SWC Walk 258: Benfleet Circular via Canvey Island T=SWC.258
Distance: 14.5 Miles or 23.2 km for those more
metrically minded (shorter options available)
Difficulty: 3 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:55
AM Shoeburyness train from London Fenchurch
Street (10:05 West Ham), arriving at Benfleet at 10:39. Return trains from Benfleet run 4 times an
hour – but the fastest are at XX:01 and 31 past the hour. Buy a day return
to Benfleet.
A walk like no other? Most
certainly…This walk explores varied terrain in the Thames Estuary, including
tidal creeks and countryside, industrial operations (past and present) and iconic
musical and TV associations. There are frequent buses (and stops) along the
route – so drop-off points are possible (check the walk instructions for
details). You can find more information
about the walk and download the walk instructions here.
The recommended lunch stop is the Lobster Smack (01268 514 297) on Haven
Road (8.2 miles/13.2 km into the walk). For
post walk refreshies, the Hoy &
Helmut just up the hill from Benfleet Station is suggested……however, loads of options abound...
Enjoy the walk!
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Five mostly familiar faces assembled at Benfleet Station in eager anticipation for the journey ahead with the signs of industry beckoning them forward. As the tide was already quite low, we were treated with a great variety of birds along the various mud flats and creeks passed along the early and late stretches of the walk. Taking advantage of the low tide, we opted to explore the recommended diversion to Canvey Point with 3 going most of the way out along the spit and 2 satisfying themselves with the view. We then carried along the sea wall enjoying a vast array of murals depicting various local topics from wildlife and natural disasters to Dr. Feelgood. When checking out the early lunch venue, the trailing 3 spotted yet another familiar face, who had taken a later train and by-passed us while we were on the diversion, making for a total of n=6. The whole group reassembled at the late lunch option. There was some real excitement just before and after lunch with a large multi-product tanker unloading its cargo at one of the terminals passed along the way....After lunch the route became a bit more wild with interesting relics of abandoned petroleum infrastructure and the site of the UK's first "bug reserve" in a brownfield area of Special Scientific Interest. Three finished the day with a warming beverage at the locally recommended Hoy & Helmut before catching the 18:01. The weather for the day was almost as varied as the scenery passed along the route w=bright-and-breezy-to-start-turning-cloudy-and-bracing-with-a-few-passing-icy-squalls. Really a very interesting and fun day out and certainly, as the tin says, a walk like no other....
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