I had my full English at the Premier Inn and took 3 pain au chocolat and a banana to keep me going through the day. I checked out but left my luggage which I would collect at the end of the day.
I caught the 170 bus into Strood and then caught the 133 back to The Six Bells at Cliffe. With no recovery time after yesterday’s walk from Greenhithe to Cliffe, I was slightly concerned about how my foot would cope with this final stage of my walking challenge but it felt OK right now.
From Cliffe it was necessary to retrace my steps through RSPB Cliffe Pools until I reached Cliffe Creek. Yesterday I had walked down the left hand side of the creek from Cliffe Fort to get to Cliffe. Today I had to walk up the right hand side of the creek to be able to continue towards Grain. From this point on, for the next 12 miles I would be completely on my own, walking alongside the sea wall most of the way. The landscape is flat marshland and saltings. On a cold and wet winter’s day I would imagine the landscape would be pretty bleak but on a mild sunny day like today it was lovely. The land is so flat that you can see for miles.
The container cranes of DP World London Gateway Port dominated the Essex side of the river all day.
One thing I didn’t appreciate until after I’d walked this section in 2022 was the reason for an apparent deviation from the natural course of the river starting at the point where a misspelled sign told me to bear right. It turns out that when DP Ports were constructing London Gateway Port, they (presumably?) paid for the creation of a new reserve called the Salt Fleet Flats Reserve as compensation for predicted impacts to coastal habitats resulting form the new port. The tide was allowed to flow into the new reserve by removing 700 metres of sea wall. The things you learn!
After passing Egypt Bay beach I came face to face with a solitary cow. This was the first and only creature I would pass in 12 miles, let alone any human beings!
Another couple of miles further on and the Allhallows Holiday Park came into view in the distance but was still 3 miles away. Approaching Allhallows, the path turned away from the river and continued along farmland briefly before emerging at the holiday park.
I don’t mind admitting that I found that 12 miles from Cliffe to Allhallows a real slog. Maybe it’s because I was tired after yesterday’s walk, plus my foot was starting to hurt.
Last year I walked this section at the end of April and the holiday park was like a ghost town with everything shut. Today however, it was buzzing with holidaymakers and I was so pleased. That’s because I’d run out of water and the onsite bar/café by the sea was open. The very kind lady behind the bar filled my bottle with ice cold water.
After eating my banana from breakfast I set off again on the final 5 mile stretch of my challenge to Grain. The holiday park extends for quite a way but eventually the path had a more familiar look to it – flat marshland.
After another mile I reached Yantlet Creek. Yantlet Creek is the reason for the Isle of Grain. At one time the creek stretched from the Thames to the Medway and the land to the right was a true island – hence the Isle of Grain. However, the creek was forever silting up and nowadays it’s only about 1½ miles long with sea walls preventing it from getting any further.
Turning right down Yantlet Creek the storage tanks of Grain LNG - Liquified Natural Gas – came into view. I don’t care how ugly they are but right now they were beautiful to me as I was nearly home and dry.
At the sea wall, rather than continuing up the right hand side of Yantlet Creek and round into Grain, the path instead heads straight for Grain. Yipee! This is because the land to the right of the creek was requisitioned by the War Office in the 1920s to be used for artillery trials and practice firing across the Thames Estuary towards (but not into!) Shoeburyness. The military have been long gone but there are still plenty of signs telling you to keep out. I gratefully did as I was told.
At last I reached Grain itself and headed towards the beach which would be the official end of my challenge. I passed the Co-Op on the way down to the beach and bought 4 cans of cold beer (couldn’t buy just 1). Despite my foot really hurting, I managed to put on a spurt to the beach for the benefit of my drone.
The sense of achievement at reaching Grain in 14 stages and with a dodgy foot was immense; far greater than for any other walk I’ve done. Maybe it was that final walk down to the sunny beach at Grain, or the fact that I hadn’t let the people who sponsored me down – probably a combination of both. I didn’t have too much time to contemplate this as the 191 buses from Grain are few and far between. The pub in Grain is almost opposite the bus stop. I had just about enough time to down a sneaky pint before the bus came.
Back in Strood, I treated myself to a taxi to take me to the Premier Inn for my luggage and then bring me back to the station. I then got the train to St Pancras and by the time I got there it was about 8:15. I wasn’t that hungry for an evening meal but what I really fancied was a Greggs sausage roll; in fact 2 Greggs sausage rolls – a ‘real’ one and my first ever vegan one. I have to say I preferred the vegan one!!
I got the train back to Huntingdon and then drove home. It was gone 10:30 by the time I got home and I was still buzzing with the sense of achievement; in fact, I was on such a high that I hardly slept a wink thinking about what I’d done.
I have one more blog post to write which I think I’ll call “and finally”. For now, I just want to say a huge “Thank you” on behalf of myself & Royal Papworth Hospital Charity to everyone who sponsored me.
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