Most overlooked London walk - Erith to Dartford Creek (4K)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- One of the most surprising parts of London - along the Thames foreshore from Erith to Dartford Creek. Please subscribe for regular videos: bit.ly/1EJjIB8
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This was the final stage of the walk I did for Chapter 3 of my book This Other London - from Erith, along the pier then across the salt marshes - the Erith Saltings to the confluence of the River Darent and the Thames at Dartford Creek.
Erith in the London Borough of Bexley is place of great history. There are traces of Neolithic trackways and settlement, Bronze Age 'Beaker People' burials, it was where the rebellious Barons met with King John to discuss the terms of Magna Carta in 1215. Henry VIII had a naval dockyard at Erith. The original pier was built in the 1840's and later a grand Pier Hotel and pleasure garden. The pier has been retained and a walk along Erith Pier is one of the great experiences in London.
The walk ends at Howbury Moat - a Saxon Manor house built around 900.
Woolwich to Thamesmead via Lesnes Abbey - Green Chain Walk (4K) • Woolwich to Thamesmead...
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Drifting at 432 Hz - Unicorn Heads
Fern - Ann Annie
Lens - Bobby Richards
Eureka - Huma-Huma
Little Drunk, Quiet Floats - Puddle of Infinity
Map: Open Street Map “© OpenStreetMap contributors” using data available under the Open Database Licence
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As someone born and bred in Erith I never considered it as part of London Erith has a Kent Postcode. I remember being at school when the London County Council expanded and took over the Local Education Authority. All the school Rubbers (Erasers) and Pencils that used to have the Invicta Rampant Horse Motif on were changed to the bland and boring LCC printed ones. We cherished our Invicta Erasers and Books! My father worked in the coal yard you mentioned from the age of 14 and learned to drive a Steam Lorry there. Edward Butler designed the first internal Combustion powered machine The "VeloCycle" and patented it in 1884 some two years before Karl Benz did. Butler drove his later version the "Petrol Cycle" along Manor Road in Erith. Erith can rightly lay claim to be considered the birthplace of the Motor Vehicle!
Your dads a nonce
i used to live there in erith, crayford and dartford and worked on the river thames, cray and both marshes. the forest remains can be seen on lower tides. ive walked amongst the roots. still find nuts and antler in the eroded bank. the pier hotel also had a zoo. erith was a seaside town and the mud flts have only developed as the foreshore was industrialised, before it was sand with paddling and swimming. my great nan use to holiday there in the early 1900s. vickers and maxim were based in erith and crayford and used the marshes for testing. the moated manor house remains were built in 1086 for bishop odo, cousin of william the conquer, although the area had a much older settlement. i see you turned off back to slade green train station. had you carried on, you would end up in crayford creek and come out on thames road a206. this is now the highest tidel reach of the river cray. cross the bridge and follow the creek back around into dartford marsh and you come to dartford creek. again , steeped in history. The battle of crayford was a bloodbath when the saxons came back. revenge!!!! the brits had several battles , beating horsa & hengist & catagerrn, all the way back to thanet. the saxons came back on mass and a large battle at crayford ensued were 4000 brits were killed. in the mid 1800s builders found the remains of a twin deck galleon under what is now roman way in crayford. The river cray you see today was dug in 1650. Hall place, dog track, sainsburys, town hall tower retail park etc etc all sit on the silted river crays tidal reaches. The marshes of stanham farm are infact the original tidal route with the Cray FORD being under the town hall area. I'll shut up now lol. so much history in that area. One last thing, the first non stop flight across the atlantic, was in a vimy built in crayford. The spirit of st loui is hollywood and was about the 90th flight.
Brilliant thanks S T - I wondered whether the Vickers that flew to Australia in 1919 had been tested here as well
wow, I've done so much googling from this comment. Great info, thanks!
Way too many blks now
I am proud to have Erith on my Birth Certificate and have been a Member of Erith Rotary since 1982. In 2011 we celebrated the tercentenary of the arrival of Alexander Selkirk returning from the Island of Juan Fernandez Island in the Pacific Ocean and Erith was his final docking place on his return.
