8 off the train, including 2 rarely before seen ones. Those two struggled a wee bit with the soapy/muddy sections along the starter section of getting to the river, then along the seawall, where clearly locals and dogwalkers had done their bits (plus cyclists although it's a footpath and - as we saw a little later - a guy pushing a pram along the grassy/soapy seawall top!). Those two eventually fell substantially behind (and did not plan to walk up to the lunch pub anyway, so we never saw them again after Althorne, and even there only from distance).

The path did eventually get substantially better and - with it being low tide - we could focus on checking the birdlife. Skeins of geese overhead, waders to the side in the exposed mudflats to the right, egrets emerging from the drainage channels to the left, the sound of curlews and plovers in the air, it was entertaining enough to just about forget about the cold wind onto the face.

About 40 minutes before the turnoff for the lunch pub, the silhuettes of two very familiar Sunday walk regulars appeared, walking towards us. They had been at Liv Street at the right time, but got bad advice from a person in the ticket office and headed for the wrong train on the wrong platform. They then took the next one an hour later, but to Althorne and walked back to meet us and turn back with us to Althorne.

At the lunch pub, we had a pre-booked table for 4 and a high table at the bar for 3 with 1 sitting outside. It is under new mgmt (the same guy who runs the Queen's Head in Burnham) as of last weekend and not everything went smoothly just yet but it looks very promising. One of the group got - correctly - admonished by him for eating her own sandwiches secretly under the table and had to go outside as well, while the others ordered food.

The two late joiners then walked back to Althorne station, while 6 of us carried on. More muddy sections followed, where one of us ever so gracefully slipped and slided into a side-on collison with the elements, but spirits were still high upon reaching Burnham. We were in line to easily meet the 16.11, so that's what we did without a further stop.

10 dry and grey

4 on a hot humid day. A sea breeze did little to mitigate. The morning was almost entirely along the sea wall. This gave opportunity to look across the salt marsh at the occasional duck. ( There was other stuff as well like egrets, and, apparently, oystercatchers - but you needed your bins for them).

Plenty of butterflies, of which marbled whites were most prominent. A large number had gathered on one particular knapweed.

And so to B on C and the White Harte.They say you shouldn’t drink too much in hot weather but Mr Tiger downed 2 ciders before you could say “evaporashn”. Then on to the Anchor where two faster walkers were having nosh that looked posh. There were spare chips.

The Art Trail was in progress Some on stalls, but most in shop windows. The two faster walkers decided to concentrate on that in the afternoon. The slower walkers did the afternoon loop through fields then back along yet more sea wall, finishing up with yet more cider.

A quick look at the kiddies’ scribbles at the station, then home.

10 on a sunny day with a cool breeze, near ideal walking conditions. Group split into two before the pub stop. Three had sandwiches then continued on to Burnham for afternoon tea. Didn't see the other seven again. Catching the 3.41pm train back to London.

The other seven continued on to the pub for lunch where 5 ordered and two had sandwiches before rejoining for a drink. While waiting a famous SWC walk poster/author arrived (not the poster of this walk who to the relief of some did not make an appearance, but one seen rarely northeast of London) having taken the train direct to Althorne with the intention of doing the second half of the walk. So that made 11 in total. The wait for the food was long due to a thinly staffed service with one poor soul in the kitchen, so the two sandwichers pushed on. When the food did arrive the portions were generous and pronounced tasty.

There was some discussion of the merits of the walk with some feeling it a bit ‘samey’ and others appreciating the quiet beauty. One walker opted to return to London so 5 pushed on. The second half of the walk saw more wildlife including a convocation of about a couple hundred Brent Geese engaged in much excited chatter though they quieted down once the last walker had passed.

As they entered into town the other two sandwichers were spotted finishing up at a pub before heading to the train station. The five did a loop around to admire the architectural marvel that was the royal yatch club building before heading back along the high street to find at least one coffee house open after four pm. After a nice refuelling stop they made it to the station in time to catch the 16:57 back. All in all a lovely day out.

3 on the walk in overcast with a cold easterly breeze weather.

Just the 1 luncher, who had to beg to get served at the fully booked Three Horseshoes and didn't see the other 2 again after lunch. 16.10 train for the luncher.

A select group set off on a simple but very enjoyable route. As long as the river was on the right not too much could go wrong. Nothing wrong with the weather. A gentle wind, no rain, patchy cloud, sunny intervalsin the afternoon.

Lunchtime did go slightly wrong. Having not booked at the Three Horse Shoes, we were told there wasn't room for 3 walkers.

However, The Victoria Inn in Burnham provided a warm welcome. The Sunday roast was not eaten (or ordered) but looked good. Back to London on 16.10.

3 dry with patchy clouds and sunny intervals

On Friday, out of interest, there is going to be a "penumbral eclipse" of the moon from 5pm to 9pm: this means it turns a bit of a funny colour, apparently

There is also the earlier 09.13 train to Wickford, should you be nervous of the 5 minute connection there. The coffee kiosk at Wickford may (or may not) be open...

Thanks for the tip Walker - I've just been out looking at it. I'd say the darker shading is just about discernable with binoculars.

13 walkers off the train in overcast with a strong wind from the right behind type conditions. Having walked this many a times in all seasons, I found it surprisingly muddy today, even on the seawall, which is usually grassy and firm. Slithery rather than deep mud, but still...

