1st March 2008
There appears to be a pattern forming for the March walks as the weather was once again sunny and bright but with a very strong, very cold wind. If ever a there was a bit of the London Loop in need of a route improvement, this is it. I’ll be very surprised if there is a less attractive part than the first mile from Rainham station. Despite a slight delay waiting for the level crossing to rise, I was on my way half an hour after leaving home. Once over the Tilbury line, the Loop crosses the new high Eurostar line by means of a long complicated ramp. I didn’t have to wait too long before one of the new sleek trains came by, not at full speed I think, but very impressive and
very quiet.
The Loop then proceeds through the industrial wastelands of Rainham, under the A13 and past abandoned factories, car breaker yards and other dubious enterprises. To the east, there were views over Rainham marsh to the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. Rainham marsh is one of those places that is always being threatened by developers. Do the words Flood Plain mean nothing! All right if you want an upstairs swimming pool.
Past the factories, there is a most unexpected footpath which stops at a wall, you look over it and you have a wonderful view of the Thames looking upstream. This was an old favourite walk of
the Cobb family in the 60s, when we would come to the riverside for fresh air and exercise. I think both the air and the river are a lot cleaner now.
A temporary closure of the footpath by the Tilda Rice factory meant a mile and half detour to rejoin the river bank by the abandoned barges. Relics of WW2, they saw duty as flood defences during the Great Flood of 1953. They are now home to seabirds and gently mouldering away. Havering Council has developed the area around the barges into a picnic area and viewing point, but sadly I’m unable to take the Aged Parents there due to another height barrier. The path along to Coldharbour Point used to
be grassy but has turned into a tarmac path. Coldharbour Point used to be the end of this section and is the nearest point to Section 1 on the south bank of the Thames. I continued along because I wanted to see where I would be in 6 months time. You get some fine views across the river and I was able to trace the route of the Green Chain Walk that Noddy and I discovered a few years ago. It is an excellent series of walks linking woodlands and parks in South East London.
I expected to have to return to the barges and continue along a newly opened cycle path to the new finish in Purfleet. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see the route continue after the lighthouse. While I was wondering whether to continue or not I started to hear voices. This was a bit disconcerting as I had seen a soul in hours, when I realised the voices were coming from my jacket! My GPS had decided to give up the ghost just when I need it and was giving a low battery w
arning.
It took about 50 minutes to walk to the RSPB Visitor Centre at Purfleet along the bank of the Thames, studiously ignoring the landfill site to the right. There were great views of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and Crayford Marshes over the water. At the point where the footpath met the cycle path, there was a glimpse of the White House and the Wellingtonias, now 10 miles away. The path then runs adjacent to Aveley Marsh, now a nature reserve, but formally an Army rifle range where my Dad learned to shoot in 1945. Luckily for him, he never had to fire a gun in anger as the war ended before his basic training.
The Visitors Centre was a welcome sight and I enjoyed a rest in the snack bar surrounded by loads of men talking about birds. I’m not sure what they had spotted but I’m sure I saw a couple of Right Tits. I then followed the route into Purfleet, past the Heritage Centre and along the riverside to finish at the Royal Hotel. It was a short walk to the station and the train back to Rainham. The train journey took 5 minutes compared with 2 hours plus it had taken me to walk.
This was not the prettiest leg of the Loop, (signage was largely non-existent as well) but there is plenty of interest along the riverbank and the development of access is very pleasing. For me, it was both a trip down memory lane and the end of the easy part of the Loop through home territory. From now on it is all pastures new and very unfamiliar. In September the adventure really begins!
Time for leg 2hr 40m Distance 6 miles Time for trip 5hrs
Walk log
Fares this leg £4.20
Section 24 Essentials
Section Map
Directions
Distance and Time 5 miles 2 hours 40 minutes
Walking Conditions: Almost entirely level with one or two short gentle slopes; mostly hard surface, some on grass or gravel; no stiles; 3 kissing gates; 1.6 miles beside road.
N.B. The official guide does not show the riverside route from Coldharbour light.
