Woodbridge Tide Mill Photo competition 2021 winners announced

Woodbridge Tide Mill announces the winners of its 2021 Photo Competition. Although the Tide Mill is probably the most photographed building in Woodbridge this is the first time it has recognised the fact with a Competition.

First placed is Sam Pyle from Woodbridge with her photograph ‘Serenity’. Sam wins £250 courtesy of Marshall Hatchick Solicitors plus an A2 Acrylic print of the winning picture (shown) from Suffolk Digital Printers. Sam observed “I had been coming to work early for a few mornings to try and capture a great photo of the river and the Tide Mill because it is such an iconic feature of Woodbridge, and that particular morning (Valentine’s Day!) the sunrise and the mist was just amazing. I didn’t have my digital camera with me, so quite interestingly this winning photograph was taken on an Android phone. There are so many other great photos of the Tide Mill out there I feel amazed and extremely honoured to have been selected as this year’s winner”.

Second placed is Zoe Harris from Maldon, Essex with ‘Maritime Festival Fun’. Zoe gets £100 courtesy of Marshall Hatchick Solicitors and comments” Woodbridge is one of my favourite places on the Suffolk Coast. There are some amazing areas to visit if you are looking for photographic inspiration.  I am delighted that my black and white image of the Tide Mill has been selected as runner up and I look forward to seeing it in the calendar”.

The U16 winner was Lawrie James from London with ‘Mill and mini-Saxon ship’. Lawrie wins £100 courtesy of The Arts Society Woodbridge. Lawrie reacted to his prize…” My twin sister and I enjoy coming to Woodbridge to see our grandparents. The Tide Mill is one of the regular places we like to visit with them, and our grandfather was an occasional Guide there until a couple of years ago. They suggested we try our luck with the competition. We’re really happy to have come first and second and we’re looking forward to seeing the calendar.”

The winners were selected by a panel of Judges led by award-winning photographers; Eamonn McCabe of  The Guardian and other publications and Sarah Brown – of The East Anglian. Others were John Carrington – Chair Woodbridge Tide Mill Trust, James Robbins – from Sponsor Marshall Hatchick LLP Solicitors, Jane Lynam – of Sponsor The Arts Society Woodbridge, Sue Bale – Woodbridge Town Councillor and Áine Bethell – from Y11 at Farlingaye High School and Youth Voice Woodbridge.

The competition attracted nearly 200 entries from a wide range of local, and not-so-local, entrants including 36 photos in the U16s category. The images all reflect the enduring popularity of the Mill as a photographic model representing something very special to our beautiful town.

Twelve of the Judges favourite photos will feature in a Tide Mill Calendar for 2022 which will go on sale in October to raise money for the Tide Mill Charitable Trust and help keep the Mill in working order for visitors.

Woodbridge Tide Mill Trust Chair, John Carrington commented “We have been pleasantly surprised by the popularity of the Photo Competition. In only its first year the response has been very healthy. We are very grateful to all those that entered, many of whom will see their work in the Tide Mill 2022 Calendar which will go on sale soon to raise funds for the Charity. I would like to thank the winners, all our entrants, the Judges for ploughing through the entries (which takes longer than you think) and of course the headline sponsor Marshall Hatchick Solicitors as well as The Arts Society Woodbridge for encouraging young photographers with a prize and printers Suffolk Digital for giving an A2 print to the winner.”

For more information or to plan your visit to Woodbridge Tide Mill visit the website