Andrew's Travels

Andrew's Travels

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The Jurassic Coast Traveler
1. Old Harry Rocks to Swanage
October 12, 2020 in England 🌧 12 °C
We walk across high chalk grassland to reach the Old Harry Rocks; these mark the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast (a UNESCO world heritage site) which starts here and finishes at Orcombe Point, near Exmouth. The rocks are chalk and the original formation used to stretch as far as the Isle of Wight, linking up with The Needles there. They are really impressive, but you do not want to get too close to the edge of the steep cliff!

Not far from here are the pointed chalk stacks known as The Pinnacles. We walk further, crossing the end of Ballard Down at Ballard Point and the start of the Purbeck Way, to reach the steep, but stepped, descent to New Swanage. From here we see Ballard Down behind beach groynes, which help intercept water flow and sediment movement.

We have good views of Swanage as we enter it, noting the Wellington clock tower (originally built for London Bridge) and Swanage Pier in the distance, as well as beach huts closer by.Read more
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Dorset Traveler
Sandbanks and Studland Bay
October 12, 2020 in England ☁️ 12 °C
We drive to Swanage and take the bus and then chain ferry to Sandbanks, a small peninsula on the end of a spit crossing the mouth of Poole Harbour: it is famed for being one of the most expensive places in the world for real estate. We walk on the beach and circle back via Panorama Avenue - Rick Stein's restaurant is on the junction next to Caff (their spelling) and an estate agent.

We take the chain ferry back, about a 5 minute journey, and enjoy a view of Bournemouth in the distance. We start at the beginning of the South West Coast Path - of which the Jurassic Coast Walk forms part - and enjoy walking on the beach of Studland Bay; this section is extremely popular with dog walkers and people of a certain age!

We reach Redend Point and have an excellent view of thecOld Harry Rocks. We also see the Dragon's Teeth - apparently Studland Bay was considered an invasion point during WWII and these are anti -tank fortifications. We also go into Fort Henry, an observation bunker overlooking the bay, on the route to Handfast Point and the Old Harry Rocks.Read more
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Dorset Traveler
Corfe Castle
October 11, 2020 in England ☀️ 10 °C
Corfe Castle itself was built in a strategic position between a gap in the natural chalk hills; its elevation means that they could also see Poole Harbour. Originally a Roman site, the castle was established by William the Conqueror, with the large keep added added by Henry I. It was demolished to its present state after the Engish Civil War ended in 1651.

After visiting the castle and Corfe Castle village, we set off on a circular walk across Corfe Common, up the hill to Kingston and then back across another part of the "common land"; Kingston has a magnificent church with a disproportionate tower; the church is built from Purbeck stone and appears pink - due to algae, apparently.Read more
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Dorset Traveler
Poole - The Old Town
October 10, 2020 in England ⛅ 14 °C
After lunch we follow the so-called Cockle Trail through Poole Old Town.

We start at the Quayside and see the Custom House, a Grade II listed Georgian building now used as a restaurant. We walk up Thames Street, past many beautiful buildings and St James Church (closed), to reach the lovely West End House, built by a Newfoundland merchant. We go up Market Street to Guildhall, enjoying a new lease of life as a wedding venue. From here we double back down High Street, with its many old buildings, to Poole Museum. We see the Poole logboat, an Iron Age boat found in the harbour; the museum is extremely interesting and features local history.

Later, we meet up with two old friends who moved to this area from Duxford six years ago. Beers and an excellent Indian dinner follow!Read more
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Dorset Traveler
Poole - The Quays
October 10, 2020 in England ⛅ 11 °C
Poole is a large coastal town in Dorset, well known for its natural harbour. We arrive there on the Purbeck Breezer bus from Corfe Castle village and embark on the Rotary Club Five Quays Walk.

We walk through Baiter Park and arrive at the interesting Fisherman's Dock on Poole Harbour before proceeding along Poole Quay - lots of nice pubs here (two were visited later in the day). We walk along Great Quay, passing the Sea Music Sculpture, and walk onto the Twin Sails Bridge; we were lucky as it opened a little later and we saw why is named so from West Quay. Lifeboat Quay is the home of the RNLI College and Trainng Centre; there is incredible architecture and a beautiful memorial honouring all lifeboats men who have lost their lives (they are all named).Read more
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Dorset Traveler
Knowlton Church and Wimborne Minster
October 9, 2020 in England ⛅ 13 °C
We have an excellent journey to Dorset and head for Knowlton Church. Why? It is a ruined Norman Church built inside a Neolithic henge monument (trenched earthworks) - together they also known as the Knowlton Circles.

