Essex Man Does Walking

I am going to say from the outset that this really wasn’t one of my favourite routes. The 30C temperature didn’t help. Grim in places, overgrown in others and very industrial towards the end. Anyway, it is done.

The path starts just outside Pitsea station and takes you down a dusty track alongside the A13 overpass. This is quite obviously a place where the down and outs of Pitsea gather for some cheap alcohol. At the end of the track you turn left and have to cross the rail track. The path then winds west again. It is at this point having caught up with some dog walkers that I am set upon by a small terrier. The owners say it is to do with my hiking poles. The dog is a rescue dog and has PTSD from so many beatings so will be upset by anyone with sticks. Wonderful. They get it back on the lead and I head off with my ankles intact.

The path ends up at a farm gate with warnings, the trail heads off down a narrow track. This is obviously where the average dog owner throws their black bags of dog poo. The hiking poles redeem themselves to beat down some nettles getting in the way. Eventually I make it out and over a field and a footbridge. I am then confronted by a field of grass. I check the map, straight across it says. There is no path! Oh well in for a penny. By the end of the field my socks are looking like Porcupines with the amount of grass seeds in them. I pull some out, doesn’t really help much. I end up on a farm road for a bit and keep on it. Too long unfortunately as get to a dead end. 15 minutes back and I find a broken sign telling me to cross another field which I do.

I turn the corner after another gate and find grass. Lots of it. Very high. I spend the next 1.5 miles trying to navigate this and watch out for snakes. Eventually I can get on the sea wall and make my way around towards the movable flood barrier and then I can also see another one which I went past when doing the Canvey Island Loop. In fact the concrete path reminds me of that walk but not for long. The path branches off and then down a stony track until I reach civilisation.

I am at the London Gateway Port, lorries heading in and out all the time. The track continues on cycle/footpath, very straight and very hot. In fact there is about 2 miles of this. Marsh reeds on one side, the port on the other and the sun beating down. Eventually I leave the path and head over another field.

The sun is taking it’s toll now and I am running out of water. I hope it isn;t too far to go. A bridge in the distance takes me over the port road and then I get to another rail crossing. A diesel goes past pulling at least 30 carriages. It takes some time. When it has gone I cross and reach the sea wall again. Time to pound on that concrete again. Eventually, I reach a sign showing the station in one direction and the coastal path in the other. I head for the station at Stanford-le-Hope, I will be back to complete the last leg of the coastal path to London soon.

Distance: 11.06 miles (+2.6 to and from Leigh station!)