Log No 327. Tue 27th May 2014 - Burnham-on-Crouch to Tillingham, 14 miles (5052 miles walked)

The rain started after our tea last and I don't think it stopped all night and it was still raining when we left at 07.50.

There was an unusual small boat moored in the river, obviously someone without a garden who needed somewhere to escape to!

There was hardly a road in sight today and we started on the footpath on top of the embankment by the River Crouch.

The grass was long and wet and Mick's boots soon let the water in, we dropped down to the track alongside the embankment but it wasn't much better.

After a couple of hours the rain had ceased and we took a break on one of the old wartime pill boxes.

It had been slow going dragging our feet through the long grass.

We got some reprieve from Holliwell Point as the sea wall had a wide concrete top for almost 2 miles before it reverted back to the usual embankment.

A pair of oystercatchers had also made use of the sea wall and laid 3 eggs among a patch of weeds growing in a crack in the concrete.

Mick had only found two campsites for today, the one at St Lawrence wanted £24 for each of us so that left the one at Mark Farm, Tillingham.

This site was more or less in the middle of the Dengie Peninsula which meant we would be walking around it.

If the conditions had been better we might have taken the long route but with the sky still very grey and the harder walking we took an easy option. When we got to the Bradwell Marshes we left the sea embankment and followed the signposts for St Peters Way going inland to very near the campsite.

We arrived at Mark Farm Campsite at 13.50, an early finish, we had walked for 6 hours and done 14 miles but it felt more. In mid afternoon the rain came back on again and was very heavy at times so we were thankful to be already in the tents.

The site owner, Sally, came round later, waived the site fees and gave a donation. Thanks Sally.