A detour from the main road takes us via some extremely pretty villages to Wimborne Minster, a beautiful market town with lovely old buildings. Not least of these is the Minster itself, a Saxon Church dedicated to St Cuthburga. There is some great stuff inside it, but unfortunately the church is closed most of the time now as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The bell tower has a soldier guading the bells....... We then visit the tourist information office and embark on a walking tour. After this, we go to the Wimborne Model Town and Gardens, which feture a 1:10 scale model of the town as it was in the 1950s. This is really interesting and there is also a model railway and dolls house exhibition - both better than they sound!

We head to Corfe Castle, where we are renting a cottage for a week.Read more
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Roots - where I grew up Traveler
Crayford
September 28, 2020 in England ⛅ 16 °C
My father was born and raised in Crayford and my grandparents continued to live there until they passed on in the late 1960s. I used to go to Crayford a lot as a child.

Crayford Social Club is a working man's club close to the Waterside and was built in 1925; my parents used to take the family there on Saturday evenings. Nearby, the Crayford and Bexleyheath Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium; we knew it as Crayford Dogs and, as children, went there on several occasions. In 1985 it was rebuilt as part of a development project by Ladbrokes into a new greyhound track and sports stadium and renamed Crayford Stadium. I took my father there in 2016 as a treat and the picture shows greyhounds being paraded before a race (I didn't back the winner!)

The Penny Farthing micopub opened in 2014 in what was originally an old bicylce shop on the Waterside; it is a superb place. There is no music, mobiles are not to be used for talking and beer is served from the wood - the picture shows me and dad enjoying a pint after the greyhound racing.

Crayford Clock Tower, a commemoration of the coronation of Edward VII, was constructed in 1902. It has a secondary purpose; it is also a sewage lift station - there are vents at the top of the tower.

Looking up the High Street, we see the Dukes Head pub on the left and the green top of the Masjid Abu Makar (the Methodist Church was converted to a mosque in 2007); at the top of the hill is the tower of St Paulinus Church. This church is of great relevance to the family as my parents were married there and now buried there too; my father was christened there, as was I.Read more
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Roots - where I grew up Traveler
Walk 2 - Slade Green to Crayford
September 28, 2020 in England ⛅ 13 °C
The walk from Slade Green to Crayford is also part of the London LOOP. We walk to of Moat Lane and turn right, enjoying the view of the Dartford Crossing, and reach another river confluence; this is for the River Darent and its tributary the River Cray – the Darent continues on to Dartford in Kent whereas we follow the Cray to Crayford in Greater London.

We pass through another industrial area and reach Thames Road - the Jolly Farmers Pub stood at the corner, but is now gone - before crossing over to rejoin the Cray Riverway Walk (as this section is known). As we proceed through Barnes Cray, there is a lot of building development on our right; we reach Maiden Lane and cross this road to join the other side of the riverbank. Barnes Cray Road runs parallel to the river and much to my surprise we see from the bridge that some of the modest houses here have rigged up moorings for small boats at the ends of their back gardens.

We reach Crayford and its lovely Waterside Gardens, a landscaped small park either side of the river in the centre of the town; they were refurbished in 2009 and now feature a large modern sculpture and a footbridge - the excellent Penny Farthing micropub beckons on the right hand side of the river from behind a signpost and the footbridge. On the right of this is Vintage Lindy Lou, a family run vintage tea room set in Waterside garden; it has beautiful internal decor now - a vast improvement on the building's previous life as a Crayford public convenience!Read more
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Sussex Traveler
South Downs National Park; Midhurst area
September 19, 2020 in England ☁️ 21 °C
The New Lipchis Way is a walking trail that links Chichester Harbour, a large natural harbour area south west of Chichester, with Liphook, a large village in East Hamphire. It passes through the heart of the South Downs National Park, including Midhurst where we link up with it as it passes through a pretty section of the Rother Valley. We join at the weir and follow the route along the river through Woolbeding Parkland to a bridge, where we cross and follow the river north. We pass Stedham Mill and the magnificent Stedham House. We leave this trail at Iping and cross the A272 to get to Iping and Stedham Common, where we link up with the next trail.

