We had a great time in Harwich. Now, there’s a sentence I never thought I would write. Like many others, we had passed through Harwich on the way to more exotic destinations but, this time, it is our first stop in Essex as we continue our coastal odyssey.
It is a sunny Saturday evening. I have messed up on the campsite booking and so, after a recuperative pint in the Alma Inn, we decide to camp on Marine Drive looking out across the water to the enormous container ships moored below the Felixstowe cranes.
Dwarfed by these giants, small sailing boats tootle about on the water, catching the evening breeze. A few fellow motorhomers, doubtless bound for Europe on the morning ferry, keep us company.
The next day, we decide to explore old Harwich, following the Maritime Heritage Trail. It quickly becomes apparent to us that the town is fiercely proud of its history and has an active historical society with volunteers ready and willing to tell us all about it, seemingly at every turn.
Our first stop is the superb Low Lighthouse, a treasure trove of all things maritime, its tiny rooms crammed with memorabilia