Sunk Island and the gate to nowhere…

Yesterday I said that I would like to visit Sunk Island properly and this morning that is what we did.

This old wrought iron gate stands about 200 yards west of the church in Sunk Island. I thought at first that it was erected to protect someone falling into the dyke by accident but I have since read that it was put there over a century ago by Charles Lambert exclusively for his use to provide a more direct walking route to the church from his farm avoiding the road. The path has gone, the bridge over the dyke beside the gate has gone and the hedge either side of it has gone too so the gate now stands strangely alone.

Sunk Island itself is also isolated, leads nowhere and has more to it than meets the eye, but is far from purposeless.

The view from the gate reveals the old school building with its bell tower and the spire of the church beyond.

The plaque on the school with the date of 1858. Queen Victoria’s initials are worn away but Albert’s are still visible on the right.

The church itself was built about the same time and we would have loved to have looked inside (particularly as, although now unconsecrated, apparently is a heritage centre) but the door was barred with a notice on a blackboard advertising a Christmas fair.

As mentioned yesterday, Sunk Island is reclaimed land and is Crown territory. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert took a great interest in it and had the royal architect build cottages for the workers.  Many of them have plaques  and others that we found are shown here:

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We drove to Stone Creek along a narrow road and this is what we found at the end:

I wonder whether there’s a message in it?

This looks more like a painting than a photo!

From one interesting find to another – the Humber Bridge!  Amazingly long and amazingly cheap to cross – just £1.50.

Here are some photos:

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Having reached the other side, it wasn’t long before we found ourselves in Lincolnshire and took a few more pics before we reached our home for the next few days – Bramley House once again!

An Avro Vulcan Bomber at RAF Waddington

Typical Lincolnshire scene!

Harvesting sugar beet in the field behind us!

Another great day exploring this brilliant and diverse country of ours.