The Serpent Trail is appropriately named; it runs from Petersfield to Haslemere; 11 miles apart as the crow flies, yet the trail is 64 miles long! The Common is managed sandy heathland and we cross it to reach Woolmer Bridge where we pass through the Severals Woods en route to Midhurst. Next morning, we pick up the trail across Midhurst Common and then follow Pitsham Lane to Cocking Causeway. Here we see a large obelisk, which turns out to be a memorial to Richard Cobden; he was born locally and as a Victorian MP, reformer and statesman was involved with the Corn Laws. The memorial states "Free Trade, Peace, Goodwill Among Nations" - still topical. We carry on down Dunford Hollow and reach the neglected Dunford House - this was built by the same Richard Cobden and gifted by him to the YMCA Charity on condition it was used for educational purposes. It is now, controversially, up for sale..... We leave the Serpent Trail after walking along the Goldbslls Plantation and proceed back to Midhurst - this is with the New Lipchis Trail again - along the outskirts of the Cowdray Estate.Read more
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Sussex Traveler
Midhurst
September 19, 2020 in England ☁️ 17 °C
A random choice of a central place to stay close to the Living Museum turns out to be a stroke of good fortune. The market town of Midhurst is very much still a Tudor town; it lies on the River Rother and is an extremely interesting place to visit.

Within a short walk of the town centre is Cowdray House; albeit in ruins, it was one of England's great Tudor houses but destroyed by an unfortunate accident in 1793. Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth both stayed there as monarchs.

Carrying on with our town walk, we climb up St Anne's Hill to see the foundations of St Anne's Castle, all that remain now; the castle was originally a Norman earth and timber ringwork fortress that was converted to a stone and mortar manor house in 1160. South Pond, as it is known locally now, was originally the castle fishpond.

Walking north into the town from the pond, we see the Anglican Church of St Mary Magdalene and St Denys.Read more
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Sussex Traveler
Weald and Downland Living Museum
September 18, 2020 in England ☀️ 18 °C
Stopping here on our journey to Midhurst, we find a large site covering 40 acres and surrounded by beautiful South Downs countryside. The Living Museum has over 50 historic buildings from South East England that were all threatened with destruction and have been dismantled, conserved and rebuilt in their historical context.

We see houses from many periods, old stables, a working woodyard, a market square area and a craft and industries section. Not forgetting the modern Downland Gridshell, a lightweight structure made of oak laths.

The Living Museum is also the venue for a popular BBC2 programme, "The Repair Shop", in which a team of conservators breath new life into old household treasures that viewers bring in for their consideration, comment and possible rejuvenation.Read more
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Sussex Traveler
Chichester
September 17, 2020 in England ☀️ 21 °C
Originally an old Roman town, Chichester is now a cathedral city. The thick Roman walls have been replaced by thinner medieval walls built on their foundations.

Formerly kown as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, Chichester Cathedral was established in 1075. It has a beautiful interior and a guide pointed out the Arundel Tomb to us; this is unusual as there are two figures lying side by side - the Earl of Arundel and his second wife, Eleanor - and is commemorated in a famous Philip Larkin poem. There are also Roman mosaic remains on view in the cathedral. We explore the Bishop's Garden before walking to the city centre.

Here, the Roman nature of the city is further confirmed by the NS and WE roads from the city gates meeting; the Chichester Cross now stands at this central point - this is where the market used to be held.

Rejoining the city walls we reach Priory Park which houses the remains of Chichester Castle; originally built in 1154 only the motte remains today. Close to it is the Guildhall, a fine example of 13th century architecture (apparently).Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Portchester Castle and Bosham
September 17, 2020 in England ☀️ 17 °C
Portchester Castle has been descibed as "a Medieval Castle within a Roman Fort". It was originally built by the Romans as one of the "Forts of the Saxon Shore" in the late 3rd century to defend against Saxon pirates. The first picture shows the castle as viewed from our Portsmouth Harbour tour (it became an important port due to its location at the head of the harbour) and the second shows Helen and part of the Roman Walls (which are still almost completely intact). Portchester was developed as a castle in the 13th century, with a keep and an Inner Bailey (courtyard) in one corner, and used as a prison in the 17th and 19rh centuries, during the Anglo Dutch war and the Spanish Succession, respectively. The rest of the enclosure now has a small, local church and lots of open space within the walls.

We travel on to Chichester in West Sussex via Bosham, a beautiful coastal village on an inlet which forms part of the Chichester Harbour area. We see the Holy Trinity Church and walk round the small harbour - stunning.Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Portsmouth - Seaside walk to Eastney
September 16, 2020 in England ⛅ 20 °C
Our walk continues along the Milleniun Promenade to Clarence Pier and we note the three odd looking shapes out on the Solent. These are the Solent Forts, built in 1859 for military defence against potential invasion from the eastern side by the French. Also known as the Palmerston Folllies, they were never used for this purpose and are now planned as luxury hotel accommodation.

