Rainham Marshes best kept secret
As most people who have visited us before know, the public access path that runs along the river wall lends itself to beautiful vistas of both the reserve and the River Thames estuary. It is a great place to watch the lapwing swoop and twirl over the reserve, spot the harbour seals basking across the river, and look out for waders at low tide.
However, what few people do know is that this path continues along the river beyond the length of the reserve, introducing a new adventure through an area of dramatic contrast between the natural beauty flanking the path, and the industrial cityscape looming along the river. And the best way to experience this little-known treasure? Why, cycling of course!
A little while back, I went exploring this path along with Active in Nature volunteers Joe and Lauren. It was a beautiful, warm, late-summer day. We set off on mountain bikes hired from RSPB Rainham Marshes (keep reading to find out more information on hiring bicycles from Rainham Marshes!), stopping along the way to look out over the river to see what we could see and take some obligatory photos.
After several minutes of cycling, we reached the point where the path starts to veer away from the river. We took a sharp left at a junction in the path, which after a short uphill, had us back along the river on a beautiful path flanked by flowers, blackberries, and many busy butterflies.
After cycling a little bit further, we came across an open area of long grass and flowers buzzing with bees, flies, and grasshoppers. We decided this was a good place to stop and look a bit closer. We parked up our bicycles and wandered through the bustling grass. There was so much to see! Butterflies of all hues and sizes, more grasshoppers than we could count, and lots of bumblebees lazily floating about. All if this found in the shadow of a very large, very industrial building – we were amazed!
We carried on cycling and soon reached a very interesting piece of history, the concrete barges. Sitting on the bank, stoic and forgotten, these barges date back to World War II. They were developed in advance of D Day, used as part of the temporary floating harbour which was used to quickly offload cargo in preparation for the invasion of Normandy. After stopping to take in the scene for a few minutes, we continued on. The cycle path loops around and meets up with Rainham Marsh, cycling on the path next to the road that flanks the marshes until we made it back to our original route, along the river and back towards the visitor centre.
Interested? You’re in luck! This upcoming Sunday, the 17th of September from 1:30pm-3:30pm, the Active in Nature team here at Rainham will be leading a free Family Cycling Adventure along this very route! Bring the kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, and experience it yourself. We will be stopping along the way to enjoy the vistas, hunt for mini-beasts, and do some fun activities. No booking necessary, although spaces are limited so get here early to claim your spot! Don’t have your own bicycle? Don’t fret! We have bicycles of varying sizes here available for hire at only £5 for half a day. Hope to see you there!