I awoke briefly around 6-ish, heard the rain hammering down on the cabin and decided to roll over and have a lie in
Much to my considerable surprise it was nigh on midday when I next awoke. Even more astonishing was the lack of a headache which usually results from excessive sleeping
Glen had already breakfasted and I wasn't too bothered so a biscuit washed down with copious coffee was the next order of business
The rain had abated so we decided to take a chance on the weather and go for a walk into Maldon
It's a very pleasant stroll along the well maintained towpath of the Chelmer and Blackwater Canal. Glen has been actively involved in the work since the Inland Waterways Association took over the management of the navigation
I must admit that had I still been a trustee of the IWA at that time I would have been opposed to the decision. In hindsight, I'd have been wrong and I'm happy to admit it!
It's a shame that the canal operation is denied the use of the assets of the old Company of Proprietors which were sold off by the receivers. Much could have been done, I'm sure, with the buildings adjacent to the basin, for example.
Progressing into Heybridge the scenery takes a bit of a downturn. There are few sights of historic or architectural interest these days, Heybridge seems to be mostly an industrial suburb orf Maldon
The church of St. Andrew is where a number of our maternal ancestors were baptised, married and buried. It would be nice to go in but sadly in this day and age churches are no longer left open to the casual visitor.
The small graveyard looks to have been largely cleared of headstones and our lot were probably too poor to erect them anyway so we passed on by without going in
Crossing the bridge over the River Chelmer, we followed the footpath around the back of the various little boatyards and modern residential developments catching occasional glimpses of the old wharves and docks on the far side of the river by the flour mill.
That brought us out onto Hythe Quay and from there we set off up the hill past St. Mary's Church and thence to the bottom end of Maldon High Street.
High Street is where our family lived for a generation between Heybridge and ending up in Sunderland. Exactly where, however, is hard to pin down but I think it would have been nearer the top of the hill than the bottom (as several baptisms and marriages took place at All Saints, at the top end of High Street, rather than St. Mary's off the bottom end)
Many of the buildings are clearly Victorian, Edwardian or modern but a few glimpses of how the High Street might have looked in the mid-1800s can still be found
We lunched in the cafe that now occupies the former bar of the Kings Head, a building our ancestors would certainly have been familiar with but most probably not from the inside as they were Wesleyan Methodists. Very pleasant it was too if a little pricey
We picked up a couple of essentials (bread and coffee) from the Morrisons Local shop and then it was back down the hill to the river before retracing our steps along the towpath to the basin.
All in all, a very pleasant walk despite the rather dull conditions. The threatening rain never arrived, other than a few spots and it wasn't at all chilly
After a brief sojourn on board, we took ourselves off to the Jolly Sailor for a very decent steak pie and several pints of Adnams Broadside. Both pie and pint were top notch
Having started out with so little promise, it had turned out to be a good day in port
Much to my considerable surprise it was nigh on midday when I next awoke. Even more astonishing was the lack of a headache which usually results from excessive sleeping
Glen had already breakfasted and I wasn't too bothered so a biscuit washed down with copious coffee was the next order of business
The rain had abated so we decided to take a chance on the weather and go for a walk into Maldon
It's a very pleasant stroll along the well maintained towpath of the Chelmer and Blackwater Canal. Glen has been actively involved in the work since the Inland Waterways Association took over the management of the navigation
I must admit that had I still been a trustee of the IWA at that time I would have been opposed to the decision. In hindsight, I'd have been wrong and I'm happy to admit it!
It's a shame that the canal operation is denied the use of the assets of the old Company of Proprietors which were sold off by the receivers. Much could have been done, I'm sure, with the buildings adjacent to the basin, for example.
Progressing into Heybridge the scenery takes a bit of a downturn. There are few sights of historic or architectural interest these days, Heybridge seems to be mostly an industrial suburb orf Maldon
The church of St. Andrew is where a number of our maternal ancestors were baptised, married and buried. It would be nice to go in but sadly in this day and age churches are no longer left open to the casual visitor.
The small graveyard looks to have been largely cleared of headstones and our lot were probably too poor to erect them anyway so we passed on by without going in
Crossing the bridge over the River Chelmer, we followed the footpath around the back of the various little boatyards and modern residential developments catching occasional glimpses of the old wharves and docks on the far side of the river by the flour mill.
That brought us out onto Hythe Quay and from there we set off up the hill past St. Mary's Church and thence to the bottom end of Maldon High Street.
High Street is where our family lived for a generation between Heybridge and ending up in Sunderland. Exactly where, however, is hard to pin down but I think it would have been nearer the top of the hill than the bottom (as several baptisms and marriages took place at All Saints, at the top end of High Street, rather than St. Mary's off the bottom end)
Many of the buildings are clearly Victorian, Edwardian or modern but a few glimpses of how the High Street might have looked in the mid-1800s can still be found
We lunched in the cafe that now occupies the former bar of the Kings Head, a building our ancestors would certainly have been familiar with but most probably not from the inside as they were Wesleyan Methodists. Very pleasant it was too if a little pricey
We picked up a couple of essentials (bread and coffee) from the Morrisons Local shop and then it was back down the hill to the river before retracing our steps along the towpath to the basin.
All in all, a very pleasant walk despite the rather dull conditions. The threatening rain never arrived, other than a few spots and it wasn't at all chilly
After a brief sojourn on board, we took ourselves off to the Jolly Sailor for a very decent steak pie and several pints of Adnams Broadside. Both pie and pint were top notch
Having started out with so little promise, it had turned out to be a good day in port
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