Day: 174 31/5/97 Rainham to Stanford-le-hope

Weather:  Windy, sunny and warm.

Distance:  32km (19.9miles)    Total Distance:   2236miles

I had originally planned to go walking for two days but I changed my mind part way through the day.  It was not a thrilling days walk so I decided to walk hard for the day and come back to Coventry that evening.

I parked the car in the supermarket car park in Rainham.  I had originally parked in a council car park marked for walkers of a footpath, but then I saw notices saying that parking was limited to four hours there so I moved it to the supermarket car park itself. Obviously the council thought that alking more than four hours may damage your health. 

I walked through the town but decided not to take the path down to the Thames because it looked very uncertain if there was a path all the way along the embankments to Purfleet, so instead I took the B-road to Wennington.  I was amazed by the fact that there was farmland dotted around this close to London.  A large house at the end of the village, almost on the very busy A13, had a pond and a heron feeding in it. 

There then followed a pretty horrible mile and a half along the A13 itself, some of it without a footpath.  I suppose I should be thankful it was a Saturday and not a weekday.  I was very relieved  to turn off the A13 and get on the road down to Purfleet.  I was wearing my worn out trainers and had put new insoles in them, but was having trouble with one foot so had to take it out.  Would this mead bad blisters by the end of the day I wondered.

I was also disappointed to see on the way into Purfleet a sign to a footpath along the riverbank back towards Rainham.  I probably could have walked it after all but it was not an official footpath.  I had a glimpse of Purfleet before finding the footpath that took me into industry and down towards the Thames for the first time that day.  Going through a oil depot type place I came to a paper recycling type mill but it looked like the way onto the Thames embankment had been fenced off. I had to backtrack a bit and discovered that the fence had been torn down and I got to the river OK. 

I then had a good couple of miles along industrialised Thames, ducking under the occasional jetty and pipeline.  I was stopping at quite regular times to have a drink.  I was relieved to get to Grays that looked to have a lot of riverside development going on.  I cut up into the old town, bought a drink and a packet of biscuits for lunch and headed out along the side streets towards Tilbury, cutting inland to avoid the docks.  The builders of the new road were kind enough to put a cycle and footpath along it.  Lorries were still aplenty even on a Saturday heading for the freight terminal. I had to laugh because when I rang up to inquire about trains, Tilbury was one of the places I asked about – I was told that there were only buses from Tilbury Docks that day free of charge.  I could see why – they were ripping up the lines!

I had been looking forward to a drink in the pub marked on the map but when I got there it had been burnt down. I was putting sun block on by this stage – it was getting hot.  Past the large power station things got a little greener.

Past Coalhouse Fort I asked a man with a dog how far I could get and he confirmed I would have to cut back into East Tilbury.  This I did and then phoned Margaret to get her to cancel my Youth Hostel booking.  I had a pint in the pub there and carried on along the roads to Stanford-le-Hope, getting back onto footpaths for the last half mile.  I stopped there and walked up into the town to the station to catch a train back to Rainham.  

As I was paying I must have left my map there – it took me some days to realise what I had done and phone them up – or should I say the operating company – you are not allowed to phone the actual station these days! 

Day: 173 21/5/97 North Woolwich to Rainham

Weather:  Windy and cool but dry

Distance:  15km (9.3miles)    Total Distance:   2216miles

I had to go to our paint factory at Silvertown, East London, to discus some environmental matters.  The meeting was at 9 o’clock and I dreaded getting stuck in the rush hour traffic so set off very early at 5.30am from Coventry.  I went a new way for me, along to Cambridge and down the M11.  It was fine but even at that hour the traffic near the factory at the end of the M11 was very bad.  I got there at 7.30am so left the car at the factory and walked up the road to get a coffee from the garage.  The meeting turned out to be quite short and was over by 10.30am.  I got changed in the toilet in the reception area and walked from the factory rather than try to get closer to Woolwich. Walking past the sugar refineries and new rail links I got to Woolwich ferry terminal no trouble.

North Woolwich seemed an isolated little community cut off from the rest of London by new road developments. Heading north I passed the end of the runway for London City Airport being visited by a group of schoolchildren – a real fun day out!  It looked to be threatening rain all day but actually kept dry.  I had to cut all the way inland to the A13 before I could head east again. 

I came to overtake a woman struggling with four bags of shopping and offered her a hand and almost to my surprise she accepted – I thought all Londoners were too afraid to enter into any kind of conversation! I took her shopping over the footbridge to a bus stop and than crossed again and headed south down through what I thought would be a quiet road to the Thames but turned out to be a very busy industrial estate. 

At last I found some relative tranquility by cutting off the road and down to the Thames and my first footpath in Essex.  I was not impressed; no signs and built over at both ends.  At the Dagenham end as I was cutting up towards the car factory I swear they were in the process of building directly over the footpath.  After scrambling down through a building site I ended up in the Ford’s motor complex and then on the A13 again.

