Author Archives: Alan Comber

Churches of the Deben – Cycle Routes

Posted on by

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 reading →

Andy Seedhouse obituary

Posted on by

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.

Continue reading →

Citizen Science – Fish Survey 2025

Posted on by

Report 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).

Continue reading →

Erosion on the Deben: Bawdsey, Waldringfield, Ufford

Posted on by

by Colin Nicholson

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 reading →

The Deben vs the Orwell or Suffolk Against the World? The Classic Boat Awards 2026

Posted on by

Editors 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.

Continue reading →

Deben Sea Walls, Salt Marshes, Cuttings and Tides

Posted on by

Editors Note

One of the most striking exhibits at the Waldringfield Tidelines exhibition in August 2025 was a set of posters produced by Bob Crawley and summarising his research into the Deben sea walls. Although Bob admits that the work has raised more questions than it has answered — and therefore his findings are provisional — the beautifully presented posters will certainly open many people’s eyes to a feature we too easily take for granted. 

  • Poster 1 asks When and Where were the Sea Walls Built?
  • Poster 2 discusses The Tide Level Problem
  • Poster 3 offers a Salt Marshes and Sea Walls Briefing 
  • Poster 4 explains Dating Sea Walls by Salt Marsh Elevation
  • Poster 5 focusses on Sea Walls Near Waldringfield
  • Poster 5a Sea Walls in the Deben Estuary
  • Poster 6 explores Waldringfield’s Mystery Cuttings

There are references and suggestions for further reading. 

By Bob Crawley

This began in early 2025 as a survey of the relationship of clay levels to sea walls, but developed into a wider investigation of the Deben sea walls. Along the way, interesting findings were made. The work has raised more questions than it has answered, so findings are provisional. The results were presented as a slide presentation below or as set of posters for an exhibition held in August 2025, attached <here>.

[Show picture list]

Bob Crawley

With a background in Computing and Communications technology, Bob Crawley relocated from London to Suffolk in 1987. Being near the North Sea led to wreck diving on the East Coast and other water sports. Later, living in Waldringfield triggered a belated enthusiasm for yacht sailing. This fitted neatly with an interest in the history of our local waters and estuaries, especially the Deben.

Deben Estuary Water Quality Update – Woodbridge Outfall Safari

Posted on by

By Colin Nicholson

Introduction

Water Quality is a fast moving, high interest area for the River Deben Association.  Since the  last RDA Journal Article (‘Water Quality Update’ January 2025), Waldringfield Bathing Water Designation Area has achieved (announced 25th October 2025) a second year of clear run 20/20 [Excellent] measurements across the May-September Environment Agency (EA) bathing season.

Two significant projects are now in their start-up phases, each with a major focus on water quality:

The Deben Climate Centre’s Four River’s initiative (link) across the Deben, Blyth, Alde and Ore and Waveney “A new three-year co-funding agreement between East Suffolk Council and Deben Climate Centre… The aim will be to restore degraded ecosystems, support nature recovery and test a range of different flood alleviation measures.”

The Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust has initiated the ‘Recovering the Deben: Source to Sea’ (link) “an ambitious project that aims to restore the land, water, and nature throughout the River Deben catchment and estuary”

This latest journal article focusses on trying to resolve the debate on just how many outfalls there are between Martlesham Creek to Wilford Bridge.  The answer is Fourteen (caveated as usual as there is more to learn, and there is an extra one inland at the Deben Yacht Club (DYC) dinghy park).  Below for those interested is a little bit more detail of how they work.

Continue reading →

New Deben Walks

Posted on by

By Jan Harber

OS Explorer 197 Ipswich, Felixstowe & Harwich

In September 2025 sections of the recently-created King Charles III England Coast Path were opened along both banks of the Deben: from Bawdsey to Wilford Bridge and Wilford Bridge to Felixstowe Ferry. See map with the whole route marked in blue. Much of the Coast Path route is along existing rights of way. However, there are three ‘new’ sections which Judy and I decided to investigate this autumn.

Continue reading →