Next Landscape Group Shoot - Covehithe
The next Landscaper Group Shoot will take place at Covehithe, Suffolk.
Meet in the Car Park next to the Church of St. Andrew by 6:15am at the latest. This will allow sufficient time to walk to Benacre Broad if we decide to start the shoot there…! The SATNAV postcode is NR34 7JW
Church of St. Andrew at Covehithe
Covehithe, on the Suffolk coast just north of Southwold and south of Kessingland, was previously known as North Hales.
Clearly Covehithe must have been a large area at one stage to warrant such a large Church, but within the ruins of this old Church a ‘new’ one has been built -with a thatched roof no less. St Andrews, the present church, was built in 1672.
It has a fantastic beach – one of Suffolk’s best kept secrets! This can only be accessed on foot or by cycle. There is on street parking near to the church and a clearly marked footpath opposite which takes you through fields to the dunes, a short scramble down and you are on the beautiful beach. Not an ice cream seller in sight and no facilities as such but well worth a visit if you are after a secluded spot to take in the scenery and paddle in the sea. A favourite with dog walkers too.
Covehithe is dream of a location, it presumably used to be a fairly large town, but has fallen victim to the coastal erosion which plays havoc with this coastline. As a result, there are about 4 or 5 attractive period houses, and then the shell of an impressively large church, with a smaller thatched church built inside the ruins. Access to the surrounding fields is limited, there are no entry signs on most, presumably to keep hoards of photographers from tramping their way over them. But there are still lots of good viewpoints to shoot from, including the churchyard itself.
There are signposts to the beach, which is a 15 minute walk, through some dunes, past some lagoons, some nice shots of reedbeds to be had here.
The other option is to take the tarmac lane from the church down towards the sea. There is a barrier with a 'Danger' notice and a sign warning that there is no public right of way. Although this is strictly true, it's a well-established and popular path stretching north towards Kessingland beach and you will most likely meet lots of walkers along the way. As long as you keep a sensible distance from the cliff edge there isn't much danger. The terrain is fairly easy, no real steep climbs and comfortably wide in most places.
On the cliff path there are some more good viewpoints for the Church, lots of nice wind battered and twisted trees, some wind turbines within telephoto distance, and a few other potential subjects. About half a mile or so down the path you reach Benacre Broad nature reserve. The beach here is usually littered with large tree skeletons, which stand in the sand or tumble down the cliffs into the sea as they erode and wash up along the shoreline. They are great for foreground interest for sunrises, long exposures and the like. These are obviously constantly moving, new ones appearing and old favourites washing out to sea, so every visit is different.
Typical tree skelton on Covehithe beach
The Broad, which is a large marshy lagoon also meets the beach here, there is a good sized hide for wildlife photography, that also provides welcome shelter if the rains come.
You can return along the beach if tides permit but be aware at high tide the water comes right up to the cliffs so make sure you check these first.
Please note:
The details for Landscape Group shoots are normally confirmed about a week before each shoot after considering expected weather conditions at the location on the day of the shoot.