I used to work in Erith ( 1977 ) and lived in Dartford and played as a kid on Dartford marshes. There used to be Joyce Green isolation Hospital on the marshes, my mother went there with scarlet fever in the 1930s. When the hospital was knocked down and turned into a housing estate Kew Gardens removed some rare trees, but i believe the cemetary behind the hospital is still there and still has victims of the plague buried there never to be disturbed. We used to make rafts from driftwood and have fires on the shore.
I was born in Woolwich and have never heard your pronunciation of Lesnes Abbey amongst south east londeners, they tend to say "lezness" as one word. Enjoy watching your walks.
I have to confess I wasn't very impressed by Erith when I set out on the London LOOP section to Bexley, but your fascinating description of its history has put it into perspective - when I go back to complete my second circuit of the LOOP I'll take my time and be less dismissive.
By the bye: Linda Smith came from Erith and observed that the town wasn't twinned with anywhere, but it had a suicide pact with Dagenham.
Aah, the late, great Linda Smith. What she would make of the state of the world today.
@@davidjohnson00001 She'd have something caustic but hilarious to say, that's for sure.
It does have a lot of history. That doesn't stop it being a shithole now though, unfortunately.
@@bentp4891 There is a shithole right behind you mate, it goes wherever you do.
I live in erith. Trust me, it’s not worth anybody’s time.
"Magical" is never a hackneyed word on your walks. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Oh, this couldn’t be more timely; some friends and I walked from Woolwich to Thamesmead last Sunday, mainly in search of former film locations, and then looped around to Abbey Wood to catch the train westward. The river was like glass, no wind and so peaceful. Sadly we missed the tour of the Crossness Pumping Station but only because we’d no idea it was happening until quite by chance, we bumped into an acquaintance who’d been lucky enough to visit. I can recommend the Dial Arch (a Young’s pub) at Woolwich Arsenal for an excellent pre-walk Sunday lunch.
In Swedish “näs” also indicates a promontory so this “ness” might well be of Nordic origin.
...and we cast a Shetland yacht adrift. I wonder where it is now?
A few years ago I walked Sidcup to Erith via the river cray to the Thames. It was fabulous if rather hot as it was very exposed close to the Thames. Then it was a simple train ride back to Sidcup.
Hi John. There is something quite special about the lower reaches of the Thames before the likes of Canvey Island. It feels unexplored, mysterious and inaccessible. But because of this it has its very own charm. You get the river to yourself with so few people about.
I've driven through Erith every week since the mid 90s and I didn't even know that pier was there!! Cheers John
Watching this video from Spain, where I live. Nearly fifty years ago we used to bunk off school in Tottenham to walk the Lea from Stonebridge lock, sometimes as far away as Ware or Broxbourne. Later, I got into a load of trouble at school for missing so many days.
@Hitogokochi Nowhere in my comment do I say anything about England being "so great ". It's simply an anecdote that may or may not be of interest to the people who watch these videos. For the record, I live in Spain because the general quality of life is higher than in England.
Romantic Erith, especially Slade Green! Cheers John for bringing it all back.
bordering on perfection ......... Thanks John.
thanks very much Paul
Just when I thought we wasn’t getting a video this Sunday…. Whenever I have been in Erith it has always felt very industrial with its recycling and big open yards n works . Thanks John
All the best for the coming week 👍🏻
It's certainly a place of contrasts Ian
Thanks John for another great vid 👍
hope you enjoy it Grant
Lovely walk John thanks again
Right in my back yard and where I ride. Real shame there is not a bridge over the mouth of the Darenth to join the paths up. I still miss the Little brook power station chimney.
Nice one again
thanks Vishal
i love your videos always makes me calm in a chaotic world
that's great to hear Lee
I don’t remember any hotel where Morrison’s is. But I do know that where Morrison’s car park is used to be the old Pier Road. There were a row of large houses in which two of my brothers and myself was born.
