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An increasingly rare weekend run out towards Alresford Creek, and the surprise wasn’t that there is still life left in my old timbers, but the extent in which the local landscape has changed over the past few weeks.

It was only Royal Wedding weekend when we last went out for a walk past the Sailing Club, along the footpath vandalised by the Environment Agency and then destination Alresford.

The first signs of spring were starting to show back then. A mental note was made as to where to return in September for those secluded raspberry, rosehip and sloe picking points.

But less than a month later and the micro North Essex environment has changed yet again. A canopy of green greets you once you enter the wooded area that carries you all the way to the Creek.

The tunnel of shrubs and hedges closes in as the footpath stretches out towards the estuary. It is still passable all the way down to Alresford, leaving a feeling of splendid isolation and true tranquillity.

So much that I got caught short and disappeared into the overgrowth to spend a penny - and not with the old toll master either. What are the chances of a female acquaintance out for the morning run passing me just as I was splashing the boots?

Whoops, and apologies, Madam.

Elsewhere and I bumped into perhaps the most esteemed artist from around these parts, doing his daily walk and ever keen to keep an eye on all that the estuary sends our way.

Splendid Sir - most splendid.

My memento from my own morning of walking was the audio slideshow below. I’m still not happy with the format - the previous system of embedding images and audio toppled the server over, such was the bandwidth hungry strength of the files. Vimeo comes as a compromise.

Oh - I also returned with insect bites down both legs: true suffering for my *ahem* art as I poked my camera into all the places where it really shouldn’t have been poked.

Once again, apologies, Madam.

Here’s hoping that once the next phase of vandalism from the Environment Agency is over, this wonderful, wonderful Wivenhoe walk out towards the Creek still manages to maintain the natural canopy.

If yer gonna wreck our landscape, at least put some portaloos up, fellas.

Full flickr set over here.

An opening up of the inbox and blimey - it’s only an email from the Environment Agency informing me of yet further acts of vandalism to the natural habitat around Wivenhoe that is about to be carried out:

“Following on from our sea defence woody growth clearance in 2010, we will be doing further work to limit its re-growth. This is in addition to our routine grass cutting on all embankments.”

You break our legs and we say thank you when you offer us crutches. Um, cheers, fellas.

“Where is this work happening?

Sections of defence where patches of bare earth exist between woody stumps.”

The bare earth exists ‘cos the buggers chopped it all down back at the start of the year.

“When is this work starting?

We plan to cut up to three times this year in areas of re-sprouting woody vegetation. These will be in May, July and September / October.”

Ah, love the ambiguity in trying to catch us out. Expect bulldozers down by the Sailing Club overnight.

“What will we be doing?

We will use various machinery including tractor mounted and hand operated cutting equipment to remove woody re-growth to encourage the development of a good turf cover.”

Wivenhoe is many things to many people. The Garden of England it ‘aint. The natural and rough beauty of the estuary is far preferable to some prim and proper-bordered garden lawn. If you want an English Rose then you ‘aint gonna find it out along the walk to Alresford Creek.

“Why are we doing this work?”

Ah - now there’s a loaded local question…

“The woody vegetation will be cut to encourage a good turf to re-establish. We do not wish to sow grass-seed because the Essex coast is home to a unique variety of plants. We will encourage these plants to re-colonise using seeds already in the soil”.

Um, why not just let them grow?

“Raised flood embankments are key to protecting people and property from flooding. Each flood defence is routinely inspected and heavy vegetation prevents detailed inspection. Earth slips, settlement, damage by burrowing animals such as rabbits, foxes and badgers all create weakened defences.”

I’m still searching for those mythical Wivenhoe rabbits, me.

“Heavy woody growth on an embankment also causes drying-out and shrinkage cracks in its structural core: under high water loading such a defence is significantly weakened. Rapid detection and appropriate monitoring or repair work is key to sustaining fit-for-purpose flood defences.”

So is a £20m Flood Barrier.

“How can you get involved or get in touch?”

Preferably by laying down in front of a digger when it comes to disrupt and damage our community sometime later this month.

