Following my circumnavigation of the Isle of Sheppey, I returned for a third time to Swale station, and followed the Saxon Shore way (SSW) to Rainham (the one in Kent, not Essex!). Here's a map.
NB The map shows my route, with various diversions and excursions which you may not wish to follow precisely. You can download the Google map info, as a KML/KMZ file, then convert to GPX using a site like GPS Visualiser.
Essentials:
Start/Finish: Swale Station/Rainham Station. You can take the train between them (change at Sittingbourne)
Walk: The SSW route is Chetney Marshes, Raspberry Hill, Lower Halstow, Ham Green 'peninsula', Horsham Lakes, Motney Hill 'peninsula', Rainham Riverside Country Park.
Distance: 15 miles, station to station, including about a one mile walk through urban streets to Rainham Station. (Could save about two miles by omitting the final walk around the Motney Hill peninsula).
Refreshments: Three Tuns in Lower Halstow, Crown in Upchurch.
Points of interest: Two impressive bridges across the Swale. Views across the Swale and Medway to the industrial landscapes of Sheerness and Grain. Creeks, saltmarsh, mudflats, wrecks. Three 'peninsulas': Chetney Marshes (birdlife in season); Ham Green (orchards), Motney Hill (waste water treatment plant). Views across Medway from high ground between Raspberry Hill and Lower Halstow. Lower Halstow church, quay and pub. Unique 'candle snuffer' church spire in Upchurch.
Notes: - Signing of the SSW is patchy, and this stretch has not yet been 'branded' and signed as the England Coast Path (except for Motney Hill). The fields between Raspberry Hill and Lower Halstow had been ploughed, leaving no path on the ground (will be muddy after rain). Hence, a GPS map app will be invaluable.
- ⚠️On the approach to Raspberry Hill Park Farm, deep spoil has been dumped across the footpath (probably illegally), SSW signs have 'disappeared', and the path skirts a gated and fenced depot with heavy plant, park homes and growling dogs. I passed by without incident, but this section feels rather threatening: I think it is important that we exercise our right to use a public right of way without feeling threatened, but stay on the road to Lower Halstow if this might concern you.
- ⚠️Between Horsham Lakes and Otterham Quay, the path is along a busy road. I avoided some of this by making a diversion through the village of Upchurch. But this still leaves a short section on a bend on the busy road. Be prepared to squash into the adjoining hedges.
- I would strongly recommend doing this walk on a sunny day: it would probably seem rather grey and grim on an overcast day.
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| Apple orchard, Ham Green |
I started by parking in the station car park at Rainham (charge), and taking the train to Swale, with a change at Sittingbourne to a Sheerness train waiting on the adjacent platform. There are two Sheerness trains per hour, but only one stops at Swale, so make sure to get the right one.
Upon leaving isolated Swale Station at around 9:45am, in the shadow on the impressive 'new' road bridge, I walked towards the old Kingsferry Bridge. The access to the coast path was not obvious: I found an old set of steps hidden behind the traffic barriers: obviously this used to be the way, but for some reason it has been blocked, but it was easy to step over the barrier and descend the steps, although they was a scrambly bit at the bottom. Opposite, across the road, another unprepossessing set of steps led up to the Swale embankment, between the two bridges.
The following walk around the Chetney Marshes was a delight, helped by the sunny day which rendered the Swale a Mediterranean blue, offsetting the industrial landscape of Grain and Sheerness behind. Walking the Marsh in winter should also be great for large numbers of waders and wildfowl. The views include the innuendo laden Ladies Hole Point, which we rounded on our previous walk along the Sheppey side of the Swale. The path cuts across the actual 'headland' where the Swale joins the Medway, and from here on the creeks, saltmarsh and mudflats of the Medway Estuary are your companion.
Searching social media, it seems the owners of Chetney Marshes are highly protective of their land: possibly it's used for game or wildfowl shooting. There are signs warning that disturbing the birdlife may lead to prosecution, which is fair enough, but it doesn't seem to be an official nature reserve. I stuck to the SSW (as I would anyway), but don't be tempted to wander off piste. There are also many 'No Cycling' signs, so don't try.
After completing the walk around Chetney Marshes, one could just follow the road close to the waters edge to Lower Halstow. However, to avoid the traffic and get better views, the SSW climbs the low 'ridge' of hills, starting with Raspberry Hill. Here I found that the field at the start of the climb had been covered in a deep soil-like deposit. BBC News indicates that this is the result of illegal dumping of waste. Having plodded over these mounds, I reached the made-up track. Here, it seemed signs for the SSW had been removed. I followed the track which is the official SSW route past a fenced compound housing heavy plant and a number of homes. I was glad that a growling dog was on the other side of the fence to me.
