I’ve lived in Essex for most of my life and been to Southend many times, but never to the Shoebury Garrison. Thanks to John, this has now been remedied with our August tour of the military wing of Southend on Sea.
As something of a contrast to the flashy fairground rides and beach huts of the main town, the area of Shoebury Garrison is all formal Victorian military architecture. It speaks of a heyday in the time of Crimea, when the Royal Artillery had to move their ranges from Woolwich (the shipping on the Thames didn’t appreciate being shot at).
This wasn’t the first military presence at Shoebury. The clue is in the name: a bury or burgh usually means a fortification. In this case earth banks from an Iron Age fort can still be seen by the tennis courts, next to the sheds that held shells for the WWII guns overlooking the estuary.
Unsurprisingly, Shoeburyness was of great importance during the Cold War. With its key location overlooking the Thames Estuary, it was the site of a barrage stretching all the way across to Kent with just a small gap to allow friendly ships to come and go. Also still visible today is a broken piece of Mulberry Harbour that didn’t quite make it to D Day. It all speaks of a military past which sits rather oddly next to the seaside town as you walk past the coffee shops and doughnut stands.
We couldn’t visit Southend and not do the pier. A short ride on the pier train and we were at the end watching storm clouds and rainbows dance along the coast around us.
There were further WWII references with a poster about the SS Richard Montgomery. Some of you will have heard of this ticking timebomb of a wartime wreck just off the Isle of Grain. Quietly corroding away is a cargo of explosives that if they ever went up would take out Southend and Canvey and probably rattle windows several miles away.
We finish our day the only way you can: with an ice cream on the pier. Sadly not a classic Rossi, but just the thing before heading for home.
Ali
The Coggeshall Cure
Ah, the British Summer. Balmy warm days, picnicking in grassy meadows surrounded by wildflowers and sweetly scented herbs. Well, some of that is true of our Coggeshall walk. After a bit of a grey start it was a lovely day, and there really were wildflowers and sun-kissed paths through the golden wheatfields. However, with all the rain we’ve had this August the brambles and nettles had taken off as if they were on steroids. Not really that uncommon an occurrence, but some of our party had still to learn the folly of wearing shorts on a CYHA walk.
We finished the walk with various scratches and nettle stings, and I did say that some people would pay for a health treatment like this. On getting home I made a point of looking this up so that you could all know the benefit of coming on a walk with us.
Weirdly, it seems to be recommended as an anti-inflammatory (really? Not the way my knees have been stung), alongside more traditional remedies like turmeric. It’s just the thing to take your mind off arthritis. As a bonus, I note that you can also take it for its anti-aging properties. If only we’d known! We could have rolled in those nettles rather than tiptoe through with our hands in the air.
Ali