So far no running today instead I've been finishing some watercolour paintings, one a mountain scene , the other of an oak tree overhanging the canal near Beeleigh in Essex. Beeleigh is a magical place an oasis of calm a refuge from the roads and housing estates that are now sprawling out of Maldon. There is the beautiful house built on the remains of the abbey,the Grange where Landseer once stayed, a scattering of cottages and the tidal river that joins the canal . If one is lucky a sparkle of turquoise will indicate a kingfisher- surely one of the most exquisitely beautiful British birds. Following the canal to Ulting leads to the quaint old church which in medieval times was the site of an important Christian Shrine.Whenever I go to see my parents I run to Beeleigh at the earliest opportunity . It never changes and probably has barely changed since the canal was dug in the 19th century-
Canal near Beeleigh |