To walk to Creeksea, there are three basic routes:
1. the railway line route
Walk through the Riverside Park to Foundry Lane, which runs down to the marina and up to the Co-op. About half way up the final straight (that goes down to the marina), on the west side, is a path that runs up to woods that border the railway line.
Walk along that path as far as you can go (about a half mile), turn left at the level crossing, and you can then enter Creeksea through either the Parlour Cafe or various paths to your right on the one that leads down to the river.
2. the sea wall route
The road on Creeksea waterfront can flood during a high tide, like this one in early March. © 2018 Nick SkeensYou can also walk to Creeksea along the seawall via the SaltMarsh Trail.
Just walk through the Marina (ideally sticking to the red flagstones that mark the public path) until you are in the far southwest corner of the marina.
There the path emerges onto the seawall.
Stick to the river and you will arrive at Creeksea Sailing Club at the bottom of Ferry Lane.
This route is longer, muddier in the winter and usually a lot windier – about 3/4 of a mile from the marina to the Creeksea Sailing Club, but it can be a truly lovely walk.
3. the Maldon Road route
You can also walk along the Maldon Road to Creeksea, turning left into Creeksea Lane about 100 yards before Woodford’s Garage.
But there are no pavements on Creeksea Lane and first part of the route is less than picturesque. It is also far longer, at 2 miles from the Burnham Railway Station to Creeksea Sailing Club.
Walking to the cliffs and beyond
You can walk then onwards from Creeksea towards ‘the cliffs’, Althorne and Fambridge.
To do so, you need to walk up Ferry Lane from the Creeksea waterfront until you come to a sharp left and right – at which point there is a public footpath sign on your left indicating where the route heads west along the side of a field.
This walk takes you past Creeksea Cliffs, famous for its fossils to be found by the eagle-eyed on the beach (see Burnham’s Ancient History).
At the top of the cliff (not so vertiginous – an Essex type of cliff really) you can enjoy spectacular views of the Crouch Vale as you look south west towards Fambridge.