Fobbing Walk

Today we had to travel down to Fobbing near Corringham for only a short walk so we decided to do the walk and then go to Canvey Island where we had not been before.

Fobbing is on a hill and is a complex mixture of new and old, Saxon remains have been found in the church and its grey Norman tower is a landmark for miles.

Details of Walk

• Date of Walk: 14/08/2011

• Distance: 3.21 Miles

• Level of Difficulty: A Fairly Easy Walk

• Car Park: St Michael's Church Roadside SS17 9JW

• Refreshments:The White Lion Fobbing, The Bull Corringham

• Photos Taken on Walk

In 1381 Fobbing came famous for its revolt against the new poll tax levy. Thomas baker was among the rebels who led the first riots because they felt they had already paid their share of the tax and would pay no more. essex men played a prominent part in the Peasants revolt that followed, ending in the death of their Kentish leader Wat Tyler a few months later.

The walk starts from the church and then heads out towards the Fobbing Marsh where you can see South Benfleet and Southend in the distance. Also a bit later on you get views of the river Thames and Shell Haven oil refineries. As you get further you end up getting to the outskirts of Corringham and pass a few fishing lakes there was a small one and standing there looking I saw a Heron on the water and before I could get my camera out it flew away.

Shame as we were quite close, mind you I have taken photos of a Heron from our back garden on a build up housing estate but it would have been good to have got this one as it was so close. We went past a large playing field which was well set out as it lay in a deep and was ideal if you wanted to lay on the grass watching a cricket match as there was one that day the young lads team. When we got further into Corringham we stopped at The Bull pub which was opposite the church as they always seem to be where we had a cup of coffee. Well yet again on this walk we went wrong but we were really glad we did otherwise we would not have come across this wilderness of a garden. As we were walking along the path I said to Christine that someone must have planted some flowers alongside the path just to make it look better but Christine thought it was the back of someones garden, then we saw this lady and she said we were welcome to come in and have a look. It was not her garden but waste land behind hers. well we could not believe what she had done over the last 5 years she had transformed this sunken dumping ground in among the trees into a small wooded Peace haven. She showed us round and we chatted for ages about the garden apparently some children had come down there and believed there was fairies and left things and letters to the fairies.

Lots of things had been left there in time a teddy bear also things the lady had kept digging up. I could understand why the children thought there was fairies as it was so magical, she had planted things and made fences out of fallen down trees sown seeds but it was mainly left so nature and birds doing there thing. She has seen a adder down there also a fox comes in while she is working down there. I took pictures but even they do not capture the beauty and tranquility of this place, so it is worth going wrong sometimes. When we got back to the church there was people coming out they had just had a Christening and the little ones looked good dressed up in their suits and pretty dresses. We traveled down to Canvey Island and parked on the front, it is like being in the grounds of a castle as all the way round the seafront is a high bank and the sea wall. It was a lovely day the sun was out we walked a little way then we had a cup of tea and shared a portion of chips and the chips were great just like home made ones, will have to go back there if only for some more chips. We walked the other way for a while then sat down on a bench and when the tide is in you are so close to the sea and we both said that it would be ideal for mum in her wheelchair as you can get so near to the sea without going on the sand.