Exploring Covehithe
Situated between Southwold and Lowestoft, Covehithe is somewhat one of Suffolk’s hidden gems. It’s a place that is quite literally at the end of the road, where due to the current limit of erosion on this stretch of coastline, the road into Covehithe now ends abruptly on the edge of the short but steep cliff. One can’t help but speculate how far this road originally extended.
Covehithe flourished as a small town in the middle ages and its name derived from the de Cove family who owned land there at the time.
You could be forgiven today for not knowing this village existed at all. Covehithe now comprises a church along with a farm and very little else.
The church of St. Andrew itself is particularly interesting. This was largely pulled down, however, its tall tower remains in place with a smaller church then erected by the local people later on amongst the ruins in 1672 with much material reused from the older church, along with some brick. A walk around the ruins is nothing short of atmospheric.
There is a real sense of mystery and remoteness to this land. On a gloriously sunny day, the beach feels incredibly peaceful and you can get a real sense of how deserted the area has become today. However, it truly comes to life when the conditions are wild and windy. It then becomes a place of its own. Wandering along the clifftop path, one can admire the delightful sandy beach, not to mention the abundant wildlife that inhabits the marshes.
I’ve been coming to this part of the coast for a few years and it is forever changing. The erosion has been very dramatic, and what this place will be like in 10 years is anyone’s guess. Some estimates suggest that in as little as 50 years, Covehithe will have disappeared entirely! It’s a place that is living on borrowed time. The poet, Blake Morrison, sums up Covehithe beautifully with his poem of the same name.
“The tides go in and out But the cliffs are stuck in reverse: Back across the fields they creep, to the graves of Covehithe church. From church to beach Was once a hike. Today it’s just a stroll. Soon it’ll be a stone’s throw. And that path we took Along the cliffs has itself been taken, By winter storms. The wheat’s living on the edge. What’s to be done? I blame the dead in their grassy mounds, the sailors and fishermen longing to be back at sea who since they can’t get up and stride down to the beach entice the sea to come to them.”
All images shot with a Leica M9 & Zeiss C Sonnar T* 50mm f/1.5 Lens.
