Aldringham cum Thorpe

We are visiting the Thorpeness area for the weekend as a friend has rented the House in the Clouds for a family celebration and invited his Devil's Dyke Morris Men colleagues to dance there and celebrate with him.

Originally a small fishing hamlet, in the 1900s the wealthy Ogilvie family created a "fantasy holiday haven" here by blocking the outlet of the River Hundred, alreadty silted up, to create the Meare - 60 acres of shallow water, ornamental gardens and small islands.

To hide the eyesore of having a water tower in the village, the tank was clad in wood to make it look like a small house on top of a tower; the House in the Clouds. The windmill outside it used to grind corn at Aldringham, but was moved here in 1923 to pump water up to the tower.

The Morris Men dance here and we are treated to a tour of the house, which was an incredible experience as it is extremely quirky inside. We also walk round the village and Meare before heading back to our B&B in Aldeburgh. A great day!Read more