Heybridge Basin

We went to Heybridge Basin, for lunch and a short walk. We headed for Daisy Meadow Car Park.  I selected 4 hours on the machine, but was charged for 24 hours.  Only £0.50 more but frustrating none-the-less.  The Bargemasters Cabin serves drinks, snacks and light lunches.  The smoked fish charcuterie was very good.  Smoked trout, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel pate with grapes, crackers and crème fresh.  We sat under s shade by the canal. There was almost nothing going on, and as usual when I go to the coast, the tide was low.  The lady in the cabin joked about a rush coming.  There were soon others, but not really a rush.

After lunch, we walked along the coastal path and watched the Maldon Barges:

There was a little wild life, this bush, for example, was laden with sparrows.  I can see two here, when the camera shutter clicked there must have been a dozen leaving the tree, by then it was too late.  Along the path there are blackberry bushes.  Unlike the blackberries near our home, they are barely ripe.  I tried a number of small black shiny ones that refused to leave the bush.  Eventually, I found one that came away relatively easily.  It was hard, sharp and far too chewy.  Everywhere blackberries are suffering from the very dry spring and early summer.  On the path we chatted, briefly, with a lady who we would later see again.

 

We got back from our walk just in time to see the sea lock filling up with boats.  The lock connects the sea to the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.  It can only be used when the tide is above a certain level, so there was a queue to get in.  It had been re-built around 2016-17, although much of it looked like a rebuild ought to be imminent.

At the start of the walk I booked us a boat trip on the navigation.  The sign at the Bargemasters Cabin refers you to a Facebook page.  There is no longer anything useful on the Facebook page, but there is a number to call, or a website to visit.  The website led me to a booking service, so I called the number and booked and paid over the phone - £9.00 each.

The boat was not designed for viewing, the seats facing inwards.  The allowed number of passengers was 12, but there were 15 on board.   Including a father with three children, who got the worst deal, as they had to stand.  The party of women, including the lady we had spoked to earlier, sat and chatted for the whole trip.  To differentiate her from the rest - she was the slim one.  She hardly said a word, she didn't get much of a chance.  I don't need to hear your medical problems or your family's employment problems.  Especially not in that level of gory detail.  They also complained about every other person on the canal.  We saw a number of moorhens or something similar darting into the reeds, and followed a Grey Heron back down the canal.  I could not get pictures - moving was next to impossible.

We ended our visit with tea in the Old Ship, then made our way home via Marie's Garden.  I don't know if a visit is possible, but it is easily visible from the towpath.