A walk on the Kentish marshes starting at Gravesend.

 

  Gravesend became part of Greater London a long time ago as the metropolis sprawled outwards in all directions. Nonetheless some of the remaining older buildings evoke the sense of a prosperous maritime town. The first part of the walk leads through a fairly ramshackle collection of warehouses and industrial units. Here too there are echoes of a nautical past. 

 

 Then London peters out and gives way to the marshes.

  The Thames is broad here. Along this stretch the river becomes the estuary becomes the sea. On the far bank lies Essex looking towards Canvey Island.

 

 

 

  The coast path is easy walking in dry weather (though pretty sodden in winter).

 

  Huge ships sailing past are a reminder that the Thames is still a working river.

 

  There are a lot of wild horses roaming the marshes. Perhaps I should say semi-wild because I believe they belong to local gypsies. A few years ago I was walking roundabouts when I saw a pick-up truck bombing across the marshes in my direction. There were several young guys in the front. It pulled up next to me and the driver (who had no teeth at all) leaned out the window and asked me if I'd seen any horses. Later I saw them in the distance rounding up a herd of horses using the pick-up truck like a sheep dog.

 

  At Higham Marsh I turned inland. This tract is owned by the RSPB; the coast here is prime bird watching territory.

 

 Quite surreal. The flat landscape looks rural but looking back towards the Thames ships glide silently across it at regular intervals.

 

  The walk is a very pleasing circular route by virtue of connecting with an old military canal. Parts only survive as muddy sumps but a long section is still a channel that leads straight back to Gravesend.