Today is the eighth day of my photography challenge – Adventures in Photography

I have to confess that I am now getting a bit fed up with grey days. It is not the easiest weather to photograph in especially on the East Coast.

Today I decided to head for the River Orwell and make the Orwell Bridge my theme for the day. Love it or hate it, it is an impressive structure. The main span is 190 metres which, at the time of its construction, was the longest pre-stressed concrete span in use. The total length of the bridge is 1,287 metres.

My first stop was Wherstead where I took a walk along the footpath under the bridge. I loved how the shape of the retreating tide mirrored the shape of the bridge. Whilst this location is never going to be quiet, as the road noise is ever present, there were plenty of waders and geese on the river to make it feel as if nature hasn’t been excluded. However the amount of litter lying around the bridge is shocking and really depressing.

From this point I moved a little further down the road to Stoke Sailing Club where I took my next shots. I thought it would be nice to focus on some of the boats on the foreshore to add a bit of colour to the scene.

It is only a short distance from here to Orwell Country Park which was my final stop of the day. The woods here are lovely especially in the spring when the bluebells are in bloom. It is a short walk from the car park through the woods to the riverside.

The are several old trees jutting out onto the beach which make quite an interesting frame to the bridge. I followed the path along the river edge to reach the bridge itself. There are some nice views underneath of the bridge piers and if you walk a little further along through the woods there are some elevated views along the Orwell which show the bridge reflections really well.

Every time I visit the Orwell I can’t fail to be impressed by the bridge. Despite its large expanse of concrete I think it is an unlikely attractive structure, even on a grey March day.