onionbagblog

A spare Saturday afternoon, and so time to see how the other half lives - time to pay a visit to that other lot from across the Colne.

@AnnaJCowen and I approached our rendez vous at Rowhedge with an open mind. Sure, we’ve heard all the Wivenhoe talk of Roughhedge. But the great divide can’t be that gaping, can it?

But first off the route. I rather like the splendid isolation of the Colne. Low tide and you could probably wade across from the Quay. You might come a cropper though, and would look a rather undignified sight as you plundered down deep into the mud, right in front of the Rose and Crown.

Nope, there was nothing for it. A round trip taking in the Hythe, up along the Lagoons (seriously) towards Rowhedge, and then all the way back again for the return leg.

It was the estuary equivalent of the Grand Old Duke of York, cycling all the way along the Wivenhoe Trail. When we were up we up; and when we were down we were down. And when we only halfway up we were stuck somewhere in the boglands of the Lagoon, wondering what exactly we had taken on board with our bicycles.

It is only here that you truly appreciate the ease of access of the Wivenhoe Trail down towards the Hythe along the other side. Navigating past the old industrial banks of The Colne, and you can become a cropper. This was especially the case as we cycled past the sewage treatment works. A stray skid mark here, could have led to a stray skid mark elsewhere.

Whoops.

With the late afternoon sun creeping up on us, we had time to make up if we were to reach Rowhedge before sunset. The wilds of the Lagoon were something of an unexpected surprise, much like the sign warning us of Essex adders.

Blimey.

This is cow country, and where there are cows, there are of course cowpats. Layers and layers of them, which made for cycling not quite a smooth experience. It was a dirty job, but someone had to do it.

And then around half an hour later and there it was - Welcome to Rowhedge. Um, what now?

A pint or two seemed only appropriate. But I had the appearance of a mad man that had been bog snorkelling. @AnnaJCowen didn’t exactly scrub up any better.

We walked along the front, not really taking much interest in Rowhedge, preferring to remark on how picturesque Wivenhoe appeared on a crisp, winter late afternoon.

And so that was Rowhedge ticked off. I wish our very near neighbours well, but I think that we have made the right decision in relocating to the other side of the Colne.

I can’t see that we will return, not until those cowpats have lost their winter pitfalls. Come the spring, and I’m sure that the Rowhedge Ferry will be seeing some custom from us. A brief sail across, a pub lunch, and then a boat back across the water.

Splendid, splendid isolation.