Brightlingsea Walk

Brightlingsea is almost a Island on the River Colne and has a long history of boat building, yachting and oyster farming. The walk is full of interest following the coast west of the attractive town as far as Alresford Creek, with views across to Mersea Island, then a walk back past farms and through the gravel pits with some that are now lakes with plenty of bird life.

Details of Walk

• Date of Walk: 20/01/2019

• Distance: 6.22 Miles

• Car Park: Western Promenade or

• along the road CO7 0HH

• Refreshments: Cafe at end of the Promenade

• Promenade Tea rooms in Town

• Photos Taken on Walk

Well we actually got round to doing this walk as we tried to do this walk two other times and both times when we had planned to do it something else happened to prevent us from doing it and it nearly did this time. As when we got to the car park we realised that we had not brought the leads for the dogs, I looked at the map of the walk and it looked like we could get away from not having the leads until the last bit when we would be walking along beside a road, I looked again and said we could make a diversion and miss out the roads, then Christine came up with a good idea that we could use our scarfs, I am not sure how we have got on in the summer.

Well that's enough of that let's get on with the walk as I said earlier we parked in the car park which was at the end of the promenade and from here walk through the beach huts onto the promenade turning right to walk along beside the long row of beach huts and Bateman's Tower. It was a gorgeous winters day cold but with the sun out making you feel good. We carried along walking on the sea wall with with views across the river to Mersea Island, about 2 miles walking and going over a stile we turned left walking now alongside Alresford Creek until we came to the ford which was not viable as the tide was in.

We decided to stop here and have a break leaning up against a fence looking across the creek and having our sandwiches we had brought with us, mind you we wished we had waited as a bit further on there was to trunks making two good seats looking down over the River Colne.

After having our break we turned right and headed up hill to join a track passing a pig farm where here we checked with another couple to where we were as we were not to sure whether to turn right here but no we had to carry on to the next footpath sign where we turned right with the church in the distance we turned right and walked up across a field to a thicket.

After doing our selfie we turned round and walked back down the road to find the sign post we had missed and put us back on the right path. We followed the path which was beside a the paint factory and we had to cross over a road inside the factory grounds then over a bridge and then left at a Gipping Valley sign and we followed the river path until we came to the maltings and this is when we climbed the steps to bring us out in the town, it was like a secret way into the town and although we went past the back of factories it was a pleasant walk along the river rather than along a road.

Once we climbed the steps we turned left along Station Road and kept walking straight ahead across the the crossroads until we came to the church which we walked through the churchyard which brought us out into the Market Place and we walked across the the square to bring us to the Meadow Centre. We decide to have a cup of coffee here and sat outside with the dogs.