“This information is to let you know about our vital work in your community. We are happy to come along to community groups and residents associations to explain more about our activities. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this in more detail. We will keep you up-to-date with any further developments.”

Contact

Operations Delivery Manager,
Environment Agency, Rivers House,
Brook End Road, Chelmsford
CM2 6NZ

01473 706100

The maps very kindly supplied by the Environment Agency have been published below. I’m not sure if they were to sent to me as a genuine attempt to improve communication, or as some insider leak to allow Wivenhoe locals to prepare for the battleground ahead.

Blimey.

If you buy into the argument that the vandalism around Wivenhoe is being carried out as an act of flood protection - which I don’t - then you still need to ask the question as to why the chuffers all that is green and good is being bulldozed upstream past the Flood Barrier.

Ferry Marsh is once again up for the chop. If the Trojan Horse argument of getting rid of those pesky rabbits to stop flooding downstream is to be believed, then the Flood Barrier should do the business upstream.

As many locals have already observed, this is very much a macro Environment Agency one size fits all policy of destruction. It may be worthwhile on some coastal region elsewhere, but here in the North Essex estuary wilds and there seems no logical explanation in implementing it.

Has anyone from the Environment Agency actually inspected our very micro environmental conditions? What in all honesty is to be achieved by chopping away at the habitat that exists in the planned flood marsh areas past the Sailing Club?

I very much appreciate the transparency of the Environment Agency is passing this information on to me, but is still remains a complete load of unscientific and irrational twaddle that has absolutely no relevance to Wivenhoe.

It was only a couple of weeks ago that I posted some pictures of the shrubs once again starting to take root along the walk out towards Alresford Creek. The cynic in me suggests that some policy twonk at the Environment Agency saw these as an opportunity to send in the boys with their big diggers once again.

No posters put outside on public footpaths this time - not yet, anyway. Just a private email that almost got buried away in the spam folder. Has anyone else received a copy of this? WTC? The Sailing Club? Residents along the Quay?

The bleak Wivenhoe winter came to an abrupt end when the first signs of spring were savagely uprooted by the Environment Agency. After a glorious Mediterranean (seriously) North Essex Easter, hopes were high of the natural beauty of our habitat returning.

How painful is a summer spent looking at what essentially is a gravel track going to be, once the Environment Agency gets to do the dirty once again? What price to pay for this? A figure of £750,000 for Wivenhoe alone was mentioned at a recent WTC meeting.

The spectacular natural beauty of what lies down by the Quay and beyond is probably the principle reason why many of us choose to live here. Take this away, and you may as well live in Rowhedge - and no one really wants to do that.

The bullyboys and their diggers took us by surprise at the start of the year. Who will be prepared to stand up for our community this summer? Wivenhoe Town Council? Our Borough Councillors? Our esteemed MP?

Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands, Comrades.

Note: the red on the maps published below indicates the intended targets for destruction by the Environment Agency.

Alresford Creek North Bank

Alresford Creek South Bank

Wivenhoe Marsh Farm

Colne Barrier South

East Donyland

Wivenhoe Ferry Marsh

Good news - re-growth has begun on the hedgerows that the Environment Agency so brutally vandalised back at the start of the year.

You may remember how the excuse of protecting the sea wall from burrowing rabbits (nope - me neither) was put up as the justification for the savage destruction of our beautiful local walkways. Strange then that the diggers left in place the roots of the rosehips, blackberry and hawthorn bushes.

Unlike the Environment Agency, Mother Nature has all the answers when it comes to the natural way of protecting our environmental heritage. A Mediterranean month of April in Wivenhoe (steady) and the first signs are starting to show of re-growth along the walkway past the Sailing Club and out towards the Creek.

Even the manufactured marshland - the mess made by the digger’s caterpillar tyres - is starting to heal. No sign of re-growth here, but at least the mud has hardened and looks slightly more pleasant on the eye.

Heading back in the opposite direction towards the Hythe, and it is a similar celebratory spring story along the Wivenhoe Trail. The Environment Agency decided to butcher the bushes all the way down to the University Quays accommodation, leaving a very exposed and bleak landscape.

