Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Leigh-on-Sea, Essex

Scroll down for Project Black.
One gray morning in June, when we were in England, Alan and Barbara took us to a small sea coast town in Essex called Leigh-on-Sea. This picturesque place is actually located on the Thames Estuary at the far eastern edge where the Thames River flows out in to the North Sea (or is it the English Channel? Gotta go check my map.) .


We first drove past the lovely beach homes.


Then we saw the Leigh Library. Wouldn't you love to walk into this old brick building and choose books by Dickens, MacDonald, Lewis, Tolkien or Goudge from its shelves?


So many boats!


First stop was coffee at The Grove, just inside the patio doors, out of the wind but still with a view.

Having sufficiently fortified ourselves, we walked down to the harbor, where we passed the docks, catching glimpses of the estuary between buildings and boat ramps.




This little museum was set up to show what a typical dock side home looked like in the Nineteenth Century.








Coarse Burlap Curtains
Hand Knitted Shawl
Back outside, into the wind, along the shoreline.



Up the hill into the town again and so to lunch.



18 comments:

Bethany said...

I love looking at all your pictures... I feel like I'm right there with you!

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

That looks like it was cold gray day, but lots of interesting places to visit. And of course you found the hand knitted shawl!

And YES, I want to step inside that library and see what they have to offer!

ellen b. said...

Looks like a great seaside town. I like the pewter and the plaque "hitherto hath the Lord helped us" amen to that.

Cottage Rose said...

It looked kind of chilly there, but what lovely pictures. It looks like a place I would to travel to. Thank you for sharing your trip.

hugs;
Alaura

Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog: said...

Wonderful photos. My mum grew up in a small fishing village in Teignmouth England during WWII. So interesting to me.

Islandsparrow said...

Gorgeous!!

Did you go into the library? I looked for good libraries in London and was quite surprised that there weren't as many as here in Canada or in the States. My son, who has lived in London for 5 years, tells me they don't have interlibrary loan - I use that all that time.

Lovella ♥ said...

I loved your comment today on my blog Willow. I thought you summed it all up so nicely.
Oh, seeing this post suddenly made me remember a shawl that was my mothers, two in fact. One made for her from her sister in law that she met for the first time only a year before she died. Such lovely wool. Oh I'll post it soon for you to see. You will apreciate it more than most.
Oh do let me know when you decide to sell that sweet bunny.

Anonymous said...

This looks like the perfect day -- I would have loved every aspect of it based on your photos! Such a lovely street pictured in the first photo...and yes, the brick library invites me...and then coffee anywhere, but especially in a fun little place like the one pictured...and boats, perfect setting. :) (by the way, you have an RSS feed so I'm subscribed, and I now have comments access on my xanga).

Carletta said...

What lovely photos! I enjoyed this little sight-seeing trip.

Unknown said...

Lots of beautiful photos! you must have taken tons of photos! Very delightful :)

Ally Jay said...

Great photos, so interesting. I love the hand knitted shawl.

Anonymous said...

The museum looks so interesting. I've never been to Essex. The sea looked a bit choppy though. I think Miss Read spent some of her childhood holidays near there.

Flower said...

Thanks for the walk and coffee!!

Heather said...

I love traveling with you. Thanks for sharing.

Bethany said...

You have been nominated for an award! (see my blog)

violetlady said...

That certainly looks like England. Willow, I have given you an award. Stop by my blog to see it. Congratulations!

Knitting Linguist said...

I love the tour in photographs -- it's like getting to go on vacation myself!

Marg said...

It's funny what we all see.
Very interesting.
I studied that one picture of a basket with a pole in the middle.
At first I thought it was baby chicks hatching and I looked closer to notice it was sea shells.

Great photos!