The old Police station used to have boats on the river there was an old pier with a few little cottages. I loved Erith as it used to be before they started pulling it apart.
Watching this from New Zealand and born in Erith. Born a stones throw from the Thames barge pic on the White Hart.
I was born in Dartford, names are familiar. So interested in the history. I live in California (since 1984), and love to go on these walks with you! Thank you!
Thank you for the memories from we in Spain
Nice One John, Cheers mate..
cheers Ralph
Can tell by the content how the creator loves his channel! Thanks for the share! Returning viewer here!
Near our neck of the woods , apple crumble this time xxx good to see you xxx
wonderful
I dont know how i came across your youtube, but i am converted! Your easy delivery style and knowledge is just a pleasure to watch and listen to. Cant wait for more. Nice one.
Quite possibly my favourite so far, a visual and historical feast, thanks so much John. Now where did I put my paint brushes... ;-)
thanks very much Lois - the walk I did in 2012 never left me so it was great to go back and find it still as magical
Love the walks along the Thames!
I am almost certain that part of Rainham marshes you pointed out at the bend is where Joseph Conrad began his book "The Heart of Darkness." It is where the boat stops on the first night of the narrators journey. Obviously this story, tale and myth making of the British Empire, was then made into Apocalypse Now, which in its own, and strikingly similar, way could be applied to what the US was doing in Vietnam...
I did this walk a couple of years back hoping I’d get to the bridge at Dartford but didn’t reckon on the creek spoiling my plans. I should have done some research before setting off I suppose but did manage to do the last bit the following week. Lovely video bringing back some good memories and the Erith pier was one of them.
I was born in Erith and grew up in Barnehurst, so this is really interesting to me. I hate it, when people mis-pronounce Erith as 'Eh-rith'. It was originally called 'Earhythe' (or something like that), hence the pronunciation.
Always love the music in your videos,for some reason it brings a nostalgia in me !
Making heavy industry 'romantic'😆👌 I particularly appreciate your music/editing John👏 Well played indeed🖤
Really enjoyed this. I grew up in Welling but lived all over Kent.
0:08 that roundabout & Thames Road is lethal. 😉☠️💀
Wonderful walk! Beautiful landscape. Thank you for all the history, it makes the walk very special indeed.
Living in Richmond, near the upper limit of the tidal Thames, Erith seems like a disreputable uncle at a family wedding.
Owing to your inspiration John, I have just completed 16 sections of the LOOP since mid summer this year and am now a highly addicted walker...thank you so much, this has been a complete life changer! I have to say that I look upon Section 1 very fondly as the contrasts of scenery including the BIG industrial area's are all very dramatic...also love the local folk, great character's. Keep up the great work!
That’s brilliant to hear Michael - once you start you can’t stop. Happy walking
Fine dreamy walk to take me away from grim and stormy Scotland.
Much of it familiar, but I have never seen that pier.
I've lived in S.E London all my life, early years in Dulwich, then 11 in Crayford, 3 in Erith and 1 in Thamesmead, worked in Dartford for 6 years, and have now lived in Plumstead for 20 years - and I never knew about the Howbury Moat wall and several other things you mentioned in this video. Have arranged to meet an old friend and do this walk in a couple of weeks. Thanks so much for this video, very friendly and engaging and very interesting. Have subscribed!
Many thanks magicplum - wonderful to hear, hope you enjoy the walk
Hi John I’ve just come across your channel and what a great channel it is, I don’t live far from Erith and the way you described the whole area downstream was both fascinating and enlightening. Keep up the good work John and thank you for uploading, and I look forward to viewing both your new and archived videos having just subscribed 😀 stay safe David 👍👍
It's amazing how you have made me re-evaluate my teenage haunts in this. Beautiful film making.
thanks so much Dan - very much appreciated
A lovely walk John ,even more special as I am in the middle of your wonderful book. Thank you.😀
I live in Erith now, nice history !
