Wreck at Benacre
On the beach,
Sideways and hull-down,
Trying hard in the Winter sun
To gleam and be alive,
A strange boat
Stranded in the storm,
Gradually tilts and gives up hope.
One thin line
Strains to the hidden anchor
Just off-shore.
The screw has gone,
Small splits appear,
Sprung boards allow the salt water
A first, tentative grip,
Bringing her to her knees
On the beach.
Foreign, she is,
From up the coast.
Compact, head-butting
And easily rolling
Over the unforgiving
North Sea's tricky underwater map.
Shifting sand,
Covering and uncovering
Rusting defences
Slowly eroding in the salt water.
Either the sea,
Intolerant of error,
Will break her
Or the salvage crew,
Wearily tramping the sand,
Will take her.
Slowly stripping her bare,
Her interior secrets
Exposed and vulnerable.
Next week, next month,
The beach will have returned
To wildness and to peace.
A place of detritus,
The bones of fish,
Dead gulls and trees
Along the littoral.
From "A Kind Of Heaven" by Richard Maslen.
Some Favourite Websites For September 2025:
Singtong Neeyom Thai Restaurant – Delicious authentic Thai Cuisine
Take a look at Singtong Neeyom Thai Restaurant in the centre of Halesworth, for a range of delicious and skillfully prepared Thai dishes created by their own native Thai, Piek.
Campsites.co.uk – A host of campsites on offer around Southwold and the Coast
Campsites.co.uk list a wide variety of camping and glamping sites throughout East Suffolk, for perfectly peaceful holidays.
Lighthouse View – Superb Southwold self-catering cottage for four
Lighthouse View in Southwold is a comfortable and welcoming holiday cottage sleeping four in two bedrooms. This early-Victorian cottage is in the very heart of this attractive coastal town and the front door it is just yards from the promenade and sea.
The Halesworth Pet Store – Specialists in Animal Nutrition and Pet Care
Visit our shop or take advantage of our Free Local Delivery Service! We are experts in animal nutrition, catering for all quantities – from small bags to bulk deliveries amd we are happy to help with all of your requirements
Rookyard Cottage, Holton – Eco-friendly self-catering cottage near Halesworth with private heated indoor swimming pool available
Set in over two acres Valley Farm offers two self-catering cottages, Rookyard Cottage and Swallow Barn, both with eco-friendly features and each sleeping up to four people + cot. Rated AA 4 Stars. WiFi. Private heated indoor swimming pool available. Ten miles from seaside at Southwold. Pets not accepted.