Walking

Having not done so for a long time, it was good to walk with a group larger than 6, in fact we doubled that number.  It was a beautiful morning with a fresh breeze that cooled us as we walked.  We met at Meadowcroft Garden Centre, as arranged, but regrettably there was a lack of communication with the restaurant staff and they wouldn’t take our food orders before the walk – they would have taken them yesterday, but not today!  Frustrating when you have had a long conversation beforehand with the restaurant manageress.  However, that was not going to ruin our walk and we set off in good spirits.

Due to lack of time, I had not, as I usually do, walked the walk beforehand, although we, as a group, had previously walked part of it.  Bravely holding the OS map and with David conscientiously holding his phone also showing a map, we started in an anticlockwise direction, hesitated when the footpath didn’t become clear, changed direction, had a discussion, changed direction again and finally found the footpath and so began our walk.

It was a good group with everyone chatting with each other and when the way became unclear, they waited patiently whilst maps were studied adding their opinions to the mix.  The first part was easy following a good track that gently climbed through farmland.  We were to be on such terrain for the whole of the walk except a brief spell on a road.  Muck spreading was in progress which gave a nice country smell to the air.

Footpaths on maps don’t necessarily mean footpaths on the ground.  The first missing one was at Mark’s Farm where grapevines had been planted.  This path should have cut across over the hill passing by a couple of lakes.  We instead had to continue on to the next farm where we turned to climb to a high point where stands an oak tree – a good place for a breather.

 

Descending over fields, and crossing a stile, we reached the road and briskly walked single file to the safety of the footpath and once again joined country footpaths.

Several fields later, some of grass and others ploughed but dry and not furrowed, we made our way back to the garden centre.

It was a fairly strenuous walk of just under 8kms/5miles but one that got the muscles working again.

Diane Caulkett

 

This was almost a ‘normal’ walk – the only missing factor was the pub lunch.  A group of 12 of us met in the Daisy Meadow car park, Heybridge Basin and with much chatter and a lot to catch up on, we set off for our jaunt together.  Some group members had decided not to come due to the poor weather forecast; however, it was fine and anyway everyone had come prepared which was just as well because nearing the end of the walk, when we were congratulating ourselves on our luck at avoiding the showers, the heavens opened.

This was a new walk for the group.   Instead of our usual southerly direction we headed north out of the village passing through the sailing club where a lake provided members with the ideal location for sailing their model radio-controlled yachts; it was most likely a competition or race of some kind as the radio operators faces were fixed in concentration.  Following the seawall for a while we reached the now derelict Millbeach Pub.  When David and I had reconnoitred this walk some months before, we were able to walk through the grounds but now it is fenced and we had to make a wide circuit of it to reach the Goldhanger Road, which we crossed.  A local told us there were to be lodges built on the land there and when they were built, we would have to find a different route around it altogether.

Our footpath led us through a caravan park filled with static vans in varying states of dilapidation.  Reaching farmland, it was a straight path heading east.  This wide track gave us plenty of room to walk and chat and everyone made good use of that.

Going north again on a quiet lane we reached another wide track.  Myriads of swallows flew low backwards and forwards across the fields feeding as they went, such a joy to see them all.

Preferring a shorter walk four of the group left us before we entered the Essex Wildlife Trust’s managed reserve, Chigborough Lakes.  As the name implies the reserve has lakes and the remainder of us looped around two of them passing through bushes and trees and glimpses of the lakes.  Not much wildlife on the water.

There is no avoiding a stretch of road from this point as the only footpath that would have done so leads to a large lake, goes through it and emerges out the other side – none of us felt like swimming!  Unlike the locals we saw who were bravely swimming in the waters of the now risen tide.

We followed the meandering seawall back to the Basin where refreshments in the tearoom were well-earned.

8.72 kms / 5.45 miles

Diane Caulkett

 

The walking group has met whenever ‘restrictions’ allowed and by the time this has gone to print the group should have enjoyed an almost ‘normal’ group outing.

During the past two months walks took place starting from Steeple close to the Star PH.  On the first occasion we had 12 walkers, split into two groups with one group walking clockwise and the other anticlockwise.  We met just about on the halfway mark for a socially-distanced chat.

We were lucky on both of the walks to have perfect weather with a light breeze, with the sun shining and the ground dry underfoot.

