Coastal Adventure 5

Coastal Adventure 5
10th-11th July 2024
Mersea Island and Brightlingsea
Essex

Jenna was on holiday from college so we headed back to Essex to visit the next two places on our route around the coast.

We visited Mersea Island last year but really only saw part of it so we decided to go back and explore a bit more then move on to the other side of the River Colne and find Brightlingsea. Had we been walking we would have followed the southern edge of Mersea Island and caught the ferry across from East Mersea to Brightlingsea so visiting the two places would work for our old plans.

We caught the now familiar train to Stowmarket then changed onto a London bound express arriving at Colchester just before twelve. We had booked the same Premier Inn, near the station, and dropped off my suitcase there before heading into town to find some lunch and the bus to Mersea. Having bought some sandwiches, we found a seat in the castle park which was busy with schoolchildren visiting the Roman exhibition in the castle.

After lunch we caught the bus south finding seats upstairs though not at the front. Soon we were crossing The Strood and leaving the bus at its terminus in the High Street. After a quick coffee and loo stop we walked down to the museum which was open and which proved to be absolutely fascinating. There was so much history to be discovered and the archives section was very busy with people looking into their family history.

We passed a good hour there before wandering along the coast road between a beach and some very big and beautiful houses standing back from and above the shoreline. Historically, most of the island’s residents were fishermen and this part of the island is the area which housed the boats and the buildings associated with the industry. It is an interesting area with several old pubs and some up-market restaurants but we only managed to walk a short way.

As we walked the wooded area between the road and the beach grew wider and the sand turned more open and marshy. After a while we arrived at a boardwalk across the marshes heading for the sea so we followed it all the way to the water. Still conscious of our limited mobility we decided a slow meander back along the beach would be perfect. It was and we enjoyed walking slowly along the sand and picking up shells and enjoying what felt like a proper seaside again.

 

At the far end of the beach a seat beckoned and we sat for a while enjoying the sea air blowing our hair and faces. Eventually we decided we should move and walked back up the steps to the road and round the corner to the High Street.

We had planned which bus to catch back but the one waiting at the stop was the other route back to Colchester so we decided to hop on and enjoy the front seats via a very different route in.

We had been so busy enjoying our day we completely forgot about The Strood and passed the bus we had planned to catch on its way out of Colchester with the destination blind showing Peldon. It was stopping there because the high tide was on the way and about to cover The Strood with water. Had we waited in Mersea for that bus, we would have been waiting a long time!

Once back in Colchester, we checked into the hotel, had a rest then went to the High Street to find a proper dinner. We looked at a few restaurants then plumped for The George and were very glad we did. It was a lovely old coaching inn brought up to date and the menu was delicious and accessible and I easily found things to eat. After a slow meal, we caught a bus back to the hotel, just as the football crowds were beginning to converge on the city for England’s semi-final match in the European cup. It felt much safer to be in the hotel and we were both ready for an early night.

Next morning we were all set for a new adventure. The bus to Brightlingsea initially runs north out of Colchester and stops at the main road close to the hotel. Once again we had the front seats upstairs and enjoyed the run through a new part of Essex. While staying in Colchester, we had seen many signs to the university but were not quite sure where it was. This morning we found it because the bus goes right through the campus. From there it winds through Wivenoe and Alresford on the River Colne, and through several more villages to arrive in the town square at Brightlingsea.

We decided to head for the sea because that is what we do and found the way easily from Victoria Square by heading for a line of beach huts. We passed Station Road amid some speculation as to where the railway used to be. We later found out that it had run along the river’s edge just behind the beach huts and the station was near the centre of the village and with hindsight was quite obvious. The railway ran from Colchester and closed in 1964.

Once we reached the huts, we found the view a little underwhelming as the huts were behind a concrete prom with a rather muddy looking beach below. It was high tide though, so may be somewhat more appealing when the water level drops. We walked along slowly chuckling at the names on some of the huts until we reached the end of the prom. We haven’t seen at Jabba the Hut since Bournemouth!

Round the corner was the beach, sheltered on three sides by the prom and with just a small opening to the sea. Maybe on a hot sunny day it would be more appealing and it was certainly a safe place to play.

As we looked around, we saw a man come round the corner at pace, walking boots, backpack, surely a proper walker. When he reached us, we said hello and he stopped to chat and revealed that he is a coast walker! He was interested to hear our story even though we have tackled the walk in a completely different way. He walks 20+ miles a day, carries a tent and gear and just stops when he gets to a suitable place each evening. He agreed with us about the tediousness of the Essex marshes and we talked about sections of the coast we and he had particularly enjoyed. Eventually he went on his way, although we met him again later coming out of Tesco’s with a bag of food.

We walked back as far as the lido and stopped at the café there for a coffee then walked back into the village centre.

We had planned to have a look at the ferry landing but we had seen no sign of a ferry on the water, in fact we had seen nothing moving at all so we decided to head back into town. We felt that relying on the ferry across from Mersea might have been difficult as it seems to be somewhat erratic and is often cancelled. It is a very small boat and has to be careful of weather conditions and tides. They make more money running sightseeing trips up the river and that seems to be their main business.

As we approached the village centre, we encountered a fine-looking ginger cat lazing on a bench. The bench was located on a large triangular island beautifully decorated with flowers and obviously a popular meeting place for the residents. A lady explained that the cat was called Charlie and that he lived very close by but regarded the bench as his.

As we made our way through the shopping area, we noticed that many people were elderly and using mobility scooters and other aids. We called into a few more shops and were not surprised to see that one was selling such scooters. It appears that Brightlingsea is a popular place to retire to.

It was time to move on and we had been rather taken by Wivenhoe as we came through earlier in the day so we decided to catch the bus which was about to leave. We would get off at Wivenoe and have a quick look knowing that if we were delayed there were more options there for getting back to Colchester as a different bus service operates and it has a railway station too.

Wivenhoe is a quite different place and feels much more prosperous than Brightlingsea which felt rather depressing and down at heel although the number of adverts we saw for various events shows that it probably has a very lively community filled with sociable people.

Wivenhoe was full of little shops and we enjoyed a short walk by the river. It was a very pretty village with many houses which have obviously been renovated with much thought to making the area attractive

Soon though, conscious that we had a long way to travel, we headed for the station and waited there for the alternative bus back into Colchester. This took a different route back through the city and stopped outside our hotel. There we picked up our luggage and walked up to Colchester station to begin the journey home via Ipswich.