Length: 15.2 km (9.5 miles) or 18.6 km (11.6 miles) including One Tree Island. 4/10
10:15 c2c service from London Liverpool Street to Shoeburyness. 10:23 Stratford, arrives Benfleet 11:00
There are 6 return trains an hour from Benfleet to London (click on the link for times).
Buy a return to Benfleet, or a return to Leigh-on-Sea, if you decide to do finish there (see short walk option, below).
The Leigh-on-Sea folk festival is not on this year but this nonetheless makes a nice summer walk, with the opportunity for a swim at Leigh-on-Sea. The morning section takes you through the hilly woodland of the Benfleet Downs to Hadleigh Country Park and Hadleigh Castle (English Heritage), then it's down to Leigh-on-Sea for lunch. There's a small sandy beach, a nice swimming spot, just a little further on from the village's small high street. In any case, it's worth strolling through the village and taking a look inside the Leigh Heritage Centre. After lunch, the route stays low along Benfleet Creek, passing One Tree Island (a possible interesting out-and-back circuit) and Barge Gladys for tea.
Lunch: various places in Leigh-on-Sea; the Crooked Billet (01702 480289) is very popular. Opposite the Crooked Billet is Osborne Bros café (01702 477233) which specialises in traditional sea foods like cockles and smoked eels. For a picnic, Hadleigh Castle is a fine picnic spot, as are the benches near the sea in Leigh.
Tea: Barge Gladys is about 400m before Benfleet Station. This is a converted barge with a pub garden, moored on the north side of Benfleet Yacht Club. It is popular with walkers, cyclists and boating people. I'm not sure, but they might only take cash.
There are other refreshment opportunities in the High Street beyond Benfleet station. The Hoy and Helmet (01268 792307) has received good reviews.Short walk option: You could just walk the morning section of the walk to Leigh-on-Sea (8.9km, 5.6m), have lunch there and then spend the afternoon exploring Leigh-on-Sea or going to the small beach which is about 1 km beyond the station. You will need a return to Leigh-on-Sea.
As these walks don't have a leader, you'll need to download walk directionsfrom the L=swc.268 page
5 comments:
Barge Gladys IS cash-only.
Incidentallly, there are two mini festivals in Leigh this weekend. Both raising funds for the folk festival.
Hogar del Mar, a Leigh tapas bar is hosting a free folk ‘festival’
https://www.visitsouthend.co.uk/event/the-proper-folk-festival/
Local acts are also performing at the Fisherman’s Chapel (no link)
N=12 at the station, soon, mysteriously, n=13 The day was w=sunny-with-a-cool-breeze-cloudy_later. A missing stile in the morning meant climbing over a fence. (Doable but watch out for the briars).
Picnic at Crumbling Castle, where we found walker number n=14 (earlier train) and were caught up by walker number n=15 (later train).
And so to Leigh where one went for an expensive cider in the Crooked Billet, then went to investigate the Fisherman’s Chapel. There was music happening but, unfortunately, not just then, so he left. The others had been hoping to find a beach but it was a long way out to sea. Tides or something.
Your correspondent made it back to Barge Gladys where he waited a bit in case the others, who would now be ahead, had gone round the island. No sign, so guess they didn’t. Had to drink more cider. What a chore! But there are worse places to wait.
Grand day out. Plenty butterflies too.
Sorry Mr T, the majority of us regrouped at Barge Gladys and most had some kind of refreshment of varying strength. But we must have moved on, mostly to get the 1647 train which was then held up at Laindon.
Leigh-on-Sea was pretty busy although I was told it was nothing compared to when the folk festival's on. It was a bizarre sight seeing people crowded on to the little sandy beach facing not the sea but miles of mud and seaweed.
Maybe worth noting that there were 4 new (or new to me) walkers. I hope they enjoyed the walk and will come on another walk.
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