Ascent/Descent:
127/120m
Net
Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours
Toughness:
3 out of 10
Take
the 10.14 Southend Victoria
train from Liverpool Street (10.21 Stratford, 10.34 Romford etc.), change at Wickford
onto the Southminster service (arr. 11.03, dep. 11.06), arrives North
Fambridge 11.20. Nervous about the 3-minute connection in Wickford (the
connecting train typically does NOT wait)? Take the 09.44 train from L’pool Street…
Return
trains
from Burnham are hourly on xx.21 (68
mins journey time). Buy a
Burnham-on-Crouch return.
Serenity,
tranquillity, solitude: you’ll find lots of it on this walk on the Dengie Peninsula in Essex, which
largely follows the tidal River Crouch
eastwards towards the North Sea, on a wide grassy path atop the sea wall, and
with the prevailing wind in the back. Far away from any conurbations, you’ll
experience wide open and scenic countryside, constantly changing river views,
salt marshes, reed ponds, mudflats, creeks, rich bird life, sailing boats and
marinas, to then end along the promenade in charming Burnham-on-Crouch,
with its plethora of tea options. Flat throughout (apart from the diversion
inland for lunch at the good value pub The Three Horseshoes in Althorne), and
with exceptionally easy route finding.
Shortcuts:
·
It
is possible to shorten the walk by taking the train back from Althorne, just
before/after lunch.
·
You
can also cut short the approach to the river from Fambridge station in the
morning by using a more direct route (cuts 1.4 km/0.9 mi) or cut the Burnham
ending short by using a more direct route to the station (cuts 2.1 km/1.3 mi).
·
Taking
both shortcuts therefore reduces the length of the walk to 17.4 km (10.9 mi).
·
Finally,
if you bring your own lunch (no shops along the route) for a picnic by the
river, you can cut out the walk inland to the lunch pub, reducing the walk by
2.9 km/1.8 mi.
Note: earlier in the year, the
section of riverside footpath between Althorne and Creeksea was closed for
works on the sea wall. Should – against expectations – the works still be
blocking the path, an alternative route has been added to map and gpx file.
Lunch
is at the family-run The Three Horseshoes
in Althorne(11.5 km/7.2 mi). For tea, you are spoilt for choice for
cafes, restaurants and pubs in Burnham (we might even manage to gate crash the
bar at The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
again in its stunning location overhanging the river estuary…). For details on
all these options consult the Walk Directions pdf.
For
walk directions, map, height profile, some photos, a video and gpx/kml files click here.
T=swc.162
1 comment:
n=4 set off from North Fambridge in w=surprisingly-sunny-conditions-with-a-steady-tailwind for this winter's walk through a Turner painting...The group split almost immediately with 2 doing the more direct short start and 2 the main walk. We regrouped just before the lunch diversion (and an ominous footpath closure sign). Three had good value lunches at the pub with the picnicker joining for a hot drink. After lunch, 2 headed off on the alternate route and 2 felt it their civic SWC duty to inspect the footpath closure more closely...While there is indeed a barrier, it is passable. Inspection of the various mud-prints along the closed seawall would imply that we were not the only transgressors, unless Essex is enlisting the use of pooches in their seawall revamping project. Overall, the route is passable with work in a few spots on both sides of the wall -- though would likely be more challenging during the week when workers would more likely be present. In the afternoon, the early sunset along the river with some passing clouds was really beautiful. In Burnham, the 2 river walkers made a pass through town and planned to stop at a pub nearer the station -- but decided to catch the 17:10 (with provisions) and met the 2 alternate route walkers on the platform for a pleasant journey home.
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