I had a couple of miles along the A13 to really deepen my moral – I could not take anymore so gave up at Rainham and caught the bus back to Barking, the train to West Ham and the tube to Canning Town.  At West Ham I thought of my grandfather and wondered where he must have lived. I had just started tracing my family tree so did not have any addresses as yet.

I walked from Canning Town back to Silvertown and then drove back to Coventry. A good days extra walking and in company time!   

Day: 172 20/4/97 Erith to Woolwich

Weather:  Cool, breezy but fine

Distance: 12.5 km (  miles)    Total Distance:           miles

I packed up at the Youth Hostel, battled with the road system to get onto the motorway and got walking by 8.00 having left the car outside the swimming pool in Erith. 

I would not recommend today’s walk to anyone. The only good thing I suppose is that it could have been worse – it could have been raining. The first hour was along the bank of the Thames with a lot of dilapidated industry.  The only people around were the occasional hardy fishermen and occasional crew of a boat being loaded at the wharves plus an odd person whose hobby seemed to be taking photos of boats and tugs – a sort of a boat-spotter I suppose. 

I kept by the Thames until I was forced to go inland by a large sewage works belonging to Thames Water.  Why is it that water companies are the worst people for not allowing access to the waterside.  A path led alongside the main road but about 10 yards away from it and hemmed in by scrub – much better than walking along the road itself I must say. 

I was not looking forward to the Thamesmead housing estate because I had a picture of rough high rise flats in mind and indeed from afar there were such flats visible.  They however turned out to belong to another housing estate and Thamesmead was surprisingly OK.  The only problem was getting onto the estate.  I ended up going over the dual carriageway and then along a number of dead-end path and almost onto a golf course at one time but eventually found my way onto the estate.  The first half had a reasonable road with paths but the latter had a dual carriageway with no real path followed shortly by the A2016, also a busy road with no path. 

I wandered through the town of Woolwich and eventually down to where the ferry left. Taking a ferry wasn't in my rules so I heading further upstream.  My map indicated that there was a foot tunnel but there appeared to be no evidence of any tunnel that I could find.  I ended up asking a passing man who directed be behind some buildings and there hidden away was the tunnel.  I was trying to figure out how to operate the lift when it opened to reveal a wood paneled structure with a uniformed lift attendant straight out of Driving Miss Daisy.  This took me down to the tunnel and trying to put the worries that lifts were not within my rules behind me I set off to walk along the 300 yards white tilled tunnel occasionally passing other pedestrians.  There was no lift at the other end only a spiral staircase.

I went back over the Thames by the ferry and then got a train back to Erith and collected the car to drive home.

Day: 171 19/4/97 Gravesend to Erith

Weather:  Windy and cool but dry

Distance: 25 km ( 15.5 miles)    Total Distance:     miles

Gravesend was already quite busy by the time I arrived and it initially looked like I may have trouble parking but luckily I found my way down to the estuary and a car park almost empty and only a couple of hundred yards from where I has stopped walking last time. 

Almost from the start of today's walk I was forced inland but not too far.  I tried to cut down near where the ferry from Tilbury lands but frustratingly it was a no-through path.  On the outskirts of Gravesend I did manage about a mile by the Thames but once I reached the Kimberly Clarke paper mill I again had to come up to the main road via a footpath that went virtually through the factory. It looked as if it was private but a security guard reassured me I was OK to go that way.

Onto the busy main road for another mile and I was then able to cut down through an industrial estate and onto Swanscombe Marshes. The path was a bit unclear and I was afraid I was going to end up in a quarry where the big excavators were working but I got back to the Thames for a while and seemed to end up in a disused navel training center and school.  I missed the path that cut into Greenthite but after a little detour up to the main road again and the down to the village. 

I had a decision to make – a bar of chocolate from the corner shop or a pint. The later won especially as the football match was about to start – a morning kick off to almost decide the championship. If Man United beat Liverpool then almost nobody could catch them – and they did.  I had sausage and chips and a couple of pints but did not hang around to see the end of the match.

I could now get back to the river’s edge once through the village, and was able to stay by it for quite a long way.  The giant Dartford Bridge loomed in the distance, traffic passing so high above that it was quiet.  I was surprised when I got there how easy it was to touch the supports – I would have thought with all the terrorist activity around it would have been very well guarded. Perhaps I was been closely watched on CCTV.  Pedestrians aren't allowed to walk across the Dartford Crossing so it was another day's walk for me upstream to find a suitable crossing

I entered a mile or so of industry and their wharves and then into more green area.  I was disappointed when I got to the mouth of the River Darent that I was not able to walk over the flood barrier but it was a giant affair - –and very well defended!    This meant a long, long, detour inland – longer than first looked on the map and a particularly frustrating detour. Eventually after more than an hours walk I ended up only a hundred yards from where I was before.  This side of the river was now more industrialised – scrap yards etc.  Soon I was forced to cut inland and ended up in the town of Erith.  I caught the train back to Gravesend and walked to collect the car down by the river.

