The Essex Coast - Salcott to Tollesbury

The sixth stage of a weeks walking along the Essex Coast between Manningtree and Maldon.

Tollesbury was not an easy location to get to using public transport, therefore we drove down to the village and made two circular walks in a figure of 8, firstly up to Salcott and back, then around Tollesbury Wick marshes. Here we at last saw the sea, the first glimpse since Brightlingsea, with Mersea Island just across the estuary.

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The Essex Coast - Tollesbury Marshes Walk

A walk around the Tollesbury Marshes

A rewarding short walk around the Tollesbury Wick marshes.

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The Essex Coast - Tollesbury to Maldon

The seventh and last stage of a weeks walking along the Essex Coast between Manningtree and Maldon.

Due to the limited buses between Tollesbury and Maldon we took the decision to walk this in reverse as we did not want to miss the last bus back to Tollesbury from Maldon at 4:30. Doing this would then give us more time to take in the sights along the Blackwater estuary. Although this was the last section on this occasion we returned a few years later to continue from Maldon and onto Purfleet.

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The Essex Coast - Manningtree to Maldon

 

The Essex Coastline is arguably the longest of any British county when you take into account all the estuaries that need to be navigated. The total distance can be in excess of 300 miles and encompasses seaside towns, wild and remote marshes and pleasant country paths. There is currently no official footpath around the Essex Coast although there is currently negotiation taking place for the instating of the England Coast Path through the county. This guide provides a coastal route that can presently be used. With the assistance of Peter Catons book 'Essex Coast Walk' and the appropriate OS maps, one can make up a route of ones choice and this is a fine way to explore this part of the British coastline. Our path started along the Essex Way and then used recognised public footpaths and sea defences where possible. When all else failed we had to resort to road, but thankfully there was not too much road walking.

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The Essex Coast - Wivenhoe to Salcott

The fifth stage of a weeks walking along the Essex Coast between Manningtree and Maldon.

This stage of the walk touched the outskirts of Colchester at Hythe where the first bridge across the river Colne is found. Then it was a case of following the river back down to Rowhedge. This part involved a lot of road walking as there is a military range along the banks of the Colne and the next time we would see the coast would not be until Tollesbury.

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