James Clay Stuff

Over on the Suffolk coast is Orford Ness. What was once a secret military base was sold to the National Trust back in 1993. It was a place I had wanted to visit for a while. I had sailed past Orford Ness as a child in the 1970s and 1980s, but had never visited there, well then it was a secret military base.

One of my memories was the landing craft that was stationed at Orford which was used to transport vehicles and supplies from the Orford quayside to Orford Ness. I remember as a child thinking how cool it would be to be driven onto the landline craft to cross the river. That was never going to happen, as it was a secret military base.

In September I made a trip to the Ness to explore. It didn’t surprise me too much but that landing craft was nowhere to be seen. It was forty odd years since I last saw it.

However, on one of the displays in one of the buildings on the Ness was a photograph of the Landing Craft. It was exactly as I remembered it.

Interestingly the real vessel is still working as a diver support ship.

I think that because I also had the Matchbox toy landing craft, it embedded that memory.

November 7, 2026

Pumpkins, Squash and Tyntesfield

It was a rather misty morning in November when I made my way over to Wraxall to visit Tyntesfield. I had visited a few months ago in August, but have spent time visiting other National Trust properties in the meantime.

I arrived earlier than I would usually do, so the car park was somewhat emptier. Sorted out the (free) parking and headed to reception to get my card scanned. I then made my way to the house.

Tyntesfield

An ornate Victorian Gothic Revival house with extensive garden and parkland, just a stone’s throw from Bristol

Current saving £473.75
One adult £21.00
Parking £3.00
Total saving £24.00
Cumulative saving £593.75
Membership cost £96
Net cumulative saving £497.75

They were starting their preparations for Christmas, the library and office had been decorated (not quite finished I was told) and some of the other rooms were being prepared, there were for instance three large Christmas trees in the dining room.

The large drawing room, with the sprung dance floor was being prepared for a display. They are still fixing the bollards room, so that was full of scaffolding.

After enjoying my exploration of the house, I headed down to the Orangery to see the pumpkin display.