Cycling around Canvey Island and Hadleigh Park

I have cycled much of the Thames Estuary, including Rainham - Grays on the North side, and Gravesend to Dartford and Isle of Sheppey on the South. I have always wanted to add Canvey Island and this I did today, with a circuit of the Island. I wanted to make the most of the incredible run of dry weather, fearing that the rain, which is forecast to resume imminently, will rapidly return any earthen tracks to their usual muddy state.

I parked around 11am in the Western Esplanade car park (whole day for £3): it stays open till dusk (around 9pm in the summer), giving ample time for a leisurely circuit. Here is the GPS track-map of my ride.

Canvey Island suffered devastating flooding in 1953, and as a result was provided with an improved sea wall which runs around the Island's South, East and North coasts. A good path follows this sea wall, and the circuit is completed by a path along the top of the East Haven Creek earth embankment. In this ride I used these paths to complete a circumnavigation of the Island.

In addition, I took the opportunity to explore Hadleigh Park, which overlooks the Hadleigh Ray, the creek which separates the Island from the 'mainland'. This park was the site of the mountain biking events in the 2012 London Olympics, the legacy of which included, in addition to the mountain bike tracks themselves, some easier trails for ordinary cyclists like me. I included a visit to Hadleigh Castle, a notable ruin giving excellent views across Canvey and the Estuary.

Starting at the West Esplanade car park, my circuit comprised:

heading Eastwards along the sea wall passing the popular beach and bathing areas, and rounding the easternmost point of the Island to Smallgains Creek;
around the 'headland' of Canvey Heights Country Park and continuing Westwards along the southern side of Hadleigh Ray and Benfleet Creek, then crossing over the Canvey Gateway bridge to the 'mainland' at Benfleet;
entering Hadleigh Park via School Lane, and following the excellent bike path Eastwards to Hadleigh Castle (I made a short diversion here to the Salvation Army Hadleigh Farm tea rooms for a lunchtime snack.);
descending to Leigh-on-Sea station and taking the track back Westwards along the North bank of the Hadleigh Ray to the Benfleet Bridge and crossing back onto the Island;
following the embankment of the East Haven Creek, then the sea wall along Hole Haven Creek, to reach the Lobster Smack pub
continuing along the sea wall to Thorney Bay to return to the car park where I started (arrived back about 6pm, after 7 hours and 27 miles of riding)

On this lovely summer's day, with temperatures 'merely' in the mid-twenties compared to 30+ on previous days of late, this was a most enjoyable ride, perhaps surprisingly so given the bad rap which all things 'Essex' get in the media. There were good views over to the southern side of the Estuary (Hoo Peninsula and Isle of Grain), downriver to Southend with its record-length Pier, and across to the wooded slopes of Hadleigh Park, dominated by the venerable stone tower of the castle. The tracks were all good, except for the first couple of miles of the path along the East Haven Creek embankment: this was rather overgrown with long grass: still cyclable, but hard going, and I suspect after rain this would be very difficult to ride along.

These photos tell the story in more detail.

Looking along the sea wall

The sea wall has been decorated with murals telling Canvey's story

The Labworth cafe and restaurant - a restored 1932 Art Deco gem by Ove Arup

I saw no piles of discarded crutches

The murals tell the tragic story of the great flood of 1953

The paddling pool beach, looking across the Estuary

Around the eastern headland, the path at the base of the wall becomes rough.....

...but there is a better path along the top

Smallgains Creek

The path around Canvey Heights Country Park

Looking across the Hadleigh Ray to Hadleigh Castle

The wall along the Hadleigh Ray

Carved stones telling of the Viking defeat by the Saxons at the battle of Benfleet in 894

Cycle Path through Hadleigh Park, towards Hadleigh Castle tower

View across the Hadleigh Ray to Canvey Island

Fields behind the Castle

Hadleigh Castle

Hadleigh Castle tower is a prominent landmark. It was painted c1814 by John Constable 'At Hadleigh there is a ruin of a castle which from its situation is a really fine place - it commands a view of the Kent hills, the Nore and North Foreland & looking many miles to sea'

Salvation Army tea room (part of the Hadleigh Farm Estate where the SA provides skills training for folk with special needs

Track descending from Hadleigh Castle

The track descending towards Leigh

I stopped to slake my thirst at this stall close to Leigh-on-Sea station (for full service, you can carry on into Leigh proper)

Wreck of the Souvenir, a 1933 Thames bawley (no, I didn't know what that was either) on the Hadleigh Ray which has been turned into an art work commemorating 'lost species'.