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Riverside to Rainham Dock Walk
T
he walk is along the shore at Riverside Country Park and takes approximately
45 minutes. This map shows how to get to
the Park.
Route
Leave the Visitor Centre and cross the car park, following the
path up to the sea wall. Turn right. You are now on the Saxon Shore
Way.
Follow this footpath along the sea wall, past Mariner's Farm and
on to a wider area of coastal grassland and scrub.
Continue along the sea wall past Bloor's Wharf.
You will eventually arrive at the old Rainham Dock by a small
car park.
At this point you have a number of options. You can continue
around Motney Hill, visit Berengrave Nature Reserve or undertake
the full riverside circular walk.
To return to the Visitor Centre, retrace your steps.
Points of interest along the way
1 - The Saxon Shore Way. This long-distance
footpath follows the coastline of Kent from Gravesend to Rye, just
over the border in Sussex.
2 - Mudflats and saltmarsh. Looking out over
the estuary at this point, you can see an important habitat for
many wintering bird species. The Medway is renowned for its mud,
which is rich in invertebrate life that provides food for other
animals and birds.
3 - Bloors Wharf. Many old maps of this area
show that a small wharf has always been here. Originally a place
where fishermen put to sea, it was recently a scrap yard that
specialised in breaking up fishing boats. Today it has been cleared
of buildings, leaving a large area of concrete with a steel fence
along the waterfront.
4 - Rainham Dock. This was once a thriving
cement works, providing materials for building the London suburbs.
The factory closed in the 1930s and most of the buildings have
gone. The area offshore attracts a wide variety of ducks and wading
birds in winter.
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