Now I’m not great identifier of all that is good and green (um, it’s grass, isn’t it?) but some rather charming weeds with white flowers are now lining either side of the Trail out of the wooded area, three, four deep, greeting you as though you are Royalty as you cycle along.

Which is some ways, Comrades, we all are, of course.

The next challenge is to make sure that the Environment Agency isn’t given the opportunity to devastate our landscape with such ease ever again. A formal letter of warning (and it was a bloody warning) was sent to Wivenhoe Town Council last August, ahead of the vandalism.

This was slept on, with the diggers surprising councillors, and locals, with the unannounced speed of the devastation some six months later. I like to think that having seen the reaction to the folly of this mass enforced policy, Wivenhoe won’t give the diggers such an easy ride, should they return around these parts once again.

Now then - keep it a secret, but *shhh* - I’ve found a supply of hawthorns that should be ripe with rosehips in six months time. Don’t tell the Environment Agency; do tell however those nice folk from Transition Town Wivenhoe who are putting together a Free Fruit Map of the area.

 

Not being a man of the cloth, I can still appreciate the solace of a sacred (for some) building and all the surrounds. I keep on being drawn back to the semi-abandoned beautiful old building of St Peter’s in Alresford, each time finding something new and rare to admire.

And so with the occasion of some visiting friends to Wivenhoe over the weekend, Easter Sunday was spent marching down to the Quay and past the tolling bells of St Mary’s, out towards the Creek and then a round circuit through Alresford and back by Anglesea Road.

Along the route and we took time out to worship at the Easter erieness of St Peter’s. I’m still not buying into the whole black magic myth to explain the burning down of the 700 year-old building back in the early ’70s. It’s a chilling local story, but I suspect plain vandalism is more to blame.

Being able to walk on the ground where the altar stood for more than 700 years, on this very special of special days for Christians, really had an historical thread running through it.

Centuries would have been spent celebrating this day on this exact same spot, yet here I was, walking boots and cut off jeans, stomping around and being able to poke my camera (and audio mic) wherever I wanted.

Much like the whole black magic myth, I have little faith in the whole Resurrection fairy tale. But you need to respect those around you, and so when a family came to lay some flowers upon a grave, we knew that our trespassing time was probably up. The visiting friends were getting a little fed up as well…

Perhaps this is a new religion for non-believers - enjoying historical religious buildings on a sacred day, but through the interested mind of an amateur architectural lover, and a budding audio and image blogger?

Blimey.

Once again - please bare with me whilst I experiment with these audio slideshow formats. The software isn’t perfect - but it is a crude fit to achieve the intended effect. The audio runs in a loop, which you can mute in the top left hand corner.

As ever - any kind Facebook or RSS reading folk will need to head to the actual post on m’blog over here.

This piece was first published in the brilliant Colchester 101 magazine. Copies are available for free around pubs, shops and other public places in the town.

With all this talk of potential city status for Colchester, sometimes you just need to step outside of the town centre and reflect upon the natural beauty that we are blessed to find on our doorstep - I’m not talking about the Greenstead Estate, either.

You may laugh at the idea of the Essex Riviera; the coastal landscape of the Colchester surrounds remains an undiscovered secret for many. Sure we have Clacton, Frinton and Walton to remind us of our childhood holidays. The whole of the Tendring Peninsula though is something of a Playboy’s (or girls) paradise when it comes to the great outdoors.

Now is the right time to go rambling, if indeed there ever is a right time to put on the walking boots, a bobble hat and pretend that you can read an Ordinance Survey map. Spring has finally arrived around these parts, and the landscape from the town centre out towards the coast is changing every day.

Brightlingsea would be a good starting point for any away day of discovery. The beauty is not so much in the destination itself, but the journey that takes you out to the closest stretch of coast outside of Colchester.

With the old Crab ‘n Winkle railway line long since lost to the Beeching Axe of ’63, the No. 78 bus is your friend. But not for the outward journey - the idea is for a walk along the Colne as it transcends from being a pleasant town centre river, to becoming a full on estuary on the edges of the North Sea.

