The Suffolk Pilgrim’s Progress: 1
Mid-January I decided to walk North from Bury St Edmunds. I had just read “The St Edmund’s Way: a Pilgrim’s Notebook” published last year by Marcus Powles (ISBN-10 1973826755). The soil is drier in that direction at this time of the year, but not by much.
I was surprised to see snowdrops in a wood just before Culford- several weeks earlier than Bury.
As I approached The church of St Mary in Culford I met the church warden Marcus King. He was busy taking measurements in the churchyard. I had wanted to see the Commonwealth War-grave Commission grave that is registered, and he was happy to show me. The memorial is rather green compared to the bone-white rows I have seen in Northern France, and remembers Lance Corporal V.Haywood of the Royal Berkshire Regiment, who died on the 16th August 1942. Marcus explained there are, in fact, two graves : The second is a family grave, including Cecil Hinsby Clarke, who fell in Action In France and died aged 24y
The CWGC was recently put up a sign on the gate, but so far the second grave has not been acknowledged. The CGCG commission website record his name is on the Menin Gate Memorial
Marcus and I talked for so long my ambition to get to Mildenhall faltered when the bus came round the corner at Icklingham- I was the only passenger all the way back to Bury
04/02/2018