At the edge of Southsea Common stands the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. We reach Southsea Castle, which is smaller than expected! It was built in 1544 by Henry VIII, also to prevent invasion by France (and the Holy Roman Empire) due to the annulment of his marriage from Catherine of Aragon. The Mary Rose was lost in front of it.

We visit Southsea Pier and proceed further, also visiting the Rose Garden - the walls of which formerly contained Lumps Fort! We see the Sea Kale and other fauna growing in the shingle above the tidal limit.

The Millenium Promenade finishes at Eastney, but we carry on and see the now permanently closed Royal Marines Museum from the road. The Fort Cumberland pentagonsl fort is also decommissioned. We reach our end point - the Southsea Marina and the bus stop for our return journey to the Gosport Ferry.Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Old Portsmouth
September 15, 2020 in England ⛅ 25 °C
Leaving Gunwharf Quays, we join the Millenium Promenade which takes us through Old Portsmouth, the original medieval site of the town.

The Round Tower fortification stands at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour and was originally wooden before being rebuilt in stone in 1490. It is easily visible from the Gosport Ferry and on its far side are the remaining parts of the city walls (the hotwalls) which connect with the Square Tower. This was built in 1494 and used as a gunpowder magazine (storage) before that was moved to Priddy's Hard on the Gosport side of the harbour. It is now used for events such as weddings and small concerts.

Further ahead is a statue of Lord Nelson looking out to sea; behind him is the Royal Garrison Church, which was originally an almhouse and hospice for Old Portsmouth.

Just up from this is the Cathedral Church of St Thomas of Canterbury,, aka Portsmouth Cathedral. Originally dedicated in 1188, the small church was extended in 1750 and had further significant changes in 1927 due its elevation to cathedral status. A true mixture of styles, it is nonetheless impressive both internally and externally.Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Portsmouth - Emirates Spinnaker Tower
September 15, 2020 in England ☁️ 24 °C
Next to the ferry terminal is Gunwharf Quays, the UK's only waterfront shopping outlet and site of the iconic Emirates Spinnaker Tower. Originally a Millenium Project, a sequence of problems meant that construction did not begin until November 2001 and it did not open until October 2005!

Helen had booked afternoon tea which we enjoyed 105m above sea level. There are superb views in all directions.Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - part 2
September 14, 2020 in England ☀️ 24 °C
HMS Warrior was launched in 1860 and was a 40-gun, steam powered iron clad warship - the most powerful of its kind in the world at the time. She never fired a shot in anger and was returned to Portsmouth in 1987 for public display to provide visitors with an insight into life on board a ship of the Victorian era with guides "of that time".

Moving forward to 1915, the HMS M.33 is one of only two Royal Navy warships to survive from the First World War and the only one from the Gallipoly Campaign. Once again, very interesting to visit.

The harbour tour afforded many views, not least that of HMS D34 which was commissioned in 2011 and saw action in the Middle East.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth was launched in 2014 and an aircraft carrier capable of carrying 60 aircraft (including helicopters). She has a Tudor rose-adorned crest - bringing us full circle from Henry VIII's Mary Rose!Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard - part 1
September 14, 2020 in England ☀️ 21 °C
There is a lot to see here and it is all good. This post and the next post presents the ships at the Dockyard in historical order.

First up is The Mary Rose, a Tudor navy warship that was financed by, and completed for, King Henry VIII in 1510. It was his favourite ship and he watched from Southsea Castle as it capsized in 1545 during the Battle of the Solent. It was recovered in 1982 and, after extenive renovation, can now be seen in a display that put its many artefacts and lives of the crew members into historical context. Highly recommended. The three images show the timbers of the port side of the ship, a typical cannon and the original Mary Rose bell.

HMS Victory was completed in 1765 and best known as being Admiral Lord Nelson' s flagship during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson was fatally shot, but victory over the French was already assured. An iconic site with an excellent interpretation. Once again, highly recommended.Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Gosport Borough
September 13, 2020 in England ⛅ 19 °C
After a short drive to the River Alver Country Park, we are happy to be walking on grass and in the fresh air. There are several relatively short circular walks here which we combine to make a pleasant few hours of walking. The Little Woodham 17th century re-enactment village is closed blue to Covid. We carry on through the Nature Reserve and aroud Noah's Lake, where there are lots of water fowl. Down and across Junkett Bottom and Sandhill, a former refuse tip with views across The Solent to the Isle of Wight, before going through the Browndown MoD site and its gorse vegetation.

