Constable Country

The county of Suffolk is well known for its picturesque villages, quaint thatched cottages, and its unspoilt rural landscapes.

Although Suffolk is famous for artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Churchyard, and Sir Alfred Munnings, it is the 19th century landscape painter John Constable that still captures everyone's attention today.


Self portrait - Pencil & watercolour 1806

Born 50 years after Gainsborough on the 11th June 1776 in the village of East Bergholt in Suffolk, he came from a respectable family of two brothers and three sisters. His father, Golding Constable, was a wealthy corn merchant who owned a number of properties and land in the area.

John Constable spent his early years sketching scenes from the countryside surrounding his home, and it could be said that it was this period that influenced him the most.

Golding Constable was eager for his son to take over the family business and decided to enroll him at a day school and to train him as a miller. John reluctantly spent a year doing this before he managed to persuade his father to allow him to pursue his artistic interests.

In 1799 Constable was admitted to the Royal Academy School where he studied anatomy, life drawing, and the Old Masters. But he became disillusioned with life in London when it became apparent that landscape painting was frowned upon by the Academy.

In 1802 Constable painted "Dedham Vale" which was a reinterpretation of the Old Masters he'd been studying at the Academy.


Dedham Vale - Oil on canvas 1802


Stour Valley & Dedham Church - Oil on canvas 1814


Boat building near Flatford Mill - Oil on canvas 1815

By the age of 33, he'd reached the height of his abilities. Unfortunately, he was unable to support himself or earn a decent living from his work. He was also disheartened by the fact that he had not been elected an Associate of the Academy, or a full member.

It was around this time that he fell in love with his childhood friend Maria Bicknell who was younger than Constable and came from a rich family. However, the relationship was problematic because her grandfather, the rector of East Bergholt, opposed their engagement.


Maria Bicknell - Oil on canvas 1816

If it wasn't for Constables' perseverance and sheer determination, their relationship would have failed, but on 2nd October 1816 they finally married.

During the next three years, Constable began his work with a renewed passion, bringing his paintings to life with vivid colours and striking brushstrokes.

The first financially successful painting he sold was a large-scale canvas called "The White Horse", which depicts a horse being ferried over the River Stour.


The White Horse - Oil on canvas 1819

The River Stour became a popular theme for Constable, and his "six-footers" are among some of the best known images of British art.

In 1820 he began working on "The Hay Wain", but this proved troublesome and he had to ask the son of a friend to provide him with an accurate drawing.


The Hay Wain - Oil on canvas 1821

When this painting was initially exhibited at The Royal Academy it failed to sell. When exhibited in France, Constable was awarded a Gold Medal by Charles X. His paintings were extremely popular in France, having sold more than twenty in just a few years.


The Lock (A Boat Passing a Lock) - Oil on canvas 1824

Constable spent some time living in Brighton in an attempt to improve his wifes' failing health. He produced a lot of work during his stay, but the only large-scale canvas from this area is "Chain Pier".


Chain Pier - Oil on canvas 1826

Another remarkable piece of art from this period is "Brighton Beach, with colliers" which depicts coal brigs against a blue sky.


Brighton Beach, with colliers - Oil on paper 1824


The Leaping Horse - Oil on canvas 1825

Marias' health declined, and in November 1828 she fell ill and died of Tuberculosis at the age of forty one. This had a profound effect on Constable, and from then on he always dressed in black and appeared to be in mourning.

The painting below clearly illustrates the immense loneliness and anxiety that Constable would have been experiencing during this painful period.


Hadleigh Castle - Oil on canvas 1829

During the next seven years, Constables' outlook on life gradually improved, and after an unfortunate gamble with some inheritance money he began to get back on track.


Cottage at East Bergholt - Oil on canvas 1833


The Valley Farm - Oil on canvas 1835

He was elected a full member of the Royal Academy in February 1829, and in 1831 was appointed Visitor at the Royal Academy.

He began to deliver public lectures on the history of landscape painting, which proved to be very popular.

John Constable died on the evening of March 31st 1837, and was buried beside his wife in St John-at-Hampstead church, London.

Constable was inspired by a wide variety of classical artists, of particular interest are: Claude Lorrain, Peter Paul Rubens, Annibale Carracci, Jacob Isaakszoon van Ruysdael, and Thomas Gainsborough.

If you'd like to find out more about Constable and the landscape that captured his imagination I would suggest visiting the Constable country, Essex and Suffolk walking guide published by the Guardian Newspaper.

