Suffolk Landscapes!

Ancient Suffolk Landscapes

A superhighway of the mediaeval age.  A packhorse bridge!  This brook might appear to be a small obstacle to travel.  Today the water level is low due to the extraction of water for surrounding houses and farms.  This is on the ancient route between Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge.  The speed of transport is undoubtedly slower (only just sometimes) than the A14.  This is part of a walk that takes in the Icknield Way that can be found in the guide 50 walks in Suffolk (ISBN 0749535652).  As you walk this walk you see the  remnants of the mediaeval industrial structures. 

Malt kilns are evidence of the rural economy gearing up for batch production of a commodity that was seasonal.  Arguably this type of flue structure is one the most common technogical innovations seen in everything that involves heating or cooling.  We even look to the termite mounds of the animal kingdom use of this structure as solution to cooling large buildings.  

There are many great walks around West Suffolk! Over the next few weeks I will blog about some of my favourites within the West Suffolk, North Essex and South East Cambs border area.