Next there was another short drive to Lee-on-the-Solent, a seafront town on the coast of The Solent with shingle beaches. Lots of people doing seaside stuff - paddling, swimming, sailing etc. The ice cream was well deserved!

Back via Stokes Bay, Clayhall to Gosport. The beers were very well deserved!Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Gosport; Waterfront Trail - part 2
September 12, 2020 in England ⛅ 19 °C
We continue past Gosport Marina and up to the Royal Clarence Yard, which was built in 1827 as a premier naval victualling establishment. Closed in 1994, the site with its large purpose built granary, bakery, slaughterhouse etc buildings (Grade II listed) is now undergoing major refurbishment for modern living and commercial / leisure use. The large Ceremonial Gate and accompanying Flagstaff Green are still as they were.

We cross the Millenium Bridge over Forton Lake (actually a tidal creek) to Priddy's Hard, a heritage area of Gosport which was an 18th century Ordnance Depot for weapons, explosives and other stores; a fitting place for the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower, our final destination at the north end of the Waterfront Trail. The Grand Magazine, a Grade I listed building, used to hold 4,000 barrels of gunpowder, but now shows a video of the site's history. The exhibition tells the story of the people who worked there and the weapons they made. Very interssting, with lots of guns and missiles (including Exocet) on display.Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Gosport; Waterfront Trail - part 1
September 12, 2020 in England ⛅ 17 °C
We walk to the southern end of the Waterfront Trail to start at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum. The centrepiece is HMS Alliiance, an A-class long-range submarine built for service in the Far East and then modified for Cold War duties. Passing one-way through it, we see the cramped accommodation (reminiscent of overnight on Indian trains!), eating spaces, toilets, densely packed control room with periscope and, finally, the torpedo compartment. A fantastic experience! Next was Holland 1, the Royal Navy's first submarine, and midget submarines, including Turtle, a replica of the first submersible ever used in combat (in 1755 against the Royal Navy during the American Civil War).

We then walk over the Haslar Bridge and past the Haslar Marina, Gosport's moat and ramparts (1803), the colourful Harbour and Seaward Towers (blocks of flats) to the Haslar Millennium Pier, where there are views of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and Harbour with the incredible Spinacre Tower dominating the skyline.

At the Falkland Gardens next to Gosport Ferry, we see the Tide Clock and the HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy's newest aircraft carrier.Read more
TravelerIndian bunks more spacious and some room to stow luggage too!
9/13/20Reply
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Hampshire Traveler
Winchester, part 2
September 11, 2020 in England ⛅ 17 °C
Winchester Cathedral is is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and founded originally in 642. Jane Austen is buried here, amongst many others. It is a magnificent place and has a beautiful quire as well as a Holy Hole into which pilgrims would crawl to be next to the bones of Saint Swithin. Beautiful mortuary chests are positioned along the top of the quire. We visited the interesting Kings and Scribes exhibition that was on.

We visited the tiny St Swithun-upon-Kingsgate Church literally above an arch in a road and proceeded past The Pilgrim's School to the remains of Wolvesey Castle for a visit. Then a nice walk along the River Itchen with the playing fields of Winchester College on one side of us. Crossing the road, with views of St Catherine's Hill on the other side, the walk finished at the Hospital of St Cross and its Almhouse - the oldest in the UK.

A great place.Read more
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Hampshire Traveler
Winchester, part 1
September 11, 2020 in England ⛅ 17 °C
For this staycation we travel to a part of the country that neither Helen nor I know well - Hampshire. En route to our apartment in Gosport, we stop off for the day in the cathedral city of Winchester. It is steeped in history, being the start of the Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury, and well worthy of a longer stay in the future.

We start at the Statue of King Alfred the Great and proceed along the High Street past the Guildhall (1871 and built in the Gothic Revival Style) to the 15th century Buttercross Monument. There are many beautiful old buildings around us we continue up to Westgate and the medieval Winchester Castle - only the Great Hall (13th century) remains now. It houses the "Winchester Round Table" as well as a statue of Queen Victoria and has a lovely medieval style garden next to it.Read more
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Roots - where I grew up Traveler
Slade Green
August 31, 2020 in England ⛅ 16 °C
I was born close to, and brought up in, Slade Green; this is part of the London Borough of Bexley and the easternmost settlement in London south of the Thames - there are excellent train links to London Bridge and Charing Cross that pass through Woolwich, Charlton and Greenwich on their way to the City.

