Covehithe
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Covehithe is a hamlet in Suffolk, England. Lying on the coast around 5 miles North of Southwold, it is located within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.
In the Middle Ages it prospered as a small town and during the reign of Edward I was granted a fair on the feast day of St Andrew. By the 17th Century however it had fallen victim, like nearby Dunwich, to coastal erosion - the large church which had been built on the back of its wealth was largely pulled down (although the tower still remains) and a smaller building erected amongst the ruins. The Carmelite Prior of Ipswich Whitefriars and later Protestant Bishop of Ossory John Bale was also born in Covehithe.
Erosion caused the coastline at Covehithe to retreat more than 500 metres between the 1830s and 2001, according to contemporary Ordnance Survey maps. This can be seen most obviously on the sand cliffs above the beach where the road running from the church simply falls away down onto the beach.
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