Essex Archives - Remote London https://www.remotelondon.com/tag/essex/ Wild spaces & solitude on the edges of London Sun, 13 Mar 2022 15:20:42 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.1 https://www.remotelondon.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Greater-London-outline-favicon.png Essex Archives - Remote London https://www.remotelondon.com/tag/essex/ 32 32 179982959 Walking the River Crouch: Burnham on Crouch to North Fambridge https://www.remotelondon.com/walking-river-crouch-burnham-on-crouch-to-north-fambridge/ Sat, 12 Mar 2022 21:47:56 +0000 https://www.remotelondon.com/?p=7875 A winter walk along the River Crouch, part of Essex's Saltmarsh Coast Path. Lots of wildlife with a warm, welcoming pub at the end.

The post Walking the River Crouch: Burnham on Crouch to North Fambridge appeared first on Remote London.

]]>

Burnham on Crouch sits on the northern bank of the River Crouch in Essex. It’s a small, historic town with a lot of pubs. It’s locally regarded as being rather up-market, well known for its yachting scene. On a summer’s day this can be a busy place, but on a cold winter’s morning we mostly had the streets to ourselves.

We were walking west, following the River Crouch upriver to North Fambridge and a waiting pub. I’d expected a flat, perhaps disappointing walk, but I’d not counted on the rich wildlife we’d encounter, which elevated our walk beyond all expectations.

Walking along the quay we passed a short line of houseboats, in varying degrees of repair. The aroma of chips tempted us into a local chippie, but the rank odour of burnt vegetable oil pushed us back out again. A nearby Tesco Express provided the sustenance we needed.

A sharp bowed pleasure boat with a gangplank leading to the shore. The boat's paint is peeling. River Crouch.

The Saltmarsh Coast Trail

The coastal path quickly leaves Burnham on Crouch and curves around Burnham Yacht Harbour. The path takes you right through the boatyard, past yachts parked up on trailers, before re-joining the Crouch. The tide was high, submerging the river’s saltmarsh border beneath a calm, reflective sheen.

The path meets Ferry Road just before Creeksea Sailing Club, but we found our way blocked by the high tide. A man watched us from the near but inaccessible club, keeping any advice he had to himself. Fortunately, a public footpath leads inland here, crossing a private lane which led us back to the coastal path.

White road bollards mark the edge of a completely submerged road. River Crouch.

For a while the path is edged inland by low shrubs and bushes, the bare branches coated in luxuriant growths of lichen. The footpath then reaches The Cliff, a short, unexpected gradient in the flat landscape.

The Cliff

The Cliff is composed of London Clay and is rich in fossils, dating back some 50 million years. The fossils drop from the eroding cliff face and include sharks’ teeth, shells, bird bones and pyritised fossil wood. However, many are small, so don’t expect easy finds. And don’t go digging into the cliff, it’s a protected SSSI.

A woman walking on a grassy path next to the River Crouch.
A dark overgrown cliff rises over a small, sandy beach by the River Crouch.

I’d have liked to have explored the beach, but the tide was high, and we still had a long way to walk. We dangled our legs over the broken beach and grabbed a quick snack, our backs to the biting wind, before pushing on.

Flocks of dark-bellied brent geese were flying in, constantly chattering to each other as they picked out splashdown spots on the river, where they floated in loose, noisy rafts. Inland, uncountable lapwing were feeding on the wet fields, along with other, smaller waterfowl.

A flock of geese float in a line along the River Crouch. The water is silvery, reflecting a cloudy sky

River Crouch oysters

As we approached Althorne we skirted a winding creek, then passed through a small marina. The sun was low, and we could have ended our walk here, catching a train from Althorne’s railway station. But we wanted to carry on, this walk was too good to cut short.

The path follows Althorne Creek, which winds past Bridgemarsh Island. The island was once home to a small farm and a brick and tile works, served by a ford and ferry at Althorne. The land was eventually surrendered to the tides, and while there is a glimpse or two of remnant structures amid the marsh, no buildings remain.

