Glorious autumn sunshine, a picturesque route through local villages and a delightful selection of historic cars and their wonderful owners, made the perfect recipe for our debut Autumn Amble on Sunday 9th October.
With the mist still rising across the fields, everyone gathered at our workshops for an early morning breakfast in anticipation of the day ahead. Equipped with route cards and following the Drivers’ Briefing, it was a rush to the cars for a prompt departure. One by one each of the 26 cars left the workshop gates and set off on the first section of the route.
The line of cars, ranging from a 1908 Daimler (‘The Copper Car’) to a 1948 Delahaye 135MS (coachwork by Henri Chapron), snaked through scenic Finchingfield before arriving at the first spectacle of the day. The owners of the local Grade I listed Elizabethan Moyns Park House, also avid car enthusiasts, had kindly opened the gates at either end of their 1.5-mile driveway to allow the guests to meander through their grounds. The spectacular views of the magnificent house were greatly appreciated by everyone.
From there, the route twisted and turned along rural lanes lined by beautiful autumn colours onto the first Suffolk Wool Town of the tour. After Cavendish, a hidden ford at the bottom of a valley was the next delight and then it was onward to the first pitstop of the day at Giffords Hall Vineyard. Refreshed and raring to go, everyone set off towards Lavenham driving past the historic Guildhall. A steady drive over the narrow bridge at Chelsworth and less of a steady one through the ‘Kersey Splash’ provided for some more motoring fun!
After a delicious lunch at the Willow Tree Farm Cafe, the group set off again, this time in the direction of Belchamp Hall. A double treat awaited with a visit to the studio style workshop of Laurent of Storik Engineering (a metal work magician), as well as a tour of the privately owned historic Belchamp Hall (best known for the famous ‘Lovejoy’ series). Charlie, whose family have owned Belchamp Hall since 1611, provided the most energetic and informative tour of the house’s historic artefacts, with everyone feeling honoured to have been able to share in some of the Hall’s impressive history.
It was hard to pull away from this beautiful setting but the sun was going down and it was time to head home. The Autumn Amble had been a great day of vintage motoring as well as a wonderful opportunity to come together with like-minded enthusiasts. Jonathan and Sarah would like to thank everyone who joined them for this memorable tour and of course all the people who worked hard to make it special.
