Day Six of my Essex adventure will consist mainly of seawall walking as I make my way round the western banks of the Chelmer and Blackwater rivers, as well as a number of creeks, to access my campsite just below the village of Steeple. Like yesterday, I expect to spend most of the day on my own, apart for the odd dog walker. In detail, the coastline is meandering, with a number of small creeks and waterways to walk up and down so I expect to do a fair bit of walking.
Following signs for the Combined Military Services Museum (CMSM), I made my way through the busy town centre to access The Hythe harbour area. The Hythe is home to a collection of Thames sailing barges, a number of which I was to see in local waterways over the next few days. With their distinctive red ochre coloured sails and flat bottoms, the barges were a common site on the River Thames as they ferried cargoes from boats with larger drafts that were unable to get close to the local docks. Many of the barges at Maldon have been lovingly and colourfully restored by their owners, with some operating as charter vessels. Cooks Barge Yard in The Hythe, was a well known general ship yard, as well as barge builder.
As well as being home to the barges, the Hythe was also home to the local fishing communities and a number of their old cottages still stand. The Hythe is also home St Mary's Church, the current building originally built in the Norman period. However, there is some evidence that there has been a church here since Saxon times, with the original church thought to have been destroyed by Danish Vikings after the Battle of Maldon. I took my time on this part of the walk, enjoying the history and culture of the area (and crying out for a camera), as well as the hurry and scurry of the docks area.
Now back down at sea level, the views across the foreshore to Northey Island and the BlackWater Estuary beyond, were stunning. Not too far along the seawall a causeway runs from the shore to Northey Island. The causeway is covered two hours either side of the high tide. Northey Island was the location from which in 991 a band of Danish Viking raiders, under their leader Anlaf, wreaked havoc up and down the Essex coast. They were brought finally to battle at Maldon by a Saxon army led by Earl Byrhtnoth, who was subsequently killed and his army defeated. The battle was commemorated in a poem in 955, thought by many to be the first such poem in England.
I was walking on a reasonable grassy path on top of the seawall. The marshes and mudflats of the estuary lay to my left with lovely views across to Osea Island which I passed on other side yesterday and beyond that to the lands west of Tollesbury. Like yesterday, I was amazed at the number of very small butterflies that played around my feet. On the marshes and mudflats I could see birds feeding, but without binoculars they were too far away to identify. My run of good days continued with bright, warm sunshine.
I stopped for lunch at Mundon Stone Point, just where Lawling Creek comes out to the river. Brewing up like this on the banks of some far flung seawall or beside a secluded lake or pond is becoming one of the highlights of my trips. With my wee Jet Boil I can have a cup of java ready in just a couple of minutes and it sure makes a difference from drinking cold water only for days on end. For this journey I've made a point of being independent for meals and not constantly stopping to go in to cafes and bars. Apart from the time consideration, it becomes pretty expensive if you are spending twenty and thirty pounds a day on food and beverages, as well as money for accommodation. As I did a few days ago, after lunch I deliberately slept for half an hour and afterwards felt pretty refreshed and up for the remaining miles.