Circular walk to Davy Down, Mardyke Woods and in Thames Chase

In true EFOG style we began our Saturday 17th August day by meeting for a coffee at Thurrock Garden Centre in Ockenden, and once refreshed the eight of us travelled to Davy Down car park in two cars.

The circular walk was more like a figure-of-eight, taking us through the woods at Davy Down and then through open meadows, past the water pumping station and the viaduct. Much of our walk followed the Mardyke river, where we spotted some wildlife including a Grey Heron and ducks but also some sculptures of animals, including a mammoth (which was quite hard to spot among the trees), foxes, dragonfly and heron. Most of the walk was in fields or woods but we did have a short walk on the road up to North Stifford village, passing the cricket green on the right-hand side. We then walked through the Field of Peace and alongside the Mardyke, crossed the road back into Davy Down and then over the bridge on the other side of the river and under the viaduct which serves the C2C railway. We then proceeded to walk through Brannetts Wood which is very pleasant and leafy. We returned to Davy Down along the river, across the bridge, passing the fish sculpture and over the small lake where we were able to see some Marsh Frogs taking in the sun.

We returned to Thurrock Garden Centre for a tasty lunch and a circular walk round Thames Chase Forest before finishing with a cuppa and an ice cream at the café. Thoroughly enjoyable day for Eileen, Fred, Jinan, Trevor, Sue S., Ann, Marilyn and Tina who took the pictures. This was Tina’s first walk with EFOG and hopefully the first of many.

Railway Viaduct at Davy Down

 Heading for Thames Chase Visitor Centre

 Ann W.    26th August 2019