I then found that for the next few miles, the fields crossed by the route had been ploughed up, making for heavy going - it would be very muddy in wet weather. My GPS map app on my smart phone made sure I stayed on the path. There was temporary respite when I crossed a field of perfect turf: I think this farm (Swaysdown Game Farm) grows and supplies turf. The redeeming feature of this section of the SSW is the occasional views out over the Medway estuary to the industry on the Isles of Grain and Sheppey. On the way down to meet the Halstow Road, the SSW overlooks a striking chimney, of the now-closed Funton brickworks, of which there were several in the area, using local clay, and shipping their bricks out by barge from the local quays.
I reached Lower Halstow at about 1:00pm, just in time for lunch at the very pleasant Three Tuns pub. On the way into the village you pass the picturesque church of St Mary of Antioch, right beside a wharf, where it seems a large barge is being restored. On this walk, I passed several boats in various states, from decaying wrecks to boats being restored in dry docks.
Resuming after lunch, the SSW took me around another 'peninsula'. This one has no name on the OS map, so I call it the Ham Green peninsula, after the farm which occupies most of the land. This is a fruit farm, with apple and pear trees in long neat rows, groaning with ripe fruit ready for picking.
The SSW heads through these orchards then passes through the Horsham Fishing Lakes. It then follows the busy Horsham Hill/Lane to Otterham Quay. To avoid this, I made a short diversion to the village of Upchurch, which had two bonus attractions: the church tower is topped by a unique 'candle snuffer' octagonal pyramid, possibly to provide a navigational aid to ships on the Thames; and also The Crown pub, a friendly place, which was happy to meet my request for a cup of tea.
I followed a bridleway and quiet lane to rejoin that busy road, along which I only had to walk a short way, but it's on a sharp bend, so take care. Otterham Quay at the head of the eponymous creek apparently has history and wrecks, but it seems hidden behind housing developments and industrial units. Having skirted those, I picked up ECP signs: the ECP has been signed around Motney Hill and on Westwards through Rochester to Grain. It seems that the current section from Swale will be designated at some point, I don't know what the hold up is. Perhaps the on-road section along Horsham Lane is judged too dangerous, maybe they are awaiting housing and industrial developments to improve and fund costal access, or maybe it's that dodgy dumping activity at Raspberry Hill.
I could have cut down to Rainham station, but decided to make the most of the weather, ignore my tired legs, and make a circuit of the third 'peninsula', Motney Hill. There are more good views out over Otterham Creek. Motney Hill itself is occupied by a waste water treatment works, and the final stretch of this 'coastal' walk is along the access road, ending at the car park for the Riverside Country Park on Rainham Creek, from where I viewed the final wreck of the day out on the mud flats, which I believe is an old trawler, the Aberdeen, which was scrapped at nearby Bloor's Wharf in the 1970s.
There was a final sting in the tail to this walk. From the car park, a seductive grassy path through the Country Park leads towards Rainham. I followed this, but could find no exit onto the main road, so had to retrace my steps. I then followed NCN1 signs to escape along a traffic free track, and made it back to my car at the station along Berengrave Lane, finishing my walk at around 5:00pm.
My other coast walks can be found on this page.
Nearby walks:
Sheppey West and North
Sheppey South and East
Rainham to Rochester TBD
Cycle ride along the SSW between Faversham and Swale
Photos: sunny day in mid-September
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| Swale Station |
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| Hidden steps down to SSW |
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| Steps up to Swale embankment |
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| Swale 'new' crossing |
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| Path round Chetney Marshes |
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| Looking back to Swale crossing |
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| Across the Swale, Grain to the left, Sheppey to the right |
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| Grain |
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| Ladies Hole Point visited on previous walk |
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| SSW signing |
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| SSW cuts across to Medway shore |
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| Path across to Medway |
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| The farm on Chetney Marsh |
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| Welcome memorial seat |
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| Channel dividing Chetney Hill from 'mainland' |
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| Ever-present Swale crossing |
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| Wreck |
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| Climbing away from Chetney Marsh |
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| Illegal tipping across the SSW at Raspberry Hill |
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| Ploughed field |
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| Excellent turf |
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| Lake |
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| View towards Grain |
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| Funton brickworks chimney |
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| Funton brickworks chimney |
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| Lower Halstow Quay |
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| Three Tuns, Lower Halstow |
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| SSW signing |
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| St Mary of Antioch, beside Lower Halstow Quay |
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| Looking over Halstow Creek |
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| Saltmarsh |
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| Twinney Wharf |
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| Ham Green orchards |
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| Another boat |
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| Shoregate Jetty |
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| Ham Green orchards |
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| Apples |
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| Pears |
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| Tyres |
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| Candle snuffer cupola, Upchurch |
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| Upchurch |
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| The Crown, Upchurch |
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| Pears at Motney Hill |
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| Across Otterham Creek |
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| Heading round Motney Hill peninsula |
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| Motney Hill Waste Water Treatment works |
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| Cat |
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| On the Waterworks access road |
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| ECP signing |
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| The last wreck (The trawler 'Aberdeen') |
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| In the Riverside Country Park |
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