Nine miles in total is the distance to walk. Follow the Colne, and on route and you will pass the historic (and now re-vitlaised) old port at the Hythe, the village charm of lower Wivenhoe, the rural and brutal landscape around Alresford Creek, the charm of Thorrington Tidal Mill, and then finally destination Brightlingsea.

A boat is then required to travel any further up the North Essex coast. For a day trip I would recommend that you get familiar with many of the fine pubs in Brightlingsea itself. With perfect town centre planning, the No. 78 bus even stops right outside the traditional Railway Tavern.

It is so easy to get caught up in an urban lifestyle as Colchester continues to expand. The edges of the town are now unrecognisable to only two decades ago. Somehow though a sense of scenic beauty manages to resist the clamour for city status, putting up natural barriers to allow rural pleasures such as the walk out to Brightlingsea.

Essex University has managed to stop Wivenhoe becoming a suburb of Colchester; Alresford Creek conveniently cuts up any attempt to put in place a direct road route all the way out towards Brightlingsea. The old port town itself is cut off from nearby Mersea, with a round trip all the way back towards the Hythe required to encounter the other side of the estuary.

And so while we rightfully continue the growth of Colchester, both commercially and culturally, sometimes it is a simple back to basics approach that reminds you of why so many of us choose to live and work in the area.

Oh - the walk out towards Brightlingsea also touches upon the edges of the Greenstead as well.

Published as part of the Keep Colchester Cycling Project.

Here’s the companion piece to the previous Alresford Creek bike ride video, this time showcasing the route from Wivenhoe out towards the Hythe. The Wivenhoe Trail is the main cycle path linking Colchester to Wivenhoe and vice versa. It is greatly valued by local cyclists, providing a much needed alternative from the busses along Boundary Road.
 
The Trail is a route that one of our Keep Colchester Cycling supporters cycles everyday, partly as a daily commute, partly out of a love of seeing the landscape change week by week, day by day.
 
It may not possess the natural beauty of the sister route out towards Alresford Creek, but there is some sense of industrial interest once you start to approach the Hythe and the old shipping port.
 
Cyclists, runners and dog walkers are always out on the Trail, even during the harsh estuary winter that we recently experienced. With one foot of snow and an iced over Colne around the water edges, the Trail was still passable.
 
The route itself twists and turns, more or less following the path of the railway line. It’s pretty much a flat ride, but one that is best suited for a MTB or a hybrid. This isn’t the best route to try out your urban fixed wheel fixation. Sightings of a solitary unicyclist however are legendary amongst locals.
 
On a good clear dry day, point to point can take fifteen minutes at a leisurely pace. Once the sandy surface takes in any excess water, an extra ten minutes can be added to the ride.
 
But it’s not all about the speed - it truly is about the journey itself. There is much to see and hear, with this stretch of the Colne being a happy estuary resting place for many beautiful birds during the migration season.
 
Being stuck behind a bus going up Boundary Road, or the beauty of a scenic estuary ride? I’ll take the Trail every time.
 
Chapeau!

As ever, if you are reading this via Facebook, then you may want to head over here for the embedded video action.

Denis Wirth-Miller last exhibited at the Minories in Colchester in 1959 as a 44 year-old rising artist. He was about to enter the most creative decade of his life, and one that would largely draw inspiration from living in Wivenhoe, and observing the estuary wilds and surrounds.

Fifty-two years later, and a retrospective of Wirth-Miller has now returned to the gallery, partly in remembrance following his death last October, and partly in celebration of how his work captures the timeless rural scenes around these parts.

It would be fascinating to find out what the artist would have made of @firstsite, situated just around the corner from the more traditional artistic space of the Minories. The Arts in Colchester is about to change big time. It is somewhat reassuring to find that fifty year-old period pieces from around these parts can still be appreciated.

On show until the end of this month are a collection of oil paintings covering the 50′s, 60′s and early 70′s creative peak of Wirth-Miller. Rich green colours compete with the odd splash of red, depicting an Essex estuary sunset that is still recognisable from out towards Alresford Creek today.

Assembling the work itself must have been quite a task to curate. Much of the exhibition is on loan from private collections. It is testimony to the high regard that is held for Wirth-Miller that his career’s retrospective can be housed within Colchester, more than fifty years since that first exhibit.