There appears to be a pattern forming for the March walks as the weather was once again sunny and bright but with a very strong, very cold wind. If ever a there was a bit of the London Loop in need of a route improvement, this is it. I’ll be very surprised if there is a less attractive part than the first mile from Rainham station. Despite a slight delay waiting for the level crossing to rise, I was on my way half an hour after leaving home. Once over the Tilbury line, the Loop crosses the new high Eurostar line by means of a long complicated ramp. I didn’t have to wait too long before one of the new sleek trains came by, not at full speed I think, but very impressive and
very quiet.The Loop then proceeds through the industrial wastelands of Rainham, under the A13 and past abandoned factories, car breaker yards and other dubious enterprises. To the east, there were views over Rainham marsh to the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. Rainham marsh is one of those places that is always being threatened by developers. Do the words Flood Plain mean nothing! All right if you want an upstairs swimming pool.
Past the factories, there is a most unexpected footpath which stops at a wall, you look over it and you have a wonderful view of the Thames looking upstream. This was an old favourite walk of
the Cobb family in the 60s, when we would come to the riverside for fresh air and exercise. I think both the air and the river are a lot cleaner now.A temporary closure of the footpath by the Tilda Rice factory meant a mile and half detour to rejoin the river bank by the abandoned barges. Relics of WW2, they saw duty as flood defences during the Great Flood of 1953. They are now home to seabirds and gently mouldering away. Havering Council has developed the area around the barges into a picnic area and viewing point, but sadly I’m unable to take the Aged Parents there due to another height barrier. The path along to Coldharbour Point used to
be grassy but has turned into a tarmac path. Coldharbour Point used to be the end of this section and is the nearest point to Section 1 on the south bank of the Thames. I continued along because I wanted to see where I would be in 6 months time. You get some fine views across the river and I was able to trace the route of the Green Chain Walk that Noddy and I discovered a few years ago. It is an excellent series of walks linking woodlands and parks in South East London.I expected to have to return to the barges and continue along a newly opened cycle path to the new finish in Purfleet. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see the route continue after the lighthouse. While I was wondering whether to continue or not I started to hear voices. This was a bit disconcerting as I had seen a soul in hours, when I realised the voices were coming from my jacket! My GPS had decided to give up the ghost just when I need it and was giving a low battery w
arning.It took about 50 minutes to walk to the RSPB Visitor Centre at Purfleet along the bank of the Thames, studiously ignoring the landfill site to the right. There were great views of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge and Crayford Marshes over the water. At the point where the footpath met the cycle path, there was a glimpse of the White House and the Wellingtonias, now 10 miles away. The path then runs adjacent to Aveley Marsh, now a nature reserve, but formally an Army rifle range where my Dad learned to shoot in 1945. Luckily for him, he never had to fire a gun in anger as the war ended before his basic training.
The Visitors Centre was a welcome sight and I enjoyed a rest in the snack bar surrounded by loads of men talking about birds. I’m not sure what they had spotted but I’m sure I saw a couple of Right Tits. I then followed the route into Purfleet, past the Heritage Centre and along the riverside to finish at the Royal Hotel. It was a short walk to the station and the train back to Rainham. The train journey took 5 minutes compared with 2 hours plus it had taken me to walk.
This was not the prettiest leg of the Loop, (signage was largely non-existent as well) but there is plenty of interest along the riverbank and the development of access is very pleasing. For me, it was both a trip down memory lane and the end of the easy part of the Loop through home territory. From now on it is all pastures new and very unfamiliar. In September the adventure really begins!
Time for leg 2hr 40m Distance 6 miles Time for trip 5hrs
Walk log
Fares this leg £4.20
Section 24 Essentials
Section Map
Directions
Distance and Time 5 miles 2 hours 40 minutes
Walking Conditions: Almost entirely level with one or two short gentle slopes; mostly hard surface, some on grass or gravel; no stiles; 3 kissing gates; 1.6 miles beside road.
N.B. The official guide does not show the riverside route from Coldharbour light.
