15mile walk from dartford to gravesend Really enjoyed this walk would recommend slightly industrial towards the end but the rest is really good, quite and peaceful
Cracking walk in my home town of Gravesend pal... Things land a little differently when you get beyond Greenhithe and into the connubation of Gravesend (inc. Northfleet/Swanscombe)... It has more in common with the North in terms of its social make up and industrial look... A tough place but the folk there are incredivly friendly... Full of Kentish character too! When you go beyond Gravesend on the saxon shore way, it gets remote out on those marshes with some unbelievable old abandoned forts lining the Thames (some ravaged still with military damage), semi wild Gypsy Horses in herds in effect and some amazing semi wild cattle and bird wildlife... Was actually out towards Cliffe in the marshes yesterday trying to get to Shade house (an old smuggling home and possibly Kents most remote abandoned home)... Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations about the area and its dark, bleak, remote nature amongst others whilst finishing his life in Higham (North Kent being his real home being raised in the area). Pleased you highlighted our area and good on you for the walks pal
In 1966 I was at the HMS Worcester in Greenhithe and I lived in Gravesend. The ship was scrapped in 1977 and I was then married with 2 children living up North. I saw this and just had watch because I have fond memories of that area. The HMS Worcester would have been near the Dartford Bridge and seen clearly from there, what a trip down memory lane this is, thanks for posting it.
Your walk took me back 55 years when I used run from temple hill square down to Dartford creek out to the Thames where a solid air raid shelter was there with teas written on the roof to disguise that it was a antiaircraft emplacement. Then a fast jog down to littlebrook power station on to stone crossing up to bow arrow lane on to st Vincent’s road back to temple hill square. Twice and sometime three times a week, about ten miles each time.
Brings back memories of my mum and dad in the 60's, taking me to Dartford from Strood and Higham, as my grandad Harris was one of the Gypsies who left farming and went to build the railways and crossings there.
Lived in the area most of my 66 years and spent a lot of my youthful years walking or cycling along those paths. The Dartford Xing wasn't there of course being built in the 80's. Watched them building out from each bank towards the middle from the bedroom of my first marital home in Swanscombe. Also watched the power cables from those huge towers clashing and sparking during the 'Hurricane' Storm of October 87. Thanks for the run down memory lane. The wife and I now live in Gravesend and prefer to take our Dog to Upnor and walk alongside the Medway on the Saxon Shore Way towards the Thames. Tides permitting. Oh don't know if anyone else noticed, but when your camera is facing you you have flipped the video either in the camera or when editing? The walk along the Thames away from the bridge was confusing me as you appeared to have the river on your left while walking West not on your right and East as expected. If you pause the video as you come away from Dartford Station you can make out the writing on the last poster is mirrored. Sorry, it is only a small thing and I really enjoyed this Journey Thank You.
A fact about Dartford bridge, the motorists were charged a toll which over the years paid for the cost of building the bridge, after it was paid in full it was going to be free.....but they sold it to the French, now they charge a toll to use it.
Love your video mate, I'm also from Kent in Crayford/Bexleyheath way as you know Crayford in borough of Dartford! See you said London Loop goes 160 across London-but some of it goes into Kent as well as you know! My family are all over Kent from Dartford, Bexleyheath, Welling, Erith, Chistlehurst, Swanley, Gravesend. Rochester, Chatham, Ramsgate etc Would be good to of said hello though you did this back in Many. lol Would love for you to go to different parks in Kent like-Dartford Park, Braeburn Park Danson Park, Martens Grove Park, East Wickham Open Space Park-as you know half in Kent and half just in SE London border! Waterton Park Open Space, Woodlands Park-Gravesend, Town Hall Gardens Park-Chatham. etc
Great stuff. I'm not sure how you managed to do this walk without getting entirely drenched, so ominous were the clouds. Brought back memories of starting the London loop in Erith and going past the Dartford Creek barrier on my way to one of the Crays. You passed a statue on your way, an incongruous artefact if ever there was one, in such a semi rural industrial landscape. I'll hazard a guess that it was Pochahantos, who research tells me was born in Virginia and somehow ended up dying in Gravesend, a story notable enough to have made it to Hollywood and their Disney people. I have subscribed to your channel partly because I am intrigued to find out more about what proper blokes get up to. Please though, not a word to my wife.😊
Great filming mate and love how you caught up the horizons before Dartford Bridge. Sergio Leone like landscapes would be perfect on big screen. Top marks sir.
thanks for sharing the adventure mate, spent my whole life across the river from that area and live in Kent now - miss my river! Think I'll check that dartford walk out. Subscribed!
Quite envious of your walk-in about different places good to see you enjoying your self will try to do some of your walks thanks for posting best regards
The wife is from South Ockendon and we have family in Grays... although we live in Cornwall. Really enjoyed this, fine presentation. Looking forward to more. Top job. Cheers from Newquay.
Fantastic stuff! I live in Gravesend and frequently go for walks but I've never been on your route under the QE2 bridge. The pylons in Swanscombe and Thurrock are the tallest in the UK.
I love these waking videos. I wish you'd do a good, long walking video of Jaywick. I like that little place and the people there are very laid back and easy to talk to. Watching this from Raleigh, North Carolina USA. Take it easy.
How did you reverse the film when walking under the Dartford crossing? Going from Dartford towards Gravesend you would always be on the right bank of the Thames as you walk away from the bridge?
That high level pylon was installed by the National Grid for RU-vid legend PhotonicInduction who you passed close to his drum. I have fond childhood memories of Blue Circle, the fireless steam engines at Imperial Paper Mills, the days before crappy Arndale centre or the other one... born south Londoner but lived from age 3 to 10 in Riverview Park on the Chatham side of Gravesend. Dunno why but you look incredibly familiar to me lol
That cutting just before the ferry pier, did you know was actually a railway station there? Gravesend West which was owned in the 70's by a very sweary man who had to be spoken to by police on occasion for being too threatening to kids who of course wanted to play on an abandoned train station, one day when me mum was working in the Three Daws pub he grabs brother and me by collars marching us down in high dudgeon then found out mishandling the sons of a lady with a legendary beswick Irish temper was prob an unwise choice lol
The best place in Gravesend is Witherspoon's. Perpetuated mainly by senileus geriatrius that sits in there from Free bus pass time all day till they go home and piss the sheets. This species also roams this far as chavham and Dartford as they can also use passes but rarely gets as far as sevenoaks as too complicated a journey