This is far from a static art exhibition however. A student class was in progress during my visit, with keen young eyes drawing inspiration from the originals, and then offering an interpretation from a modern day perspective.

And this essentially is the legacy of the Wivenhoe artist, who along with his partner Dicky Chopping, pretty much introduced the artistic ambience into Wivenhoe. Firstsite may be about to take artistic installations to another dimension, but a traditional estuary landscape painting is as relevant now as it was half a century ago.

Denis Wirth-Miller at the Minories comes to a close on Thursday 31st March. Entrance is free. You’d be a fool to miss out.

Denis Wirth-Miller, Essex Landscape, Winter 1968, oil on canvas.

And so having cycled to Brightlingsea and back at breakneck speed last weekend, I thought for my birthday I would commence the great Tendring Coastal Exploration that lies ahead for this summer. A sedate estuary walk out towards Brightlingsea would be a good start.

Back in South London and a good Sunday afternoon out meant walking to The Oval tube, rather than catching the bus. But when in Wivenhoe, then you have to do things slightly differently (although a bus did ultimately feature in the travel itinerary of @AnnaJCowen and I.)

Starting off from Wivenhoe Quay, we walked the familiar route out towards Alresford Creek. Today wasn’t a day for grumbling, but on the great Colne Clearance debate and I note that the roots of the vandalised rosehips, blackberries and sloes are slowly starting to emerge into the spring estuary air once again.

High tide around 11am was indeed something rather special. I overlooked the jollity of my walking companion who tried to high tide me with a hand slap - seriously. I smiled politely at any passing dog walker.

We reached the Creek and then did a slight detour out towards Thorrington Tidal Mill. I know that the Pop Genius of this Parish eulogises about the historic building in the wonderful A Prospect of Wivenhoe. Beautiful though the location may be, the constant rumbling of car traffic heading back and forth to Brightlingsea slightly spoils the scenic ambience.

No worries - with Brightlingsea Church within out sites (lovely daffs by the way) we ambled on towards the estuary. You may think that walking from The Flag down to the Quay back at base is something of a struggle. The Wivenhoe Run is a mere leg stretcher however when compared to the sheer length of the approach into Brightlingsea town centre.

A brisk exploration of the Lido (mmm - not quite the beauty of Brockwell, but any outdoor swim is a good swim,) a stroll along the front and then a Sunday birthday lunch of fish ‘n chips along the sea front.

The trip was planned to perfection with time for a couple of pints at the Station Tavern, ahead of the 16:18 back into Wivenhoe.

The old boozer in Brightlingsea makes The Station in Wivenhoe appear more like the inner interior of The Ritz. The pub has character all right, along with damn decent beer. It is to my great regret that I overlooked a pint of Crab ‘n Winkle mild to set me up for the birthday celebrations ahead.

We were back in Wivenhoe in time for the second half of the football, and back to reflect that although Brightlingsea may be a near neighbour, I think that we may the right decision in deciding to make a home of Wivenhoe.

The summer months promise similar Tendring Peninsula explorations. The plan is to cycle out towards Clacton, Frinton and Walton etc (oh to live the high life) and then catch the train back to Wivenhoe.

But that’s for another day.

Or even another birthday.

Full flickr stream over here.

To the Congregational Hall on Saturday morning to refresh the mind and body with the goodness of the earth. You can tell I’ve been reading far too much Ben Goldacre of late, can’t you?

But there was no bad science to my logic of lapping up the local fruit ‘n veg. A late, late finish with the lovely @HiddenDingbat’s the night / morning previous, and my eyelids were telling me that organic, rather than alcoholic, was the order of the day.

This was the first spring Farmer’s market for @AnnaJCowen and I since the Great Escape. With enough blue in the sky to make a sailor a pair of underpants (steady,) we skipped down the High Street with an extra kick in our step.

That will be the double JD and coke before breakfast kicking in then.

There is something really rather special about the Wivenhoe Farmer’s Market come this time of the year. The stalls start to slowly, slowly head to the great outdoors (um, the Congregational Hall car park) and the event becomes even more social.