For a local walk this one never seems to disappoint especially from the photographic and wildlife element.  It has farm fields, a leafy footpath, the seawall overlooking saltings and the River Blackwater.  There are muddy inlets and views of Maldon, Osea Island and other small villages.  It has fields with lakes, a caravan park with jolly music playing, reed beds and a house decorated with model insects and fairies in the garden.

Several walkers from the first group enjoyed a pub lunch and the second group spent an unusually long spell resting on a bench enjoying the sunshine, refreshments and a chat.  This particular walk would well have suited the bird and wildlife group as we saw and heard, an amazing selection of birds.

It was certainly good to be back with the group members – you don’t realise how much you have missed this social, face-to-face interaction; long may it continue.

Diane Caulkett

Normally with the Walking Group, I, Diane, go alone to reconnoitre the route for the group so that they can enjoy their morning without any dramas.   However, during lockdown with only a group of six permitted, I do these walks with ‘guinea pigs’ so that I can accommodate more of the walking group members.  This was our first of two walks starting at Battlesbridge – both unfortunately entirely unsuitable for walking again.  Mo, one of my ‘guinea pigs’, has given her report and I have joined in with my pennyworth.  She explains that:

“six brave walkers met at Battlebridge Antique Centre – brave as it was very hot, hot, hot!  We all met up with Diane our very patient, happy guide. Why patient? Most of you haven’t met us; those that have will know what I am talking about: getting lost springs to mind.  Hats on, sunscreen on, water in our rucksacks and off we go”

We were fortunate to find that the road we were to follow at the start of our walk, was closed to traffic; we had it all to ourselves and could chat away happily.  Mo continues:

“for the first half-hour or so, a certain person (who shall be nameless) gave us a history lesson, then a geography lesson, and even talked about his jam setting so hard it was like bricks.  We suggested he join the W.I. bless him, have you rectified your jam dilemma Tim (whoops) sorry.  Anyway, back to the serious business, our walk. On our right we saw a beautiful big house with a pond in the front garden with geese swimming in it (great guard dogs, maybe).  We waited for a tractor 🚜 to pass on our side of the road as he had to stop for oncoming traffic: not a car but a horse and rider. This prompted a conversation regarding nursery rhymes and we were all trying to recite “Ride a Cock Horse 🐴”, we got there in the end.  We are a strange but happy band of six”. 

 Later we were able to find out the story behind the nursery rhyme.  Apparently, it relates to Queen Elizabeth 1 who travelled to Banbury to see a huge stone cross on a hilltop.  To help the carriages climb the hill a white cock horse (large stallion) was made available to help.  The Queen’s carriage suffered a broken wheel and she decided to ride up to the top on the cockhorse.

“Diane guided us across the road to a farm, with map at the ready clearly showing a footpath, she started to look for it, couldn’t find it, and asked the lady farmer where we should go.  Whilst she was having a conversation with her, we were looking at all the old buildings, in particular a beautiful derelict barn with wonderful old beams and wood.

Diane still had her map at the ready, and following the directions from the farmer 👨‍🌾 we walked, and walked, and walked.   Poor Diane and her helpers couldn’t find any footpath signs or any sign of a footpath.  Everywhere we looked were ditches and what appeared to be footpaths, overgrown and not trodden.  We carried on walking around the fields of combined crops, hay/wheat/corn, in scorching heat just not getting anywhere. We decided to stop under a welcome 🙏 tree 🌳 for shade and had some water and snacks, “don’t eat and drink it all, we may be here all night”, my imagination running riot.  After our scrumptious feast we carried on when suddenly there was a shout “get off my land or I will shoot “, a farmer with the biggest gun and huge dog 🐕 standing his ground – sorry watched too many films – it went like this, a chap called out “excuse me, but you are on private land”, Diane explains we are lost and can’t find the footpaths anywhere.  He suggests we go back the way we came “No”, with no provisions left where’s Bear Grylls when you need him?  Our prayers are answered, not Bear Grylls but a tractor 🚜”. 

 Out of politeness rather than ignorance,

“Diane asked the friendly driver the way to go home – a song here?  He described the way out for us, back through the farm and to the tarmac road; we all fell to our knees and kissed it ahhhhhhh burnt lips 👄 now, only joking, we are saved “yahoo”.  On our walk back to our cars we had a real “Yahoo!” from some young men driving past, of course, we waved.

 Quite an uneventful walk back except Joy was attacked by a Lavatera bush, she used her stick to push a branch out of the way and it grabbed her – scary stuff.😲. 

