A LONG WEEKEND RIVERS ORE AND ALDE
There are no marinas on the rivers Ore and Alde. If your getaway happiness depends on shore power plug-ins, laundry facilities and step-aboard access, these Suffolk rivers are not for you. Their beauty stems, in part, from a sense of secretiveness – you’re never quite sure what’s over the seawall or round the next withy; is it a breeding site for avocets or a world famous concert hall? The soon-to-be-demolished Orfordness Lighthouse pops up on the horizon from disconcertingly unexpected angles. ‘Still here!’ it insists, having been decommissioned by Trinity House in 2013. That’s worth a visit and, when one begins to list the Ore and Alde attractions – extraordinary scenery, fine food, history, culture, nature, intricate navigation, exhilarating sailing – a five-star tourist brochure begins to write itself.
The mix is subtle and the delights must be worked for. Arriving at the river entrance needs careful timing. Like its neighbour, the river Deben, the Ore is guarded by shingle banks which shift annually. Currents are fierce. One of the thrills of my childhood (and adulthood too) was the fabulous yee-ha! moment when we were finally into the river, hit speeds of 7.5-8 knots. It’s not such fun coming out when every rev of engine power strains against the incoming tide – in our case anyway. Possibly modern yachts with more powerful engines make the whole procedure feel easy.
