Checked out of the Black Horse at Donington on Bain (8/10, excellent value for money and very friendly) and headed straight for Skegness. Huge sandy beach, wind turbines (132kV from the off-shore substation to land via an undersea cable).

Skegness beach

Went on the pier. Quiet.

Skegness pier

Back towards town the vendors were starting to open their souvenir and fast food stalls. There was a smell of fried food and candy floss. All of the rides were closed.

Rides, sadly closed

We bought a coffee and paid 20p to go to the loo.

From the Black Horse we’d driven south-east, high up on the Wolds, pheasants everywhere, more kestrels than we’ve seen in all of the past year. Then we dropped down to an expanse of flatlands, flat as a mirror, through large fields of dark green cabbage and green and red curly kale and cavolo nero and cauliflower.

We went to RSPB Frampton Marshes. There were lots of birds: wigeon, gadwall, lapwings, waders, goldfinches, linnets, etc. We walked up the end of the reserve and looked out over the expanse of marsh towards the Wash.

RSPB Frampton Marsh

We bought sandwiches for lunch at a petrol station and ate them parked next to a church on the outskirts of Boston. Then we went via Kings Lynn to RSPB Snettisham.

The tide was right out, so no sight of the water at all, just a huge expanse of mud which seemed to fill all of the Wash. Ducks, redshank, greenshank, peregrine, greylags and a honking flock of Brent geese flying over.

Snettisham

Half an hour to The White Horse at Brancaster Staithe. Pint of Woodforde’s Wherry. Dinner: Brancaster oysters, salad, sea trout with caviar. Very nice. Afterwards sat and looked out of the nighttime marshes.