Fobbing’s principal claim to fame is its association with the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. A Fobbing smallholder, Thomas Baker, led a delegation in opposition to accusations of taxation shortfalls. Similar situations throughout Kent and Essex resulted in violent confrontations in London and elsewhere. These were eventually put down by King Richard II (only 14 years old at the time) and many of those involved were executed, including Thomas who was hanged, drawn and quartered in Chelmsford in July 1381. There is a memorial to the Revolt in Fobbing recreation ground, and a plaque at the White Lion.
The Vange Creek Tidal Barrier (passed on the walk) was built in the 1970s as part of measures to prevent a repeat of the devastation caused by the tidal surge of January 1953.
During WW2, the open expanse of Fobbing Marsh was used to accommodate decoys (such as burning pools of oil) to attract Luftwaffe bombers away from the nearby oil refinery.
Slightly further afield, on the other side of the A13, Langdon Hills Country Park provides an opportunity for woodland and grassland walks, as well as toilets and a café (postcode SS17 9NH). The park’s elevation provides an excellent platform to survey the wide expanse of Vange and Fobbing Marshes, laid out in front of Canvey Island and the industrial areas of Shellhaven and the London Gateway container terminal.
The walk
1. From the church head south, downhill, past the white Gardner Church Hall. The lane turns sharp left, then right, then left again, after which a footpath leads off to the right, with a vintage lamppost at its entrance. The path itself turns right and left, then over a stile. Ignore another path to the right then, just before a stile next to a gate, turn left and onto an old sea-wall path, which passes under the overhead electricity cables.
This was the navigable head of Fobbing Creek until it was dammed following the 1953 flood; the sea wall has nothing but a wet ditch either side now but is a beautiful route with interesting views in all directions: ahead to the marshes, right towards Thames Gateway freight terminal and to Fobbing and the retreating church to your rear.
Cross two tall stiles then fork right at a wonky fingerpost. The path heads east for a kilometre, alongside grazing marsh, before veering north just after another wonky metal finger post. Keep straight, with a freshwater dyke on your right, past a field gate and stile on the right, to reach a stile with blue-sheathed wire across it.
2. Cross this and another stile. Ascend the sea wall in front of you to reach a metal fingerpost and keep straight on, following the sign for footpath 191 marked with an acorn, meaning you are now on the England Coastal Path national trail. To the left is the undammed tidal section of Fobbing Creek; you may see avocets here or nearby, along with many other estuarine birds. The sea-wall path turns to the right and passes the Vange Creek Tidal Barrier, which has been dominating the eastern horizon almost since the beginning of the walk.
3. Beyond the Barrier, the path passes a concrete wall on the left before turning right at a metal fingerpost, passing a small hut to reach another fingerpost. Turn right (footpath 222) and head towards a pair of field gates with adjacent wooden stiles, either side of a culvert. Cross the stiles and turn right, leading back to the stile with blue-sheathed wire at (2) above. After crossing it and the other stile again, this time turn left and follow the path along the base of the sea wall, heading towards an odd-looking pylon only carrying cables on one side. Turn right and mount the sea wall again, now with Fobbing Creek on your right.
4. Pass a concrete pillbox then the path bears left, following the sea wall around an inlet of the creek. Before passing under the pylons, it is necessary to descend to the base of the sea wall in order to continue. Skirt the end of the inlet and head along its opposite side; the path then gently curves round to the left. Just past a large barn and Vange Wick sluice, at a wooden fingerpost, the path crosses the dyke to the left, through a wooden kissing gate, then right, along the field edge, through another wooden kissing gate then turns left at another wooden fingerpost, towards the edge of the hedge opposite. Pass between the hedge on the right and pools on the left to reach a track, then follow it to the right, towards a farm with a large dome in the yard. Pass through a metal kissing gate beside a metal gate across the track then, just before the farm, another metal kissing gate leads into the field on the left.
5. The path crosses the field diagonally to a pair of footbridges. After crossing the second, turn right and follow the field edge for 500 metres. At the corner, cross into the next field and aim for the copse on the opposite side (or even the tower of the church at Fobbing, which now peeps above the horizon). At the copse, cross the ditch via the log bridge to the right then cross the next field, aiming for the left-hand end of the opposite treeline. Once there, turn right through a gap in the hedge then cross a culvert. Continue with the hedgerow on your right, leading to a large pair of metal gates with a kissing gate beside them. Pass through the kissing gate and head up the track, called Marsh Lane. At the top a step-over gate leads into Fobbing High Road; turn left and keep going straight to return to the church.
COMPASS POINTS
Distance: 7.3 miles (11.8km).
Starting point: St. Michael’s church, High Road, Fobbing, SS17 9JW, grid reference TQ717838.
Access: On-street parking near the church. The bus stop just to the north is served by the 11 (Basildon-Purfleet) and the 374 (Basildon-Grays) (see essexbus.info).
Map: OS Explorer 175 Southend-on-Sea & Basildon.
Refreshment: The White Lion pub is around the corner on Lion Hill.
Interactive map: essexhighways.org/getting-around/public-rights-of-way/prow-interactive-map