 We made it back to our cars six very hot melting bodies.  Our adventure didn’t stop there, two of us found the sign to exit the Antique Centre only to end up on a campsite – WHY US?  We turned around and found our way out.  Another of our walkers took the wrong turning out of a roundabout never to be heard of since.  I think she’s still going round.

 Thank you, Diane, for getting us out in one piece looking forward to our next walk”.

 

Maureen Rae (with additions from Diane) 

 

 

The next walk, same group (minus one), same starting point, threw up different challenges.

 

 

 

Walking the week before with ‘the guinea pigs’ I was able to iron out the faults for the same walk the following week with a different group of walkers.  This time we started down by the river, walked in a northerly direction and eliminated the horrid noisy road section; it also shortened the walk by 1.5kms bringing it in-line with our usual walking distance of 8kms.  Joy has set the scene and described it wonderfully and there is little else I can add.  We too had beautiful weather.  The incoming tide was low when we arrived and as we walked beside Fen Creek the waters followed us along pushing the black-headed gulls away from there feeding ground.  A small flock of Canada Geese glided peacefully along.

Woodham Fen, 37 acres in total, is an interesting area and the southern part of the Fen, the Saltings and Scrapes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.  It is a saltmarsh land that is one of the oldest and unchanged saltmarshes in the country.  The area changes from saltmarsh, to upper saltmarsh and then to grassland thus benefiting many different types of plants and habitats.  Small bogs and lagoons are present making the terrain very difficult to walk over but we kept to well-trodden paths through the grassland although one footpath marker did point the way across the saltings and into the creek!

By the time we ended the walk the tide was well up, the large flock of swans had split in two with some remaining on the south side of the river, including the black swan, but many had congregated around the slip near the car park and were being fed by enthusiastic youngsters; a sole dinghy was being wheeled down the slip to be launched. Ending the morning the group sat with their picnics enjoying this typical English riverside scene on a typical sunny summer’s day.

Diane Caulkett

This was a linear socially distanced walk. Six of us set out from Sainsbury’s car park (South Woodham Ferrers) – a slight change from our usual parking spots (pub, garden centre etc). The weather was kind – not too hot not too cold and no rain. On leaving the car park we had to cross the busy B1012 road and then walk down a road which passed the Whalebone pub and a minute building which turned out to be a barber’s shop. Having turned into a greener wooded area we found ourselves confronted by quite a deep ditch – no water in it thankfully. The more agile amongst us leapt across with (apparently) no difficulty. Those with shorter legs walked down into the ditch and then had some difficulty in climbing back up the steep bank. Socially distanced assistance was available where it was needed.

We soon crossed the railway line and found we had come to Woodham Fen, a lovely area of rough grassland. I don’t think any of us had been there before. The path was lined with blackberry (bramble) bushes in flower and by purple thistles. Colonies of hedge brown butterflies were flying around the bramble bushes. Judging by the number of flowers there will be a good crop of blackberries this year. Thistle flowers were proving an attraction for various insects. A marbled white butterfly was also spotted in this area.

We then came to an area of saltmarsh and our path took us beside a creek which was to eventually lead into the River Crouch. It was low tide so there was rather a lot of mud exposed. The snowy white plumage of a little egret contrasted with the mud. It was pointed out that there was samphire growing by the creek.

Amongst the green hedges and bushes, two or three skeleton trees stood out starkly. This was considered to provide a good photo opportunity, not quite as straightforward as it may sound to take a socially distanced photo on a fairly narrow path! We found we were walking behind houses many of which had gates at the bottom of their gardens giving instant access to the footpath and the creek. Our attention was caught by a tree with a small brick construction at its base. We spent a moment or two discussing the possible purpose of the bricks but we came up with no really plausible answer. A little further along stood a brick pillar, we decided that it was once a gatepost (there appeared to be the remains of a hinge attached) but there was no sign of the other gatepost.

We eventually spotted a group of houses ahead, one of our group suggested that it might be Hullbridge. Sure enough, the creek shortly led into the river Crouch when we could see that the houses were indeed on the opposite of the river. South Woodham Sailing Club came into view. We took advantage of the benches on the bank to sit and take a socially distanced break and some refreshment whilst admiring the resident swans, it was interesting to see that a black swan had joined the large group.

It was time to return so we walked past the entrance to Marsh Farm and roughly retraced our steps, there were one or two minor deviations one of which avoided the need to cross the ditch! We returned to our cars having had a thoroughly enjoyable morning.

 

Joy White