The first two days of the tour have taken me on a bit of a trip down memory lane. The stretch of coastline in Suffolk, in particular, was host to The Smith Family Clan a number of times and it was great to be able to re-visit some of these places this weekend.

My first stop was Walton-on-the-Naze and the Naze Tower (pictured), which clearly no longer operates as a navigational aid, but has a great community behind it, which ensures it is well-maintained and much-loved as the nearby cliff is slowly falling away. The Tower will eventually fall into the sea, but it is clear that every effort is being made to prolong its presence.

In brief, I will sum up each of the other lighthouses I have visited so far in 1 (or a few) word(s). Dovercourt (two lights): strange, but beautiful. Harwich (two lights): a little uninspiring considering the town is home to Trinity House who own so many lighthouses in England and Wales. Orfordness: such a shame I missed the last boat to reach it, but looked great from afar anyway. Pakefield: a really lovely start to my second day and began with a very helpful man at Pontins! Lowestoft harbour: where I first realised that I’ll be seeing lots of fishermen on the tour! Lowestoft: wonderfully hidden, but really glad I found it, she’s a beauty. Gorleston: my favourite place so far and a very impressive lighthouse. Winterton: could see the back of it from afar, but it’s tucked away on private land now (which is a true reflection on the place, in my opinion). Happisburgh: just as stunning as it looks in all of it’s pictures!

First stop on day 3 – Cromer! 🙂