Report by Julia Jones
The RDA Deben Estuary Forum meeting took place at Waldringfield Sailing Club on July 20th and was attended by about 30 people representing approximately 25 river businesses, clubs and action groups. It included a presentation by representatives of the Crown Estate. Their representatives also took part in the more general discussions.
by Richard Verrill
The River Deben Association was recently contacted because of concerns about fishing at Wilford Bridge. I was asked to write about the current regulations for recreational fishing in the Deben.
The regulations are quite complex and are different for freshwater fishing, which is regulated by the Environment Agency and saltwater fishing, which is regulated by Eastern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority (IFCA). The demarcation between salt water and fresh water on the Deben is defined as Wilford bridge and so the question that has been raised is interesting as there are different rules depending on whether fishing is done upstream from the bridge or downstream.
Continue readingby Matt Lis
By kind permission of Watercraft Magazine.
There are still good old affordable boats waiting for the right restorers,
writes Matt Lis of Woodbridge & Waldringfield Boatyards.
Waiting in the Tent for new owners, the 1963 Blackwater Sloop Catspaw reminds Jack how much he loves sailing.
We all know of a boat that is at risk of being lost even though: “She is too good; somebody should save her”. In reality, many appealing craft are not saved but sometimes all these boats need is just a little more time for the right somebody to come along.
Woodbridge and Waldringfield Boatyards in Suffolk hold a small stock of such boats, which otherwise might have been broken up or burned. Most are locally-built or designed pocket cruisers, housed in an open-sided Tent of Dreams. Three boats from the Tent made it to re-launch in 2025 and are hoping to sail in the biennial 2026 OGA Deben Rally.
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Regular readers of the RDA Journal will remember Gareth Thomas’s impressive project to visit and write about all 40+ of the Deben Churches. To be fair, he had no idea at the beginning of his project that there would be so many…
Gareth’s main purpose was to share his enjoyment with others and to remind people what architectural and historical gems lie tucked away, often in small villages from which the earlier congregations have moved away. But how should people reach them? Some of the walks on this site are designed to link two or three churches together — but what about cycling (or long distance running?)
We asked keen cyclist Digby Thorogood to devise a route that linked these churches. He divided them slightly differently from Gareth (and skipped a couple) but produced a set of four cycle rides which can be enjoyed separately or as one long day’s pedalling (depending on the availability of Bawdsey ferry).
Continue readingBy Julia Jones
Claire Fried is a Suffolk artist who has lived and worked extensively abroad. This year she is opening her new studio to the public for the first time (June 6/7). In an interview with Julia Jones, she reflects on the year that has passed since the death of her husband Bertrand.
By Victoria Smy (Andy’s daughter)
Andy was born in Dudley, Wolverhampton, and moved to Suffolk with his family in the late 1970s. It was here that he discovered Woodbridge and developed a lifelong love for the River Deben. Soon after settling in the town, Andy’s enthusiasm and ambition saw him purchase his first dinghy and rent a small patch of land beside the river.
(Link to Eventbrite booking page)
Date Wednesday 29 April 2026
Time 7.00 for 7.30pm
Woodbridge Community Hall, Station Road IP12 4AU
Waldringfield artist Jackie Brinsley will be bringing her exquisite sketchbooks for members to look through and enjoy. Jackie was the cover artist for the Spring Edition of ‘The Deben.’
Continue readingReport from the forth Fish Survey conducted by the RDA and the Institute of Fisheries Management July 2025 by Steve Colcough
Introduction by Richard Verrill
Estuaries are vital habitats for fish, playing a crucial role in the life cycle of many species. It is well recognised that estuaries are particularly useful in helping to support young fish stocks. Different species favour different habitat which might include gravel / sand beaches, mudflats, saltmarshes and sea grass. The River Deben can provide all of these.
Historically there was very little data about the young spawn fishes that used the Deben for their early development. Occasionally Eastern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority (EIFCA) or The Environment Agency have done surveys and collected some data but this had ceased after surveys done in 2013 and 2014. Stephen Thompson from EIFCA approached the RDA in 2019 suggesting that the RDA and some volunteers might like to be involved with some Citizen Science. We formed a group of RDA volunteers and had training from EIFCA and The Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM) hosted at Hazelwood Marshes and arranged by Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT).
The tidal Deben Estuary is under assault, with Bawdsey Haven Yacht Club at the mouth of the estuary and Waldringfield Sailing Club half-way-up the estuary taking up the challenge to hold the line and retain public footpaths. And at the topmost end of the tidal Deben, just south of Ufford Pools, the bank of the main river is threatening to collapse, putting that public footpath under threat.
The causes are complex with no single factor to blame and this journal article attempts to capture and promote the current position. Further updates will be required as the situations evolve. Taking each location in turn…
Continue readingEditors Introduction
Over the past few years the success of River Deben craft in the annual Classic Boat awards has been outstanding. This year two new categories have been introduced – for Yards & Harbours and for Rising Stars. We are proud to see the Woodbridge & Waldringfield Boatyard shortlisted. Matt Lis, who writes this article, is the General Manager of Woodbridge and Waldringfield Boatyards, but importantly, he also represents all River Businesses on the RDA Committee. We feel a collective pride in this success and ask all River Deben supporters to consider voting for Woodbridge & Waldringfield Boatyards as they offer increasing employment opportunities and develop the young craftspeople of tomorrow – as well as building and maintaining a wide range of boats and taking great care of the river environment.
Woodbridge & Waldringfield boatyard team 2025
By Matt Lis
The Awards
Now in their 19th year, the Classic Boat Awards are run by Classic Boat magazine a British publication nowadays owned by the Telegraph, Each year, the magazine’s editors choose a shortlist of boats which have caught their eyes over the previous 12 months, within the magazine, at boat shows or perhaps by accident, and then that shortlist is put to a public vote to decide the winners. This decade a Woodbridge-built or -restored boat has been shortlisted every year but one and every year that boat has finished on the podium in its category. This may be the strongest showing of any single river in recent years.
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