Sculpture at Marks Hall

Marks Hall was a Jacobean country house some 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Coggeshall in Essex, but by 1949, the mansion was neglected and said to be in a dangerous state, so was demolished in 1950. Forward to 2019 and Marks Hall Estate is now the site of 300 acres of Gardens and Arboretum - a great place at all times of year to wander and explore.

In 1163 the manor house and estate of Markshall were granted to the Markshall family after being confiscated from Hugh de Essex. They descended in the Markshall family until the estate was sold to John Cole, who renovated parts of the house. It was then sold to Edward Deraugh in 1581. In 1605 Robert Honywood purchased Marks Hall from Deraugh's grandson, William, pulled down part of the old timber-framed house and built a new brick building in 1609. It then descended through several more families until Thomas Phillips Price (1844-1932), a Welsh landowner, mine owner, and Liberal politician, purchased Marks Hall, then a mansion and deer park, at auction in 1898. 

He made provision in his Will to leave the Marks Hall estate to the nation in the interest of agriculture, arboriculture and forestry. During the Second World War, Earls Colne Airfield was built on the edge of the deer park and much of the property requisitioned for used as the headquarters for a number of local airfields. The 97th Bombardment Wing headquarters was initially located at the manor. 

Currently the gardens are host to an impressive biennial exhibition of carefully selected sculpture which include 253 quality pieces from over 50 national and international sculptors in a wide variety of materials.

Camera to the ready, we set off to explore some of the 253 exhibits. Just a few of the resulting images are shown below.

Metomorphoman - White Marble Resin by John Williams

Genesis - White Marble Resin by John Williams

Diabolo - Coloured Stainless Steel Sheet by Diane Maclean

Boreas - Statuary Carrara Marble by Mel Fraser

The Key - White Marble Resin by John Williams

The Book - Stainless Steel by Richard Cresswell

Luminous - Greenheart Timber and Glass by Louise Durham

Aurora - Bronze Resin by Angela Farquarson

Ella gathering sticks (Winter) and Persephone gathering apples (Autumn) - Bronze Resin by Antoinette Jackson

Ripple - Carrara Marble and Caithness Stone by Tom Allan

Red Planet - Fused Glass & Steel by Ian Reynolds

Narcissus - Bronze on Steel by Teresa Wells

Secret and Poppy (the dog) - Iron Resin by Martin Duffy

Guy Gorilla - Bronze by John Cox

The 200 acres of Gardens and Arboretum at Marks Hall, are an unmissable attraction in the Essex countryside, with an enviable collection of mature trees, woodland and leafy paths. On top of that, there is a great eating place and a wonderful 18c Coach House as a magical wedding venue.

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Theberton and the tranquility of Dunwich

A visit to two interesting places today. One being Dunwich Heath and the other the village of Theberton. The village of Theberton has a grim past relating to the First World War, which can be perhaps glimpsed from the village sign? The burnt out airship. (sorry, not the best picture).

On the night of 17th June 1917, on the edge of this village, German Zeppelin airship L48 was brought down, with the agonising death of 16 of its crew. Finding yourself on fire and falling through the air cannot fill you with much hope of your survival, but remarkably some of the crew did survive, to be rounded up by the local constable, who I like to imagine arriving on his bike. The dead were buried in the graveyard extension here, before being moved to a military cemetery 60 years later, but their memorial remains. In the porch there is part of the superstructure of the giant airship, incongruous in a glass case.

The church of St Peter has one of Suffolk's prettiest round towers, and loveliest thatched roofs. 

Another view of the tower with its gargoyles ready to discharge their water on the unsuspecting people below

For me, the most memorable part of the 1840s restoration becomes evident as you step into the nave, for the south arcade has been painted with extravagant stencilling, as if it had been tattooed. We know that much wood and stonework was painted in medieval times with geometric designs, and some survives in Suffolk at Kedington and Westhorpe. It is interesting to see an early 19th century interpretation. It is said that Cottingham based the scheme on traces of paint found on the arcades. Who knows?

Memorial window to Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hotham Montagu "Richard" Doughty-Wylie

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Hotham Montagu "Richard" Doughty-Wylie, VC, CB, CMG (23 July 1868 – 26 April 1915) was a British Army officer and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to members of the British and Commonwealth armed forces. Doughty-Wylie was also posthumously awarded the Order of the Medjidie from the very Ottoman Government he had fought against.

A native of Suffolk, born at Theberton Hall, Doughty-Wylie was educated at Winchester College. His military career included the Chitral Expedition of 1895 and the 1898 Occupation of Crete, between and after which he was posted in Sudan serving with Lord Kitchener in the Mahdist War (1898–99). In 1899 he took part in the final defeat of the Khalifa as brigade major to the Infantry Brigade with the flying column, and was mentioned in despatches. He next served in the Second Boer War, then suppressing the Boxer Rebellion (1900) and in Somaliland (1903–04), where he commanded a unit of the Somaliland Camel Corps.

On 26 April 1915, following the landing at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula of the SS River Clyde, Lieutenant Colonel Doughty-Wylie and Captain Garth Neville Walford organised and made an attack through and on both sides of the village of Sedd-el-Bahr on the Old Fort at the top of the hill. The enemy's position was very strongly entrenched and defended, but mainly due to the initiative, skill and great gallantry of the two officers the attack was a complete success. However, both Doughty-Wylie and Walford were killed in the moment of victory, Doughty-Wylie being shot in the face by a sniper and died instantly.

In the churchyard, one of the better Puffballs I have seen for a while.

Some images of Dunwich Heath, the beautiful heather for which Dunwich is justly famous

Juvenile Stonechat

Pair of Common Blue

Painted Lady. We saw a lot of these today on our walk along to Minsmere and back.

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