Once a glorious medieval church, St Andrew's now lies in picturesque ruin by the sea, with only the lofty fourteenth-century tower (preserved as a sea mark) and a curtain of original walling surviving. A smaller thatched-roof church, built in 1672 when the inhabitants were given permission to dismantle the older church and still in use, nestles inside the ruins. There is archaeological evidence of the linen industry having been carried out at Covehithe until the 18th century.
This part of the coast is suffering from the highest rate of erosion in the UK and the hamlet has suffered significant loss of land and buildings in the past. One hopes that the rapidly encroaching sea will leave this lovely place to be enjoyed for a few more decades.
In the Middle Ages Covehithe prospered as a small town and during the reign of Edward I was granted a fair on the feast day of St Andrew. It takes its modern name from the de Cove family who held land there at that time, and the fact that it had a hithe, or quay, for loading and unloading small vessels. By the 17th century it had fallen victim, like nearby Dulwich, to coastal erosion.
On Saturday Olympus held a photo-walk in this area and it was largely supported by photographers from Cambridge Camera club. It was a great day though we had hoped for more wind and clouds to use filters and slow-shutter speed.
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