Leigh-on-Sea to Rochford 3rd August 2020(cycling)
We are stretching ourselves across the UK, having walked all of the coast between Bosham, near Chichester to The River Medway. We have now decided it is high-time to begin walking Essex, since much of it is reachable within 2 hours.
Uncertain where to begin, we opt for Two Tree Island, which is sandwiched between Leigh on Sea and Canvey Island, with the intention of cycling eastwards along the Thames estuary as far as Shoeburyness, which will take us through glorious Southend-on-Sea.
So much of the Essex coast is a cross between river and sea, that we are uncertain which bits to walk and which to cycle. Much of the coastal access in the south of the county is restricted by the MOD firing range at Shoeburyness, so we’ll have a gander there before we decide on our next section.
Two Tree Island, contrary to its name, actually has quite a lot of trees on it and despite some digging into web sites I as yet cannot work out why it is so-called. Perhaps it was once like Iceland that has few trees, with those that once grew there being largely cut down for shipbuilding. Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean, was believed to have gone the same way, except things got so extreme there that by the time they realised there was insufficient land to feed the population, they had no way of leaving due to lack of trees for boat-building. Subsequently they all perished.
This however, does not apply to Two Tree Island which was only created from the Thames tidal mudflats in the 18th Century and is today largely a nature reserve run by Essex Wildlife Trust. I worked for this organisation for 6 months in 2006 in their conservation office and had some responsibility for the island at the time.
It looks little different now from what it did 14 years ago, being one of those many areas of natural vegetation in the south of the county where wildlife and the general public live cheek by jowl. Unfortunately many of the local public are not appreciative of the wildlife or the bird hides built to assist their viewing. Two of them were burnt down in 2019.
We are tempted to park for free on the road leading to the island, but I think better of it and move the car to the car park on the island itself. This turns out to be a good idea since we soon come across signs warning us not to park and the ubiquitous double yellow lines – except foir some reason where we were going to park!
We are glad of the bushes near the car park, since both of us are in need of a ‘wild-wee’ after our 2 hour journey from East Sussex. However, it seems that a large number of car park users use the same bushes for defecation purposes. This is worrying in the middle of a COVID19 pandemic!
“Impromptu Toilet”
Pedalling down to the slipway at the end of the road, we pause to look across the salt marsh, which is currently covered by high water. A canoeist presents a strange image as he picks his way along one of the flooded creeks, giving the impression of canoeing through a meadow.
High tide at Saltmarsh
At the slipway we engage a fellow cyclist in brief conversation about the quiet and solitude of this location compared to Southend. We leave him to return to his contemplations and his mobile phone, as we spend a few minutes identifying key landmarks: Port Dubai, with its dinosaur-like cranes; the Hoo Peninsular rising 50m beyond the Thames; and The Isle of Grain, with its cranes and gas/oil storage tanks. All the while the sound of black-headed gulls punctuate the silence with their plaintive squawks.
As we make our way back along the road we pass a couple of Essex Council officials dressed in black and white uniforms topped off with blue baseball caps. I stop to ask them if it is indeed free to park in the car park, which they cheerily confirm. Confident that we will not be facing a £100 fine on our return, we cycle as far as Leigh-on-Sea station. Here we take the road between the railway and the Thames, where are to be found marine engineers, moored boats and shellfish processing premises.
Shell fishing is probably the fastest growing area of the UK fishing industry, with a significant number of businesses here at Leigh-on-Sea. Judging by the premises passed on our ride, it appears that most of the local firms catch, process and sell shellfish locally as a single enterprise. The fishing industry it seems is a critical part of the Brexit negotiations, despite only representing 0.1% of our economy. Ironically Brexit could well devastate the UK shell-fishing industry, especially if no-deal is the final outcome.
Local cockle business and deliveries of fresh Thames cockles by the ton
Beyond the shell-fishing premises we quickly find ourselves in Old Leigh, which is a magnet for tourism. Many of the visitors appear to be sitting at tables outside pubs, probably dining on the local delicacies (although I suspect many will be having burgers, fish or egg with their chips).
It seems almost surreal that life carries on in the midst of a global pandemic, where social distancing is considered vital. There is not a great deal of evidence for it here and not a face-mask in sight.
Unsocial Distancing at Leigh-on-Sea
Further along the seafront, the pathway narrows to little more than a metre. We are notified that cycling is not permitted here, so dismount. It quickly becomes evident that we are going to have to pass large numbers of un-masked people, many of whom make no attempt at social distancing. We both decide to don masks, in the hope that they afford us some protection.
No cycling ‘covid alley’ where the pathway narrows
Fortunately Southend and Essex now appear to have relatively low levels of COVID19, but many of the visitors could well be from areas of higher incidences such as Gravesend and Dartford. Most alarmingly you get the impression that the majority don’t give a dam – after-all isn’t that the point of a holiday (tell that to the virus!).
A little further along we come across a naval gunboat and I wonder if this is part of the plan to ensure the Europeans don’t try to steal our Thames Estuary Cockles
Gunboat
As the tide of humans approaching relents briefly, Betty removes her mask since the hot sun makes it quite uncomfortable. Eventually she decides to ‘cut-loose’ and cycle the last couple of hundred yards.