Ahead, rows of stubbed, blackened posts delineate old oyster beds in the silvery salt-mud. Like fences around fields, the posts once marked and protected a precious crop.

Rows of black posts stretch across mud to the waters edge.
A row of short black posts stretches out towards the River Crouch. A thin, tall pole marks the end.

The dredging and farming of oysters from the River Crouch dates back to at least the 17th century, and once employed hundreds of men and boys. The practice continued until the 1990s, when pollution finally reduced the oysters to unprofitable levels. The oyster beds now lie silent below a blanket of silt and the daily tides. Maybe, one day, they’ll return.

With the sun now butting the horizon, our path rejoined the main channel. The footpath threads along the sea wall, separating the Crouch from low-lying, wet pasture. Much of this is Blue House Farm Nature Reserve, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust.

A wide channel of silvery mud, reflecting the setting sun.
A woman stands on a grassy sea wall, looking inland with binoculars. Next to the River Crouch.

Incoming wildlife

As darkness fell, squads of brent geese began to leave their inland grazing fields for the safety of the water. They flew in low v-formations, dropping over the sea wall towards the water. Some groups came right at us, only spotting us when close. Breaking formation, they honked noisy proximity alerts as they veered past us, before closing rank and heading on towards the water. In the fading light it was an electrifying, slightly unnerving experience.

Geese flying low, with the sun setting in the background.

Heading on, a distant glimmer of scattered lights marked South Fambridge on the southern bank. As we approached our path’s end, the dark masts of moored boats broke across the last coral glow of the sunset, and occasional voices drifted across the water.

Leaving the river and quay we headed through a cold and silent boat yard to a warm welcome at the Ferry Boat Inn, moving from one world to the next.

Dusk on the River Crouch.

This coastal path along the River Crouch is about nine miles long, or 14.5km. The rail stations at Burnham on Crouch and North Fambridge are further inland, extending the distance by another 1.5 miles.

My thanks to Liza S for her company on this one, which we walked on 5th December 2021.

The path is just one section of Maldon’s 75 mile Saltmarsh Coast Path

Burnham on Crouch on the map

The post Walking the River Crouch: Burnham on Crouch to North Fambridge appeared first on Remote London.

]]> 7875 Estuary walk from Paglesham in Essex & the Beagle’s final resting place https://www.remotelondon.com/paglesham-essex-estuary-walk/ Tue, 27 Oct 2020 14:13:47 +0000 https://www.remotelondon.com/?p=1442 Exploring Paglesham Creek, the River Roach & the final resting place of HMS Beagle, the ship in which Charles Darwin circumnavigated the world.

The post Estuary walk from Paglesham in Essex & the Beagle’s final resting place appeared first on Remote London.

]]>

Paglesham is a small, low-lying village in south east Essex. Beyond the village, heading seawards, the land is parcelled into half-a-dozen, sizable islands, divided by tidal creeks. This was once classic smuggling territory, and it retains a lonely, windswept ambience.

We set out from the old Punch Bowl pub, now sadly closed. A paved path leads out to the head of Paglesham Creek. Across the fields, a line of black trees silhouette the eastern horizon. 

A dark ploughed field under a grey sky. A line of trees on the horizon. A pale track leads across the foreground of the field. Paglesham.

Paglesham Creek

The low tide reveals saltmarsh and mudflats. Squads of waders patrol the autumnal shoreline, their bills busy in the ooze, watched over by a silent WW2 pillbox. Across the creek, Wallasea Island is now a huge RSPB nature reserve, a haven for wildlife.

The paint-stripped carcasses of abandoned sailboats lie high on the saltmarsh; empty fibreglass husks deposited by winter storms.

A Second World War pillbox overlooking Paglesham Creek
A scarred sailboat body resting on the saltmarsh at Paglesham Creek

Paglesham Creek curves down towards the River Roach, where another pillbox guards the confluence. Much of the saltmarsh bears the impression of former oyster beds, revealed in lines and rectangular pool-like depressions.

