Hadleigh Park and Castle

We walked from Hadleigh Park, down towards the railway line, along towards Leigh-on-Sea, up to the castle, up into Hadleigh, along the High Street and back to the Park.  A total distance of 3.4 miles (5.5 Kilometres).

We had been doubtful about this walk as the forecast was for thunderstorms, but this morning, not even rain was forecast for Hadleigh.  So we set out, substituting the new camera for the old, just in case.  

Parking is expensive and works like the hospital car park, you pay on exit and cameras record your entry.  As usual in these places, my credit cards would not scan and a card reader was not installed.  We found one that took cash, what a relief, as the parking app that it says to use has completely different paying instructions.

The walk itself is pleasant, the tracks are quite steep in places, but mostly the paths are clear.  Some of the tracks are dressed with stone chippings. It's not that great for walking on, but when there are hundreds of people it is better than leaving the path to erode.

There are some great views of the Thames from various places, below is the first clear view of the river as we made our way downhill.

An early view of the River Thames.

While the early part of the walk is through scrub, with warnings of cows and a bull (we didn't see any), at the bottom of the hill there are cultivated fields at least as far as the railway line.  Wheat, barley and rape seed.  We saw only two trains on the entire walk, this being another strike day.

A field of rape seed almost ready for harvest, looking toward the railway.

When the castle first appears, it is a stunning view.

View of Hadleigh Castle from the footpath.

 Turning towards the castle, we walked up the footpath as directed by the way marker.  It was very overgrown, and the secateurs came to good use, then we noticed two people walk down the hill with apparent ease.  Just 10 metres further on, there is another track running parallel with the now (mostly) disused footpath.

After visiting the castle, we headed for the Salvation Army tearooms.  It was closed, they are just now beginning to get it up and running.  The tearooms were always staffed by those with educational difficulties, now it is to be run by them too, with some assistance from the Salvation Army.  We will have to return for another visit in a month or two.  Meanwhile, we met two of the employees and were treated to some samples of the cakes they had made.  

Walking through the High Street brought back many memories, Hadleigh was where I grew up.  The butchers shop where I was stand-in delivery boy for a friend.  And the 'Arkwright' bike that I used to ride.  Granville would have been proud of me.  The scrapyard overflowing with rusty who knows what to about two storeys high and the shop next to it where we bought fireworks (both now gone), the old fire station, still not re-developed, the Wagon and Horses, now flats, and much more if I'd stayed longer.  We headed back down Chapel Street, passing a little park, beyond which there are allotments, which my dad waited more than twenty years for and was only offered one just after he moved away.

Finally, back in the park, we had lunch at the 'Hub Café'.  The food is very basic and partially green - all the packaging for the salads and sandwiches is recyclable, but there is only a normal general rubbish bin to put it in.  Rather odd, I thought.

View of Southend pier from Hadleigh Castle

Foulness, Old Leigh, Hadleigh Castle & Wallasea Island

An alternative title might have been "No Entry" or "Places we haven't been", either as it turned out could have been the theme through the day.

2009_0907 Old Leigh, Hadleigh Castle, Wallasea Island

We started the day on an ancestor hunt. James Knight is a great grandfather of mine, he was rector of Foulness. We decided to visit the church. There was information on the web that suggested there are public roads on the island. The man at the gate agreed they were public, but still insisted that we could not drive on them. He seemed incapable of seeing the contradiction. We tried the next island round, and couldn't get on there either. The road to Potton Island was just a dead end.

After discounting a visit to the archives on such a lovely day we went to Old Leigh. Last time I was there was probably 30 years ago. Many of the boat yards have gone, and the town is now full of places to eat. The other noticeable difference is that the trains are much quieter. There is also a museum now, and in what looks like a derelict house a stone marking a spring, which is presumably why the town was recorded in the Doomsday Book.

Then on to Hadleigh Castle which has changed a lot. I remember it as a neglected ruin, now it has had the English Heritage treatment - about time too. There are still cows in the surrounding fields, and they are still menacing enough to stop me going in the field. We had lunch at the Salvation Army Tea Room. I think they were a little overrun by the result of the good weather, they had already run out of some items.

We decided to return to Wallasea, and got to walk along the sea wall. Even this is being blocked (further on from our walk) as they return some of the land to salt marsh. There are pictures on Picasa (see link above), in one there is a tiny spot on the horizon which we believe is Foulness Church. On another there is a large plume of smoke. The sky was dark at the time and I thought it was thunder, but I suspect it was just a test on Foulness.

On our way back from the first attempt we saw a sign saying 'Foulness cycle ride' - perhaps that's the way on to the island.