Rainham Marshes Walk

 

Off message but last Sunday Gill and I finally went for a walk in nearby Rainham Marshes alongside the River Thames. This was a circular route about 7 miles long. We had walked East alongside the Thames in June 2017 in the very last leg of the London Loop walk- Harold Wood to Purfleet. 

However, that had been a warm and sunny day and now it was very different. It was cold, fresh and mostly overcast but the sun did make brief appearances and it brightened up near the end. The light was fantastic and the views across the marshes and the river was spectacular. We parked at the RSPB site near Purfleet where sadly, the café has recently closed (also walking distance from the station?) and walked west alongside the river towards A13. 

It was a "seriously weird" and unusual walk. Some unsightly decaying industrial sites and bright modern industrial estates. Despite some noise from the A13, it was quiet and peaceful with only small groups of bird watchers and occasional dog walkers. There is definitely, something very special, about walking alongside water. 

Main picture is of World War 2 era steel and concrete barges dumped in 1950s but no apparent evidence that they were used on the D Day landings in 1944 that some claim. 

Just before the A13 (walking distance from Rainham Station) we turned back and walked through the marshes alongside the watercourse back to RSPB site. This area was once a British army shooting range. The remains of old shooting butts and wartime anti aircraft ammunition bunkers are still there. 

We will come back again in a different season for sure. We will also investigate the RSBP reserve trail and hides, which we ran out of time to visit. 

Check route below and my other walks www.facebook.com/walksinandaroundlondon/

Bowers Marsh Walk & the Battle of Benfleet

Off message but went with Gill on a lovely 5.5 mile walk on Sunday courtesy of the free website EssexWalks.Com.

We started off at the RSPB reserve at Bowers Marsh which has a wonderful sense of "Big Essex Skies" and marsh land solitude despite the distant hum of road traffic.

Follow the Thames Path out of the marsh and under the road bridge and along the mudflats of East Haven creek. The path is a little overgrown approaching a second world war pill box so not suitable for shorts or sandals.

It was very pleasant walking along the creek and checking out the boats moored or those abandoned to rot beside it.

At Benfleet there was a memorial to the battle in 894AD when the Saxons defeated the Vikings in a surprise attack and burnt their long ships. Traces of the burnt ship timbers were apparently found when the railway was built.

After walking through parks, back of houses green lanes and horse paddocks (we had to climb over a gate on a public footpath which had been locked shut with a screw - must remember to report to Essex Council rights of way officer) we stopped at the historic 14th Century St Margaret's Church, which is reputed to be haunted, but nothing spooky occurred and the Church wardens who let us in were very friendly.

At least we think... they were the wardens?

We stopped off at the nearby Gun Pub for a beer to re-hydrate then drove home (about 45 minutes each way). You could take the train and start the circular route at Benfleet station.

I do recommended this walk, there is some traffic/train noise and you walk through a few brownfield sites but it has lots of atmosphere and history as well as being a change from chocolate box "pretty" country side walks. EssexWalks.Com has lots of excellent free walks across the county. 

Great Expectations Met: Northward Hill and Halstow Marshes walk

Off message. Please excuse the "Great Expectations" pun but we went for what turned out to be an unexpectedly lovely walk yesterday near Rochester in Kent. The guide book claimed this was the countryside described by Charles Dickens in "Great Expectations". We did not see any Abel Magwitch, in fact we hardly saw a soul once we left the High Halstow RSPB reserve at the start of the walk.

Despite the sight of the docks across the Thames in the far distance,  the sense of isolation and solitude was a perfect break from the manic election campaigning of recent weeks.

A wonderful lush, varied and surprising "up and down" (for Kent coast) walk. It is 8 miles long and you go through woodland, meadows, arable fields, plantations, quiet country roads, white shell beaches, marshes and coast line. Weather was very warm but there was a cooling breeze. Only 50 minutes by car from East London.

The guide book instructions were a little unclear at times and may be outdated but head for "Saxon Shoreway path " sign at beginning to start the walk and if in doubt check the map.

A 8/10 walk! Recommended.