Here at Westcliffe-on-Sea the ambience is less attractive than in Old Leigh, but at least we feel we can breathe safely. Further, provision of a cycle lane makes our journey more attractive. However, on more than one occasion an ‘olympic’ cyclist shoots past me at speed.
Betty is delighted with the cycle lane
As we pass the world’s longest pier, we pause to admire it projecting 1.34 miles out into the Thames, as though Essex is desperate to be closer to Kent. We resist the temptation to take the train along the pier, having done it some 25 years ago, preferring to continue along the sea front to Shoebury, where we take lunch at a conveniently placed picnic table.
At Gunnery Park we are able to cycle along the sea wall and admire the vastness of the Thames Estuary on our right and the tranquility of yet another Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve on our left. Once again I visited this back in 2006 when I worked for the trust. It has come a long way since then. Today the reserve is an important site for a wide range of migratory birds, coastal plants and invertebrates. Many of these owe their conservation to the military, who have occupied this site since the 19th century. Gunnery Park is awash with listed buildings which illustrate its important history as an ordnance testing site. Anyone visiting the site is regaled with an abundance of interpretative boards explaining its military past.
Experimental Casement
We elect to cycle around Gunnery Park, which has the kind of pleasant middle-class ambience found in upmarket riverside boroughs many miles upstream. The old military buildings have largely been replaced or upgraded into desirable residences, although the MOD still has a presence here.
Beyond, we come to Shoeburyness Beach which has a cultural melting-pot feel to it. A number of large Pakistani family groups appear to be celebrating Eid, with several impressively large barbeques belching out black smoke. A small group of orthodox Jewish boys are also playing on the beach, incongruously dressed in black trousers, white shirts and black skull-caps (or kippahs). They also sport white shawls and long ringlets in front of their ears. I wonder if they always dress this way, or if they are ever able to cast off their religious mantles and splash near-naked in the sea.
Conservatively dressed Jewish children on the beach
Both minority ethnic groups probably feel safer in this less metropolitan seaside environment than further west. I am impressed that despite evidence of instant ‘tray-based’ barbecues (rectangular burn marks in the greensward), these family groups are using metal saucer barbecues with legs, thereby protecting the greensward.
This alas is as far to the east (or northeast) as we are allowed to progress along the coast. Blocking our route is several miles of MOD firing ranges, including Foulness. This was once identified as a suitable site for a new London airport. Fortunately the birdlife that exists in great profusion here won the day. The military can be kind to wildlife, especially when they leave unexploded bombs to dissuade politicians from their preferred course of action.
Forced inland, we cycle past large areas of modern MOD buildings surrounded by miles of perimeter wire, until we get to Great Wakering. Here the world is no longer tourist focused, but it is notable how fast the local ‘Estuary’ public drive their flash cars. Nonetheless it is a nice, relatively quiet part of Essex and suggests the coast further north will be similarly bucolic in nature.
The whole of the coast of South Essex is invaginated by long fingerlike creeks, with the sea never more than a mile or so away from us. At Little Wakering Parish Church we pause to admire this lovely old building, which appears to have a twin sister at nearby Barling. Examination of the OS map convinces us that we need to return and walk the sea wall here – probably next week. Bikes are fine for getting past places like Southend, but we prefer to walk when we have little but natural vegetation and sea around us, and of course that endless blue sky above.
Little Wakering Parish Church
From here we follow a minor road west and then along a rugged bridleway through fields of fresh-mown wheat, before mercifully returning to a smoother metalled road just outside Rochford. Alas it is 5pm and most of Southend appears to be using this minor road as a rat-run. We are therefore forced to cycle the narrow pavement for a mile before turning off through a small housing area adjacent to Southend Airport. Unsurprisingly virtually no traffic (road or airborne) is to be seen coming and going at the airport, with the Coronavirus grounding most planes in the UK.
Our return journey to Two Tree Island takes us through the backstreets of Prittlewell and Westcliffe, before we re-emerge at Leigh-on-Sea. Here I catch sight of a London Plane tree with a sign fastened to it explaining it is to be removed by the council. Whilst it is sad to lose any urban tree, at least the local authority are taking the trouble to explain their actions.
As I am photographing the sign, a well-dressed golfer is removing his clubs from the boot of his car and says to me in a typically patronising tone. “Don’t worry it will be replaced by a new one – in fact 2 new saplings.”
I can’t resist pointing out to him that it will take a hundred years to grow to the same size as the original.
A little testily he ripostes, “well it’s undermining the foundations of my house.” Whereupon he slams his boot and disappears into his very comfortable looking detached house.
Back at Old Leigh we pass Leigh Park Road, where we indulge in a little genealogy. We have discovered that Bettys’ professional artist grandfather is recorded as visiting during the 1911 Census. We hope to return in a few weeks’ time with sketches he made of Old Leigh, as part of her reconstruction of his life.
At the station we have to negotiate steps with our bikes, as well as a gang of teenagers more intent on social mingling with the opposite sex than social distancing. Why should they worry about a virus that only kills off old farts like us? I can see their point of course, although I don’t share it.
The area adjacent to Old Leigh Station
This is a good place to celebrate our current longevity with a home-made ice-cream. As we indulge we try to imagine Bettys’ grandfather getting off the train here and sketching the waterfront. He would doubtless recognise the buildings next to the station, but not much of the rest of the area we have cycled past today. Our cornets licked to obscurity, we retrace our tyre-tracks back to the car at Two Tree Island.