We started off with a decent chat with a herbs chap, who also supplied us with a rhubarb plant that is now taking up the prime growing location in the back garden. With rhubarb being the Celery of the Gods, we’ve high hopes for some crumble over the coming month.

Our herb man then set about the task of sourcing us something a little more exotic. No need to call in the crime squad - we’re simply after a local lemon tree that can make the most of those glorious Wivenhoe rays.

Inside the Congregational Hall and Tony’s Fish was all the fancy for the early morning trade. Fished in local waters, we came close to treating that special little girl in our life with a wet haddock across her little inquisitive nose.

A bit of basic fruit and veg shopping filled the bags, and then we were back outside for a catch up with the ace Transition Town Wivenhoe folk. Promoting sustainability within the town is what it is all about for TTW. For the Farmer’s Market and the group has come up with the great idea of a local seed swap.

I was also fascinated with the Wivenhoe Food Map of free fruit and nuts. Locals are encouraged to pinpoint sources of free food, such as blackberries, rosehips and various nuts. It was a shame to see a now empty and barren stretch heading out towards Alresford Creek.

Many thanks, as ever, to the charming Bob for taking the time to explain and update recent TTW activities.

The shift outdoors continues with TTW over the coming months. The regular Sunday gardening sessions outside the Station Master’s House have commenced once again. Volunteers are of course always welcome.

And so another month, another bumper crop. The next Wivenhoe Farmer’s Market takes place on Saturday 16th April - the fifth anniversary of the event within Wivenhoe. To rent a stall call 01206 367776. For further info or to volunteer help, call 01206 826226.

Well that felt rather wonderful - rolling out of Wivenhoe on Sunday morning for a brisk bike ride out towards Brightlingsea.

Blimey.

Truth be told and the Giant road bike hasn’t seen any North Essex estuary action since the Great Escape. It somehow managed to side step the South London culling of the fleet, when I cut back on the bikes that I would need around these parts. The Wivenhoe Trail may be ace for my Essex MTB, but I don’t think that the Herne Hill track bike would have enjoyed the terrain around the Hythe.

And that really has been my main bicycling adventure since early autumn - back and forth along the Trail, en route for the daily dip. Alresford Creek occasionally gets a look in, always on the MTB, always at a leisurely pace.

Local road clubs have been sourced, and I am still keen to roll out with the good folk of Colchester Rovers one Saturday morning. But I have been conveniently finding an excuse not to saddle up and put sixty plus miles in the legs to start off the weekend.

I thought that maybe my racing days are over. I bonked badly on the banks at le velo for my final season of track racing. Rolling out with the Dulwich Paragon faired little better, with my King of the Mountain reputation (yeah, right…) receding as we approached the climbs of Crystal Palace.

But then for some unknown reason this weekend, my mind was telling me to take a spin on the road bike and see how the legs felt. Turns out it was the right choice - a trip down to the bike shed and the MTB has picked up a puncture overnight anyway.

Bugger.

And so out came the Giant, the cleats clicked into place and a lycra clad fool rolled out towards Rectory Road.

Oh Lordy.

Brightlingsea was within my radar. A working Sunday meant that I had just less than an hour for the ride there and back. Tourism of the North Essex Riviera can wait for another day.

Out of Wivenhoe, through Alresford (I think it was closed…) and then on towards the coast. My legs picked up the pace with the first few miles. I even found that I was hitting top gear and finding the right lines for the corners.

Twenty minutes later and the coastal smell of fish ‘n chips was wafting through the fresh Brightlingsea air. With the work clock ticking down back at base, I didn’t even bother to de-cleat as I turned around and put my pedals down for the return leg.

Even with such haste, a bicycle is truly the most majestic way in which to explore the delights of the countryside that make up this truly beautiful part of the country. Crossing the railway line at Alresford and you are presented with a picture postcard view of the Colne, slowly rolling back and forth towards Wivenhoe.

I may just leave my MTB puncture unattended for the next few days or so. I never was any good in getting my grubby hands around a bike repair kit. The road bike is back, and the estuary bike lanes are mine to explore.

Chapeau!