Another excellent source of information is The Great Landscapes Constable Exhibition provided by the Tate Gallery. A really unique feature of the website is that it allows you to compare modern-day photographs of the landscape with Constables' paintings.

I'd also recommend taking a look at A Sketchbook by Constable provided by the V&A Museum. It's a selection of images from the pocket sketchbooks that Constable used during 1814.

Finally, if you'd like to experience rural life in the 16th century I would highly recommend visiting the Flatford: Bridge Cottage National Trust site, which hosts a Constable exhibition. This is an excellent base for walks along the River Stour. It's got a pleasant, riverside tea room, which will provide the weary traveller ample opportunity to relax over a refreshing drink.

All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Orford Ness

Orford Ness is a 16km long coastal shingle spit which lies between Aldeburgh and Felixstowe on the Suffolk coast. There is almost 600ha of exposed shingle which is in a constant state of flux due to the eroding and depositing effects of the North Sea.

Orford Ness is home to a wide variety of wildlife including birds, invertebrates, and plants. It is an important breeding ground for the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) as well as hosting an extensive Gull colony. In addition to these, Divers, Grebes, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons and a multitude of other species can be regularly seen.



The site also has a large number of brackish lagoons, which are pools containing a mixture of fresh and salt water. Some of these were man-made when clay was removed from the area for the construction and repair of river walls. These lagoons provide an ideal habitat for waders and other birds, as well as plants and the rare Starlet Sea Anemone (Nematostella vectensis).


Brackish Lagoon

Because of these unique features, Orford Ness has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA), and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). This was considered necessary to prevent any further damage or disturbance caused by illegal access by vehicles and pedestrians.

Orford Ness has a rather interesting military history. A large proportion of the site was acquired by the War Department in 1913, and shortly afterwards the area was drained and levelled to form airfields which were used by the Central Flying School's Experimental Flying Section.

During this period, some of the most important developments in the history of warfare took place here. Groundbreaking work was carried out on parachutes, aerial photography, weapon sights, and improved camouflage.

After the war it was reused as a firing and bombing range by the Aeroplane and Armaments Experimental Establishment at nearby Martlesham Heath.

In May 1935 part of the site was requisitioned for use by Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt and his team of scientists who were working on a method of detecting enemy aircraft using radio waves.

Watson-Watt established a scientific research department known as the Ionospheric Research Station. The purpose of which, was to work on research and development of the aerial defence system, which was later called by its more familiar name RADAR.

During the next few months, work was carried out at the site in an attempt to improve the systems range and accuracy. By the end of the year, aircraft could be detected at a distance of 100km, but although this was a remarkable feat of engineering, it soon became apparent that Orford Ness was unsuitable for further research and another site would be needed.

In order to facilitate this, Bawdsey Manor Estate was purchased at a bargain price of £24,000. Shortly afterwards, Watson-Watt and his team moved to the new premises and began to convert the manor house and its various outbuildings into suitable workshops.

Huge wooden and steel towers were erected and the site became Britains first Chain Home Radar Station.

There were almost 60 of these systems installed along the coast of Britain, of which, there were two types. The Chain Home stations (AMES Type 1) provided long range detection, whereas the Chain Home Low stations (AMES Type 2) provided short range detection.

They were a huge success during the Battle of Britain where they provided an early warning of incoming Luftwaffe raids.

Ironically, the Chain Home system was used against the British when the Germans deployed their own radar system known as Kleine Heidelberg Parasit. This enabled them to track the British aeroplanes using radio signals emitted from the Chain Home radars!

There's not much remaining of the Chain Home system anymore as most of the masts have been dismantled. However, a mast still exists at Great Baddow in Essex, and the Bawdsey Radar Group has gone to extraordinary lengths in a bid to restore the Transmitter Block at Bawdsey.

During the Second World War, the site was extensively used to carry out bomb ballistics and firing trials. The ballistics tests were observed from the relative safety of the bomb ballistics building which dates back to the early 1930's.


Ballistics Building

The building contained all the instrumentation required to record the flights, trajectories, and impact characteristics of the bombs, and to assist in the preparation of more accurate aiming procedures.

Whereas the bomb ballistics tests were designed to gain a better understanding of targeting and aiming systems, the information obtained from the firing trials was used to determine the vulnerabilities of aircraft and their associated components.