Plenty of birds were seen fighting the fierce wind: (not being an expert) waders, geese, ducks, egrets, what looked like a (small) starling murmuration and a larger flock of larger birds doing murmuration-type things. We started at low tide with mudflats exposed and had a joyful first half of the walk before turning up to the lunch pub, the Three Horseshoes. The Walk Poster had booked a table, and the 6 lunchers enjoyed tasty portions, later joined by 5 picnickers (2 others had marched on to Burnham, w/o diverting to the pub).

Upon rejoining the riverbank, we spotted another walker just an inlet behind, who never caught us, but we later saw him in Burnham munching on Fish & Chips (he had started from Althorne station, at halfway point, and stayed on for the extension). 14

With The Georgian Tea Rooms shut (for winter?), we found a new place, the Ground Coffee House, which was nice. The rest had gone to the Star Inn, where we joined them after tea.

7 agreed to do the moonlight extension, the rest heading for the 17.00 train. The moon was conspiciously abesnt on account of being hidden behind clouds, but there was still plenty of eerie light refraction about, enabling us to avoid using headtorches apart from when studying the map or negotiating muddy stretches. The route chosen was circular, out along the river towards the North Sea, then turn inland through the salt marshes (and past plenty info panels) back towards Burnham. It was joyful, so much that I will lobby the walk author to include it as an optional extension.

3 on the 19.00 train, 4 chose one more drink in The New Welcome Sailor.

What struck me on the night walk was how dark it was out on the Essex marshes. Mostly in the south east there is a glow on the horizon from London or sone other town. But today to the east and north east was impressively black. It would be a good area for stargazing, I think.

Looks like there are no trains tomorrow between Liv Street and Stratford, and what the journey planner shows is a tube transfer, i.e. Central Line. Best to describe it as a Stratford start therefore! At 10.30...

Just 2 off the Stratford-originating train in warm and hazy with a breeze later sunny weather. Some good displays of Red Samphire in the Salt Marshes, plenty of wildflowers still on display on the seawall and in the neighbouring pastures. Lots of butterflies and insects, incl. plenty of red-bodied dragonflies. Add the mudflats (it was low tide at the start of the walk) and plenty of birdlife, the sailing and other boats, and we had an almighty fine scenery.

Walker 1 picnicked by the river in Althorne, Walker 2 found some nourishment on a damson tree pathside to keep him going, and - for once - forewent his usual pub lunch and headed straight for Burnham and a Kaffee und Kuchen extravaganza, later on washed down with a pint of locally brewed liquid bread at The Queen's Head.

Always a nice walk.

I was on the walk, possibly about two hours behind. With a friend. Lovely walk indeed. Picnic by the marina at Althorpe. Beer and food in Old White Harte BOC excellent, and the dark mild in The New Welcome Sailor near the station was beyond good. Great day, thanks for posting. Gavin

4

4 set off from North Fambridge in surprisingly sunny conditions with a steady tailwind for this winter's walk through a Turner painting...The group split almost immediately with 2 doing the more direct short start and 2 the main walk. We regrouped just before the lunch diversion (and an ominous footpath closure sign). Three had good value lunches at the pub with the picnicker joining for a hot drink. After lunch, 2 headed off on the alternate route and 2 felt it their civic SWC duty to inspect the footpath closure more closely...While there is indeed a barrier, it is passable. Inspection of the various mud-prints along the closed seawall would imply that we were not the only transgressors, unless Essex is enlisting the use of pooches in their seawall revamping project. Overall, the route is passable with work in a few spots on both sides of the wall -- though would likely be more challenging during the week when workers would more likely be present. In the afternoon, the early sunset along the river with some passing clouds was really beautiful. In Burnham, the 2 river walkers made a pass through town and planned to stop at a pub nearer the station -- but decided to catch the 17:10 (with provisions) and met the 2 alternate route walkers on the platform for a pleasant journey home.

Always a nice walk, whatever the weather, whatever the season, in my opinion, but especially so when it's sunny with a breeze from behind , and the tide is low, the mudbanks are exposed and the birdlife is busy, as it was today.

18 walkers today, 13 or 14 of which went to the lunch pub. Some were quite happy with their food, others had some grumbles, but outside in the sun, this didn't really matter all that much. 9 of us then had a very good cream tea (or just tea) in Burnham at the Georgian Tea Gardens and most of those then also had a drink on the wooden terrace of the Ye Olde White Hart pub, overhanging the river. 18.10 train for those. Purrrfect day.

18 walkers in dry weather with low clouds /mist. The seawall path was unexpectedly muddy in a few places, but mostly fine to walk along. More difficult were the few stiles and the one plank bridge: all slitherey and dangerous, resulting in one comical (injury-free) backwards fall. The route was amazingly quiet today, even by the standards of this remote walk. No other hikers and only very few dog walkers, so we had the scenery to ourselves and the birds.

Mudflats and creeks were exposed for the duration, as we had low tide all the way, making for interesting scenery unlike any other walk I am aware of on this site.

12 pub lunchers and 2 sandwichers walked up to Althorne, the rest continued directly to Burnham. The Three Horseshoes served the - by now familiar - huge portions of tasty, good-value-for-money grub. And they even had space inside for all of us.

2 then took the train from Althorne to Burnham for a mosey.The rest reached the town in time for tea, only to find the first tea shop still shut for year end.

Not to worry, the Quayside Cafe and Restaurant a little further along the promenade served decent cakes and (bagged) tea. Most of the tea-drinkers then joined 4 others for a drink at the Royal Yacht Club (the Corinthians Yacht Club was shut for the day). 17.00 train for the backmarkers.

The two who left the group after lunch enjoyed tea at Royal Burnham Yacht Club with fantastic view of peaceful sea - highly recommended.