Evening 👍
good evening Dan - hope you enjoy the video
Brilliant vid John i went had a good explore of Burnham on crouch yesterday and lunchtime today amazing tour and on the roof of Millienium Mill old factory in royal victoria dock
sounds like you've had a great weekend Stephen
Yet another corker John, superb walk matey, its like you're opening a window to the past and we are all peering in,
thank you so much for sharing with us.
Dave in Thailand.
You were blessed with some amazing skies on this walk, John, some lovely filming of surprising vistas. It sounds weird to me though when you call this South London - it feels very East from where I am. I had a very minor brush with death in Dartford, so it’s all a bit nostalgic as well!
Great music John, very estuary suited. Strange places :-)
Thanks Mouxbar - really enjoyed matching the music to the landscape in this one
I studied building construction at Erith technical college in the 70s, I remember the old Erith high street on a hill, with a branch of Woolworths with wooden floorboards, I took a load of photos in the early 70s along the foreshore at erith, and put the film in fixer instead of dev. it all got lost!
Thank you for this - another lovely walk. Please come out to Gravesend and do a historical walk around my lovely town. Those ferries out to Gravesend terminated at Rosherville pier which was a Victorian themed gardens, in some way, comparable to the Crystal Palace at Norwood. We have so much history down here. We also have the biggest Sikh temple in the country.
As ever , great film thank you. Ive known and oddly loved this area of London for it for its urban serenity for decades here. It’s the not the natural beauty that is the draw but the layers of history that Conrad, Dickens or even Elliot could point too.
An engrossing walk, full of interest. Thank you.
glad you enjoyed it Malcolm
The first long walk I did after discovering your videos was the London Loop section 1 between Erith and Bexley. As a North West London Harrow lad born a bred the salt marshes along the Thames Estuary felt like an alien and fascinating World for someone used to leafy suburbs on the edge of London. It's amazing all the different landscapes you can find around the city.
Thank you so much for this. As ever, so enjoyable. It really makes my Monday! Take care.
I was in Erith in (December) 2011. Lovely film, John. Thank you.
Another fascinating tour John from a place I have never heard of. Very informative thanks buddy
Brilliant walk never been there but a place on my list great views of the Thames estuary beautiful video John enjoyed very much
Marvellous end to another terrific walk.
Wonderful to see this part of the Thames
Great video. I used to live in Dartford and always used to bypass Erith and Slade Green because I look so miserable and grim. I had no idea that Howbury moat was in the Slade Green area. I will venture out there.
Bring a torch and a radio and make sure someone knows where you're going... (lol - I'm sure you'll be OK...)
So interesting John,Never thoight about Erith having so much history and a lovely walk in remote places which you have spurred me on to investigate!!!!
Love the full rainbow.
Actually got to watch on the day for once! Love these walks around the very edges of London, beautiful rainbow there at the start, loverly ending too with the remains of the ancient Manor House. As always, thank you and stay safe. 🤔😀
Thanks Tomgirl Double - the edgelands of London are so full of mystery even now
Thanks for another lovely trip and a history lesson look 4d to it each week
My father worked for Stephenson and Clarke shipping during the 1960's. His ship 'Friston' would sometimes anchor on the Thames at Erith and I remember going to meet him there. Interesting to see how it has altered. Thank you.
Thanks John iam home sick for me old Home London keep safe .👍
cheers Dave
Fabulous John … lit up a previous run I did in February this year with your additional knowledge and information! We went to Erith from 5 Arches near Sidcup along the Cray Riverway and we went on to the pier to finish the route before returning our way back 20 miles out and back 👍
Thanks for another downriver Thames walk. Hope you continue walks on this bank of the Thames towards the estuary.
Superb video John. Great that some of the marshes have survived the developers. Bring back jingling as an Olympic sport.
I had my little sister watching this with me today and she really enjoyed it as did I. Yet again like always a great video John you never disappoint 👍
many thanks Michael - glad your sister enjoyed it too
@@JohnRogersWalks your very welcome mate
Hi I found this walk absolutely amazing, I grew up in Crayford so it was great to see old haunts. Thank you.
