intrepid pony: Orford Castle and Orford Ness

Parked at Orford Castle

View from the ramparts

It was nearly 8.00 when Lottie Lurcher announced it was time to get up so we all had a lie in for a change. The sky was clear but the forecast is poor for tomorrow so Van-Man decided to go Orford to visit the Castle and look across to Orford Ness, a narrow piece of land almost completely cut off from the mainland.

The pagodas on Orford Ness

We set off at 10.00 and parked at the castle after just over half an hour’s drive. The Castle and grounds were in excellent condition. Some restoration was applied to the inside of the castle to make all 4 floors and the basement of the castle accessible.

Orford Castle from the back

Lottie Lurcher was allowed inside the castle and enjoyed sniffing around the rooms and scaling the stairs. Van-Man had to follow her lead as she decided to head to the top of the castle first.

The castle from the dyke

the village from the dyke

The view from the ramparts at the top of the central keep was splendid but the wind was sharp. I think it might have been quite unpleasant for the guards on duty up there.
While Van-Man was taking pictures he let Lottie Lurcher off the lead as he had shut the door back down the stairs so she could not leave the battlements and we were the only people in the castle at that time.

The water channel

Walking back to Orford

Orford Ness

I found a door into the bakery, the first time I have found one at the top of a castle and Lottie Lurcher followed me inside.

“Lottie, where are you,” I heard Van-Man shout. He was surprised when we emerged from the tiny room in the corner. “I thought you’d got out,” he told her clipping the lead back on.

Boat passing between the mainland and Orford Ness

old boats

She led us back down visiting the chapel on the way. I was struck by this room as the information panel showed there was a sound channel down through the stone so that the sermon could be heard by the guards on duty. After exploring the basement we walked Lottie round the grounds.

She seemed disappointed that we didn’t follow a footpath in the corner but we wanted to visit Orford Quay which was some distance from the castle.

old harbour remains

Walking towards the lighthouse

Sea channel from the dyke

We found a large car park by the Quay and parked up just before noon alongside a wide strip of grass. We walked along the footpath on top of the dyke following the water channel between the mainland and Orford Ness which is a nature reserve now. We had good views back to the castle and across to Folkestone.

The coastline was flat and low lying and the weather was sunny but windy. However inland there were heavy clouds slowly moving our way so we clearly had the best of the weather.

Back at the van we had to shower Lottie’s legs as she tried to bathe in one of the ditches and found to her disgust that the banks were made of sticky mud. Fortunately there is an external shower on the van. Lottie approves of it as it gives her a warm shower.

Lighthouse at Orford Ness

We had a late lunch and relaxed as we had a long parking ticket. We had over an hour left on our parking ticket when the sun came out so we walked along the dyke in the opposite direction. The wind was strong but the sun kept us warm.

Van-Man went to the edge of the shoreline to take pictures of the light house. Lottie followed him then went past him onto the beach. She sunk deep into the soft mud and abandoned her attempt to bathe.

Lottie in the mud trying to reach the sea

However as we passed the sailing club Van-Man took our muddy hound down the concrete slipway and she waded into the water for her dip. she came out clean but needed a good towelling down at the van. We moved on just as out parking ticket expired. We took a less direct route back enjoying the countryside.

Looking back towards Orford

Once back at the camp site she lay on her piece of grass outside our habitation door in the sun and remained there contentedly until her dinner was served. Having demolished her food she lay outside again until she decided she needed to get out of the wind.