D64: BRADWELL-ON-SEA to NORTH FAMBRIDGE
Sunday 27th March 2022
Today miles: 20.5 Total miles: 1013.4
Another poor nights sleep due to cold weather, a lack of caffeine and the blister on my left foot, which I popped yesterday meant that I stirred early on Sunday morning in a fairly rotten mood. The crappy mist surrounding the sea wall and preventing any decent views didn’t help with my mood either. I’m still out of stove gas and I now don’t have the option of any hot food until I reach Burnham-on-Crouch, which is more then eleven monotonous, misty miles away. I promised to stay real and always say how things truly are and I won’t sugar coat anything here. This mornings walking was some of the worst I’ve ever encountered. I seriously considered getting to Burnham and just jumping on a bus and heading home, never to return to the English Coastal Path, seriously.
There’s a lot of old military pill boxes along this part of the coastline, I think I counted about 12, I sat on each one in turn for a short break. There’s an unusually large World War II minefield control tower just South of Holliwell Farm and also a pillbox looking out towards the River Crouch and Foulness Island. I’ve never seen one of these structures before, it’s quite impressive and bit odd looking.
By the time I had arrived in Burnham the mist had started to lift and thankfully so had my mood. I arrived at ‘The Ship Inn’ around twelve and it was already fairly busy. I’d completely forgotten that it’s Mothers Day and although all the tables had been reserved the staff were kind enough to find me a space in the bar and served me a wonderful lamb dinner.
Feeling rejuvenated and re-energised I visited the local shop for some provisions and left Burnham in a far more buoyant mood. The next few miles out of town were relatively busy with locals and visitors and there was far more to look at across Bridgemarsh Creek. There’s dozens of large house boats in various states of repair sitting along the edge of the creek. I was clocking up the miles at a good pace and I had plenty of time to think about how different and happier these second ten miles had been in comparison to those I did before lunch. A full stomach and the sun shining makes all the difference. About a mile short of North Fambridge I decided 20+ miles was enough for today. There was a nice wooden bench conveniently located on the sea wall, next to a patch of short grass with only a mild slope, it’s almost perfect.
N.B. I passed 1000 miles on the English Coastal Path today and didn’t even realise until later in the day. That’s around 25-30 percent of the total.
Werewolfandflump UK Coast Path 