Sunday 23/10 Cambridge to Chatham

Woke up late and somewhat refreshed. Plans to have a quick look around Cambridge were aborted when we discovered that Everyman, his dog and children were out and about on this first Sunday of half term, and a sunny and mild one to boot. We pulled into a quiet side street and with the aid our of our trusty, old and disintegrating road atlas, plotted a route south, once again on A and B roads with tantalising names such as the Fen Causeway and The Roman Road. The A and B roads may take twice or even 4 times as long as the freeways but you get to see the countryside up close and the same with the villages as you negotiate their twisting and sometimes narrow little streets.

We journied south via Linton, Saffron Walden, Thaxted, Great Dunmorrow and Takeley to the National Trusts Hatfield Forest, designated as such by Henry I in 1100 (which translates as he made it a royal hunting preserve). Hatfield Forest was chosen as a destination because it is a '403 ha National Nature Reserve and a biological site of special scientific interest in Essex'.

Excited by the photos on the website and thinking we would see some stands of what Australians would call old growth forest in splendid autumninal colour, we arrived  to find this special biological site was heavily grazed by cattle, had more open country than forest; and open county and forest alike was seething with with people, pushers, kids, bikes and off lead dogs shitting all over the place. Not our idea of a nature reserve at all! In fact we were rather gobsmacked.  We drove in, needing a loo stop and followed a conga line of cars through the 'forest'

To a carpark with nearby loos and a tea shop overlooking a lake designed by Capability Brown

Thankfully there was no queue for the loos, but the queue for the tea shop was out the door and around the corner. Across the lawned area was a lonely, unpatronised food van. Upon investigation it turned out to be a National Trust food van selling only water, soft drink, filtered coffee and venison baps.

The coffee was good and the venison fillet baps were excellent. But I'm not sure how the NT expects to make money not selling tea to the Poms! Maybe they had run out, the NT rep grilling the venison fillets said it was one of the busiest days at Hatfield Forest they'd had all year, including summer and as it was a fine sunny day people were taking full advantage of it before winter really sets in.

Now both L and I know England is heaving with people - 60million plus people in something approx the size of Victoria, but as you all know we don't do seething very well and the thought of taking a walk in the woods with a squillion other people, kids and dogs didn't appeal, specially as you would have to watch where you put your feet every step of the way.

Having said all that, one of the amazing things about the UK is that you can get away from the maddening crowd if you pick your time and place.  I'll never forget a magical coastal walk we did in 2006 from Salcombe to Hope Cove and we only saw about 6 other people on the 7 mile walk. And last year, while on the weekend there were people everywhere on the Monday we nearly had the Yorkshire Dales to ourselves.

Once back in the car we decided it was time to get serious about getting around London to Chatham, Located on the Medway. After negotiating the road and its assorted traffic out of Hatfield National Forest

We headed for the M11 and hurtled down the highway at (after 7 weeks on a Narrowboat) truely terrifying speeds and in 37 minutes we were on the Dartford Bridge crossing the Thames somewhere to the east of London

Sometime after that the road plunged down into a tunnel under the Medway and shortly after exiting the tunnel we reached our destination, The Ship and Trades pub overlooking Chatham Marina and a 10 minute walk from the historic dockyard and museum.

The view from our window was an unexpected bonus

Looking across to St Mary's Island

After settling in and a cup of tea to calm the M11 stress levels we headed out to orient ourselves.

Chatham docks are not as desolate as I thought they would be. The two quays next to The Ship and Trades have been developed ; the usual quay development - shops, bars, restaurants underneath and accommodation above with a modern tower block on th end of each quay. A further two quays are still awaiting development. At the end of the final quay is the Medway.  Looking down the Medway with Castle Upnor on the left.

Between the quays and the historic boat years is a huge DFO type 2 storey shopping complex. Which seems a bit at odds with the trendified quay area.

After checking out the quays and docks still to be developed and looked down on the Medway  we walked down to the historic dockyard and returned to have dinner. Lawrence spent what was left of the evening  researching what he wants to see tomorrow. A big day ahead tomorrow!