I now live in Sheppey and I was wondering whether you’re aware of Dead Mans Island which is at the other end of the Thames before it reaches the mouth of the North Sea, it’s situated in Iwade close to the Sheppey Crossing. It’s where the bodies of the plague victims were floated out to, after they finished at Gravesend. At low tide you can still see the skeletons on the old boats, just about emerging from the mud? Please, please come and look for yourself. It would be great to see this in a future walk with you.
Thank you very much. I enjoyed this immensely. Shelley.
Superb as expected ! Well done John….
Another interesting walk John. We live in Thamesmead near the Abbey ruins at Abbey Wood. It was VERY interesting to hear about the history of our neighbours Erith, Slade Green and Crayford Marshes. Have a great week mate. 👍🙂
Well thought and made video! Kudos to the creator's hard work to bring us awesome video to watch!
Another lovely walk John,keep well.
thanks Mary
My beautiful home town of 60 years. I lived just by the river 12 floors up over looking the Thames. My mum aged 86 still looks over the Thames from her riverside flat.
JOHN I LOVE YOU
My home town, didn't even know about the moated manor house, I will visit soon John your narration is amazing..ATB Chris.
Thank you John, great history. I had never been there before so this was very interesting. 💕🇦🇺
In the 1950s Wells Fireworks were made in the various huts on Dartford marshes and the smallpox isolation hospital was still in use. We used to walk along the creek and it was all wildflowers and grasshoppers.
A moated Saxon manor house. Awesome!
Hi John another great video. I have spent my working life truck driving going in or near all the locations you walk to see and learn all the details and history is great. Born in Woodford your walks around Essex etc also great thanks 😊
Many thanks Robert
Thanks John for another great walk, really apricate the work you put in to these films, all the best from kernow.
Many thanks to you in your wonderful part of the land
Nice walk
What a fascinating walk and I love the evocative music soundtrack as well. This section looks like a precursor to The Saxon Shore Way which I think starts from Gravesend and eventually ends up in Hastings ( got the book somewhere). I love the remoteness of this walk and the fact that it isn't necessarily "pretty" but includes industrial bits.
Thanks for this interesting walk. I lived in Plumstead for a few years and i now wish i had done more exploration of the surrounding area.
Loved it,very special,thank you.
Hello John, I knew Erith before the wrecking balls took the heart out of the community..This would have been in the late 1950/s when I lived in Slade Green before moving to Hurtmore, Nr Godalming Surrey ..Erith has disappeared of the face of the map.. I can only see it now in old videos, and in my dreams...Such a pity , such a shame..
Love it, super!
Thanks for this. I’ve cycled this route many times from my starting point by the Cutty Sark.
I usually turn left where you turned right and find my way home mainly via the Darenth River. I’ll look out for the many features you pointed out that I have been up to now oblivious to.
John, -ness is an Old English/ Proto-Germanic word related to nose, as you said. Thanks for taking us along on this walk.
Further to my earlier comment. In the 70s I worked at Burroughs Wellcome. The Darenth passed right through the middle of the works and actually stopped being tidal there. There was a pool and wharf to which pharmaceutical raw materials were brought in by barge. Indeed, that waterborne access is why BW chose Dartford for their factory. I could watch small tugs drag barges up the Darenth at high tide, from the Thames, but turn into the river Cray with grain for the flour mills just outside Crayford. BW had fields on the eastern side of the Darenth marshes where they grew digitalis for the heart medicine. Was a frequent lunchtime walk for me out to the Thames shore.
Lovely walk sir! I was born in Bexleyheath so not far from my old manor (though I was only 5 when I left it)...Mum born in Erith too so another connection!
John, love your videos, have you considered a walk of the new river from Amwell to Clerkenwell? that would be fantastic. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Ned, yes that’s been on my list for a while- think I’ll have to break it up over a couple of days though
I used to do the occasional delivery to a firm in Crayford.I was intrigued by Thames side but never had time to explore
Now on the list.
Fascinating. Well worth a like subscribe and watch. 5 stars
Many thanks indeed Robert