I found the Youth Hostel a little easier this time, had a shower and popped out for a kebab – not risking the appealing Chinese I had last time.  I phoned my wife from the call box opposite the youth hostel and then made myself a couple of mugs of tea before heading off for an early night in a dormitory to myself.

Day: 170 9/3/97 Allhallows to Gravesend

Weather:  Mild and Foggy

Distance:  25km (15.5miles)    Total Distance:  2184 miles

I started today’s walk with mixed feelings.  I was still in a satisfied mood after completing yesterdays stretch but slightly apprehensive about today’s.  After so many walks close to civilization I realised that the first half of today’s walk would be very isolated.  What great weather for walking this stretch of Dickensian shore line though – still and foggy.  All the way along I kept thinking about Great Expectations – Magwich the convict and Pip. 

I parked the car in the village of Allhallows and walked through the caravan site.  I was up very early and was walking by 7.30am. For mile after mile I would be walking along the sea defenses. I saw absolutely nobody until I started to head south.  I wondered what would have happened to me if I had hurt myself.  At one point I saw a collection of farm buildings through the mist all with their roofs missing adding to the eeriness. 

I had few stops and only started having breaks proper once I reached the Cliff Fort area.  I crossed a couple of gents who said they had just started walking the Saxon Way that day and were armed with guidebook.  I had no idea how far they were heading and would have been shocked if they had attempted the deserted coastal defenses I had just conquered.  On the bus back to Allhallows, I saw them at High Halstow, I think they must have opted for an inland route.

Between Cliffe Fort and Halstow I started to pass more people.  The path was fairly well marked but actually got worse the closer to Gravsend I got.  Industry started to appear and many piers.  I went through a very derelict warehousing type area – just the sort of place the film industry would love.  For the last two miles I was having real trouble with my knee and could hardly walk.  I hobbled up into the town and was disappointed to find the station was at the opposite side. When I got there I ended up catching a bus back to Rochester and from there another one back to Allhallows.  A lady at the stop in Rochester said they were thinking of stopping this bus. What a shame – it saved me no end of grief that day!    

Day: 169 8/3/97 Rochester to Allhallows-on-Sea

Weather:  Windy and cool but dry

Distance:  30km (18.6 miles)    Total Distance:  2168 miles

I drove down from Coventry early in the morning and parked at the station car park which was relatively empty. I left hoping that I would not receive a ticket for not being a railway passenger but at least I bought a car park ticket. 

Once I'd crossed the bridge I turned right and ended up on a new industrial estate but managed to find the paths through eventually.  The scenery improved at Lower Upnor with more trees and nice houses around.  Not far beyond I stumbled across a marina with its own café.  I was to learn over the next couple of years that marinas are good places to find cheap cafes open on weekends.  I treated myself to a good fry-up. 

I followed the footpaths after that inland to avoid the first power station and then back down to the sea again.  Once back down on the sea I increased my walking speed fearful that there were youths with an air rifle around.  I stopped for a rest just before I reached the Isle of Grain power station knowing that the next bit would be on main road full of lorries.  It turned out not to be too bad and at Grain I did a little circular walk of the village and walked what little bit of coast I was able to access. 

I was still feeling relatively fit and decided to try to make it to Allhallows.  It was very unclear on the map if I would be able to reach Allhallows on the coast because there was no footpath on the map.  If not I would have to take a massive detour inland.   I decided to give it a go and if no path existed I would just come back to Grain village and get a bus and at least know where I would be walking the next day.  It turned out that there was a track and no private signs or wire fences to get through.  I took a wrong turning at one stage and ended up in the little community on Grain Marsh where someone told me there was no right of way but pointed me in the right direction anyway. 

I was relieved to get onto Allhallows Marshes because at least I knew this was a public footpath and that I had saved myself a long detour.  Onto the coast again and I could see Southend across the river but I would not get there for another six months.  At Allhallows I sped up through a caravan site because I knew there was a bus due.  I felt a bit of a fool when I rushed up to this bus only to find he was going to Grain and would pick me up on the way back in another 20 minutes!

There then followed a pretty miserable evening.  First of all I had to find Rochester Youth Hostel and that took me ages driving around Chatham.  Added to that the roads were busy and dark.  The hostel itself was decent enough; new but even then had the usual problem that the showers were below par!  It occurred to me that someone could have a full time job as a plumber for the YHA and have a job for life.  

The next problem was food – I tried the pub nearby but they were not serving on a Saturday night, then another but they were fully booked and then went of in search of a take-away. I found a collection of them but most were packed apart from a Chinese so I plumbed for that. It ended up being one of the worst I had ever had.  I retired for the evening and hoped tomorrow would be better – but at least I had had a good days walking.