The Anchor, Walberswick – building a sustainable future

The Anchor is situated in an enviable position. It looks out over Walberswick‘s allotments and on to the marshland and sea beyond. Given the severity of the floods on the stretch of coastline between Walberswick and Dunwich in 2006, it is perhaps not surprising that owners Sophie and Mark Dorber have the state of the natural environment, and its preservation, front of mind.

Over the last few years Mark and Sophie have been steadily enhancing the sustainability and attractiveness of The Anchor for people as well as wildlife.

I visited the Anchor on a particularly grey day early in November (take a look at the photos). The sky offered a strangely bright, glaring, kind of greyness that only Britain can produce.

Despite the lack of blue skies and sunshine, visitors parking their cars at the side of the pub were greeted by a gorgeous array of plants in a variety of complementary shades – a colourful welcome to a fabulous pub.

Explore the gardens

The next time you’re at The Anchor, drag yourself away from the well-stocked bar for a few moments, and have a wander around the gardens (you can always take your pint with you).

Mark's sister, Jane (whose green fingers are not in shot)

Sophie, Mark and Jane worked together to design a low maintenance, drought tolerant garden around the chalets. The garden not only looks beautiful, but was specifically created to attract insects and butterflies and provide lots of natural food for birds. The plan of the gardens was drawn up by expert draftsman Paul Andrews Bradley.

The bed & breakfast chalets behind the main building have been renovated and insulated by the addition of cedar eco-wood cladding. The warm colours of the timber blends beautifully with the grasses, and with a winter or two’s east-coast weathering, the wood will fade to a lighter shade. Roof gutters and downpipes channel water into large ex-whisky and sherry barrels, providing fresh rainwater for the garden.

Whisky barrel water butt

Where wood meets gravel, the edges are softened by a huge variety of grasses and plants – a mass of colour, texture and structure. Situated just a few yards from the backdoor to the kitchen, the ornamental plants are peppered with useful culinary herbs such as oregano, sage, rosemary and mint. Visitors can take a look at the detailed planting plan, and identify exactly what’s growing in their patch.

Mark studies the planting plan and list of plants

A walk through the rosemary-lined path leads to a wild, woodland area. A new hedge planted with native species, interspersed with one of Mark’s most-favoured plants – the hop vine – is currently battling the chilly easterlies to get established.

This enclosed, grassy area dotted with mature trees contains bat and bird boxes, and soon will have an owl box installed by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Two large compost bins recycle kitchen waste as well as cuttings from the garden.

It’s not just the garden that the Anchor is greening, you can read about the team’s journey into sustainability on the Anchor’s website.

With superb food and drink, and top service, you can enjoy the very best of Suffolk at The Anchor, and pick up a few ideas for your own garden, too.