Downstream, a large box-like structure draws the eye, the rusting metal heart of a broken wooden vessel. A few more abandoned boats lie off the oyster beds and immediately after, hidden below the salty marsh, lies an unseen treasure.

A large, rectangular metal box-like structure with a wide chimney stands upright amid the mostly rotted remnants of an old boat.
Abandoned wreck on the River Roach
A series of old, rectangular oyster beds along the edge of the creek. An abandoned boat lies alongside.
Abandoned boat and old oyster beds

HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin

Just beyond the old oyster beds and abandoned boats, the river wall kinks inwards. The mud here is believed to contain the remains of HMS Beagle, the ship in which Charles Darwin famously circumnavigated the world.

Built in 1820, the Beagle sailed the world under Captain Robert Fitzroy between 1831 and 1836, before being laid up in 1840. The boat was then transferred to the coastguard service.

HMS Beagle depicted in a contemporary reproduction
HMS Beagle depicted in the Straits of Magellan at Monte Sarmiento, Chilie

The Beagle was moored in Paglesham Reach, guarding the local waters from smugglers. Old census records reveal that the ship accommodated seven coastguard officers and their families. In 1851, oyster companies and traders petitioned for the Customs Service to remove the ship, as it was obstructing the river and access to the oyster beds

The Beagle was moved to a purpose-cut dock, located next to our river path. In 1870, by now leaking, rotting and beyond repair, the boat was sold and broken up where she stood. While most of the wooden structure would have been removed and recycled, it’s likely that the keel remains beneath the mud.

1898 map showing numerous oyster beds along the creeks and a dock dug into the saltmarsh
1898 map showing numerous oyster beds along the creeks and the mud dock, cut into the saltmarsh
Modern Google satellite map showing HMS Beagle's final dock
The Beagle's likely final resting place on modern Google satellite map.

Walking west

Continuing along the path, we passed a boat yard and more abandoned oyster beds. We followed the Roach west, towards the lowering sun. Migratory swans flew in overhead, perhaps new arrivals from Iceland or Siberia, arriving to overwinter in our relatively temperate climate. The ‘whoop-whoop’ of their wingbeats a reminder of their ocean-crossing stamina and power. 

Beyond another pillbox, the path detours inland, past more saltmarsh and Bartonhall Creek. At Barton Hall, we passed huge mounds of empty, pungent cockleshells, awaiting reuse, perhaps to surface footpaths or coastal car parks.

Stannets Creek

With the sun drawing low, we approached the head of Stannets Creek. This was formerly a tidal inlet, until flood defence measures sealed it off from the River Roach. Now, it’s an important roosting and feeding spot for numerous waterfowl, included the swans we’d seen earlier. As the birds settled for the night, quietly clucking and occasionally stretching their wings, a deep sense of peaceful calm flowed from the lake.

Stannets Creek, a wide expanse of water with birdlife in the distance. The moon is rising into a pale sky above a low bank of pink cloud on the horizon. Paglesham.

In the fading light, we missed the unmarked path leading back to our cars, and struck out along a deeply rutted, muddy path towards South Hall Farm. From there we walked a short stretch of road to East Hall, marvelling at the brilliance of Mars in the eastern sky, shining brighter than the aircraft descending towards Southend Airport.  

Clouds glowing orange and gold over a dark landscape. Paglesham.
Sunset near Stannets Creek

A final, moonlit push across the churned fields got us back to our starting point by the old pub. We took six hours on this one, but we were walking unrushed, soaking up the birdlife through our binoculars and enjoying the landscape.

More information

Walk undertaken in October 2020. Thanks to Liza S for the company. On this walk I used Ordnance Survey (OS) Explorer Map 176, Blackwater Estuary. 

For other estuary walks see www.remotelondon.com/?s=estuary 

1898 map credit: Map of Essex LXXI.SW (includes: Barling Magna; Canewdon; Paglesham) Published: 1898. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

The post Estuary walk from Paglesham in Essex & the Beagle’s final resting place appeared first on Remote London.

]]> 1442