SUFFOLK

Hambling's Scallop (2003) stands on the north end of Aldeburgh beach. It is a tribute to Benjamin Britten and is pierced with the words "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" from his opera Peter Grimes.

Hambling's Scallop (2003) stands on the north end of Aldeburgh beach. It is a tribute to Benjamin Britten and is pierced with the words "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" from his opera Peter Grimes. Created from stainless steel by Suffolk-based artist Maggi Hambling, it stands 15 feet (4.6 metres) high, and was unveiled in November 2003. The piece is made up of two interlocking scallop shell. Many locals don't like it, and it has been vandalised by some. I think it's majestic and a wonderful tribute to Benjamin Britten.

The main photo shows the interesting formation of the leaves of sea kale, Crambe maritima, which is is commonly found above high tide mark on shingle beaches. The shoots are served steamed, with either a béchamel sauce or melted butter, salt and pepper. Sounds delicious. The first PIP is of sea pea, Lathyrus japonicus, and is a herbaceous perennial plant growing trailing stems to 50–80 cm long, typically on sand and gravel storm beaches. I have seen it growing in sand dunes in Norway too. The second PiP is of the horned poppy, Glaucium flavum, which grows on the seashore and is never found inland. The golden-yellow flowers appear in June and are followed by the 'horns' - curling seedpods that can be up to 30cm long. These can be seen in the photo. All parts of the plant are poisonous!

I wonder if it's as addictive as nicotine? ;-)

This lookout tower is situated almost right next to the inshore and offshore lifeboat stations. The North Sea looks very innocuous here, bur conditions can change very rapidly at the coast, and I think that the undertow on this steeply sloping shingle beach could be fierce at times.

Although the combined fleets of France and Spain had been defeated at The Battle of Trafalgar, the threat of a French invasion was a very real one to Suffolk’s inhabitants. Napoleon was lord of all Europe and the burghers of Aldeburgh lay quaking in their beds at night. Although the Royal Navy retained mastery of the world’s oceans, the fear of invasion was unswayable and so builders were summoned and the Martellos were born. This Martello Tower is essentially four towers joined together and dominates a narrow spit of land just a short walk along the coast between the sea and the river Alde. Made of more than a million bricks, it was built between 1808 and 1812 to keep Napoleon out.