Aircraft and their parts were attacked using a wide variety of ammunition and ordnance, including machine gun ammunition, rockets, and other projectiles.

An area of the site was used as a plate range, where various types of projectile were fired at armour plates and paper targets to determine their efficacy.


Plate Store

During the 1950's, attention shifted to the research and development of atomic weapons. The Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) acquired the site and began developing the Atomic Bomb.

Six huge laboratories were built to facilitate environmental testing of the nuclear weapons. During these tests the bombs were subjected to vibration, extremes of temperature, shocks, and high G forces.


Climatic Chamber

Two of the laboratories have affectionately become known as the "Pagodas" because their roofs appear to be supported upon tall pillars.


The two "Pagodas"

This was to minimise the effect of an explosion by venting the gases upward, through the gaps between the pillars.



The Blue Danube has also been tested on this site, quite possibly in laboratory 1, which was used for vibration testing and drop testing of the larger bombs.


Laboratory 1


Laboratories

There are many relics from this period lying rusting and twisted in the shingle. The nose-cone and pieces of panel below were spotted behind a bush.



Don't stray off the designated footpaths though, as there's still a small amount of unexploded ordnance on the site that is liable to explode if disturbed.



During the 1970's, developmental work had begun on an Over The Horizon (OTH) backscatter radar codenamed Cobra Mist.

The system consisted of a huge array of aerials arranged in a fan shape and connected to a central pole, covering an arc of almost 120 degrees.

It was designed to monitor air and missile activity in Eastern Europe and Russia. Unfortunately, it suffered severe technical problems, and after almost three years in service was shut down and the radar was dismantled and removed.

The site is now owned by VT Merlin Communications and broadcasts the BBC World Service.


The former Cobra Mist building

This article wouldn't be complete without mentioning the magnificent lighthouse overlooking the North Sea.

Since the beginning of the 17th century, this wind swept stretch of coast has always been protected by a light of one form or another. The first lighthouse (this is debatable as there are records of a beacon here since 1591) was built around 1630, and was later replaced in 1661 by two lighthouses, the High Light and the Low Light. In 1720, both the wooden lighthouses were replaced by brick towers.

In 1792, a new brick tower was built. This was higher than the original High Light and situated much further back. This became known as the new High Light or Great Light, it is this lighthouse that remains today.



To the casual observer, Orford Ness may appear to be just a vast, desolate landscape. A stark reminder of the Cold War era and the struggle for nuclear supremacy. Upon closer inspection, you will find a habitat that is abundant with wildlife, and that contains a rich history dating back to the 17th century.

We must not forget the scientists responsible for their pioneering work on the development of radar, because without them we may never have been able to successfully defend Britain during the Second World War.

I would like to thank those helpful people at the National Trust who acquired the site in 1995, for their painstaking work of maintaining the sites ecology, and for researching and preserving its valuable history.

If you'd like to find out more about Orford Ness I would recommend attending one of the two guided tours that are run throughout the year, Bombs and Beasties and Trial Imminent. The former providing a general overview of all aspects of the site, and the latter dealing specifically with its military history.

Further details and contact information can be obtained from the Orford Ness National Nature Reserve website.

Welcome

Welcome to scenic-suffolk.co.uk and thank you for visiting my blog.

I have created this blog in order to capture some of Suffolks most beautiful and evocative places. Within, you will find photographs of castles, churches, lighthouses, seashores, rivers, wildlife, cottages, and other interesting scenery.

I will also be publishing pictures and brief articles about some of our more unusual places such as Orford Ness and Rendlesham Forest. Both of which, have had their fair share of mystery and intrigue during the last few decades.

In addition to this, I will try to include some of the locations that captured the imagination of John Constable, the 19th century landscape painter best known for his paintings of Dedham Vale and the Hay Wain.

I will also write about current environmental issues, climate change, recycling, and green living. I'll include articles that show you how to make compost, grow your own vegetables, and how to leave a smaller "carbon footprint".

For readers unfamiliar with the county of Suffolk, I will write about the multitude of historical events that helped to shape it. From ancient tracks dating back to 4,000 B.C, the Roman conquests, the Saxon and Norman periods, up to relics of the Cold War era and other modern day marvels.

I will also describe how a large hoard of Roman silver objects that were found in my hometown of Mildenhall in the early 1940's excited many archaeologists and inspired Roald Dahl to write a short story about the discovery.

I hope you enjoy the blog, your comments are most welcome.

Richard