Julie’s House, A House For Essex.
My first visit to Wrabness, on the edge of the River Stour estuary. A place I’ve passed many a time on my way to Harwich and Dovercourt on many football away days over the years, a simple train station sign is all that tells you Wrabness is there, maybe that’s deliberate, once at the train station the shoreline is not far, maybe 200 yards, as you pass the community shop and across the train lines you are met with the sight of the gem of Wrabness, as you approach Julie’s house the valley opens up, hold your arms aloft in a V, Harwich to your right and the royal navy hospital just to your left on the Suffolk side, it is impressive and unbelievably quiet, as I said maybe the lack of signage is deliberate!
Julies house is a remarkable building, the sun was shining brightly and the terracotta exterior was glistening, its hard to describe how it looks, to me its almost like a gingerbread house crossed with a Russian orthodox church, the Stour valley is littered with many parish churches from Great Bradley to Cattawade that often dominate skylines of each parish, this building certainly holds the same authority.
1925 terracotta tiles cover nearly every inch of the facade of the building with amazing detail.
Wrabness Beach
The beach of Wrabness is a hive of activity with many waders on show in the marshy muddy shallows, I walked 5 miles along the pristine beaches and the estuary was unbelievably quiet, no wind, the water barely had a ripple in it.
Wrabness beech facing towards Harwich