Industrial development of Slade Green began in the late 19th century and the church of St Augustine was built in 1900 (it is now surrounded by small industrial units). Rapid expansion followed the construction of a major rail depot and a small station was added to serve the depot and community; Slade Green could be described as a railway town. Indeed, with the development of London Crossrail from Abbey Wood a few stops up the line, who knows what will happen next?

Slade Green underwent a lot of growth in the late 1950's (when I was born) with council built flats, bungalows, semi-detached houses and shops being built; the large blocks of grey flats that I remember were demolished around 1990 and replaced by much more pleasant housing - it wasn't the best of areas back in the '60s and '70s! A lot of perople were moved down from parts of London as those areas became more gentrified (eg Islington) and I grew up with their children. This is why I look out for Arsenal FC (as well as Charlton Athletic).

On the social side I note that the Corner Pin pub is still in business, but the Lord Raglan (which I used to frequent) is now flats. The old Railway Tavern, a listed building, has long been converted to flats after initially being reborn as a gymnasium. The demise of Slade Green Football Club in 2009 led to the loss of another watering hole, as well as local sport. Slade Green Secondary School (later Howbury Grange) has now gone, but the infants and primary school I attended is still there (although renamed to St Paul's).

As you exit Slade Green and walk along Moat Lane you reach the listed monument of Howbury Moated Grange (c.900) which was formerly the manor of Howbury, known as Hov in the Domesday Book. Next to it is a Grade II Listed Jacobean Tithe Barn (c.1600).

At the end of the lane, we reach part of Crayford Marshes; an ideal location for the 40 acre ammunition works that used to be there - and you can still see disused air raid shelters and pill boxes (where I used to play as a youngster!). A little further brings you to the banks of the River Darent and the opportunity to link up with the London LOOP walk - you turn left for Erith (see earlier footprint) and right for Crayford and beyond (see me t footprint).Read more
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Roots - where I grew up Traveler
Walk 1 - Erith to Slade Green
August 31, 2020 in England ⛅ 17 °C
The walk from Erith to Slade Green is interesting and forms part of the London Outer Orbital Path, more usually known as the "London LOOP", a 150-mile (242 km) signed walk along public footpaths and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London.

We start at Riverside and then it is a long slog via Manor Road; there is a lot of industry here and it is not possible to walk by the river. We double back to the river at a small industrial estate housing the Bexley Brewery (excellent beer). This is overshadowed by a 285-foot, 500 kW wind turbine and there is a good view of the turbine and the Erith Yacht Club from the Erith Saltings sign on the footpath along the flood embankment; next to the footpath is saltmarsh, campshedding (wooden piles) on the mudflat, remnants of fossilised forest and, finally, the river itself. On our other side we have Crayford Marshes.

Proceeding east, there is a view of the marshes with the QE2 bridge linking the M25 clearly visibly beyond; in the foreground is the confluence of the Thames with the River Darent. As we walk from this confluence we reach the Dartford Creek Tidal Flood Barrier; on our right is a brownfield site with lots of scrap yards, recycling plants and light industry. We proceed further along the River Darent from the Flood Barrier and turn down track the which leads to Moat Lane and on to Slade Green.Read more
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Roots - where I grew up Traveler
Erith 2 - Riverside
August 24, 2020 in England ⛅ 19 °C
We start at Riverside and Erith Pier; many years ago, there were plans to make Erith a resort because of its location - these did not work out, although it still has the longest pier in London as a result of this and it is popular with anglers. There is talk of a proposed ferry connection between Erith and Rainham in order to close the missing link of the London Loop, but what goes round comes round - there was once a ferry to Erith from the other side of the Thames which was mainly used by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury! Close to this plaque is an interesting sign showing that Robinson Crusoe stopped at Erith on his way home…

Further along and through the Erith Riverside Gardens , we reach the place where the Swimming Pool used to be (I learnt to swim here - it was demolished in 2010 and replaced by flats) before reaching the older part of Riverside.Read more
Ant TravelsBack in time ? Or a new trip? Next week I’m doing the start of the pilgrims way!
8/16/21Reply
TravelerNice one! Winchester to London - how many days?
8/16/21Reply
Ant TravelsJust to Otford to complete it 4 or 5 days
8/16/21Reply
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