John, I’m glad you went out too. Sometimes; just sometimes, there’s a call, perhaps a primordial need, to hear the blustering wind; to experience it’s tug and pull. To give in to that strange desire to know once more the sting of certain rains, those that freely offer to cleanse the mind and exfoliate the fears of the sedentary soul. Go safely onward.
@ibexdnb28793 жыл бұрын
My childhood was spent along this sea wall. Often venturing into the abandoned factories and jetties! Fond times.
@brianfreeman82902 жыл бұрын
Memories ! I lived in the area for nearly twenty five years, and often walked there, usually with the children. They are middle aged now but I sent them this vid, as we had many adventures. The sea wall was only just being built, so most of the walk was open. Grays, formerly quite a charming town, is now an absolute dump, but one thing has improved a lot. The graffiti is much better !
@overnightparking3 жыл бұрын
I did that walk about 10 years ago and like you I found it mesmerisingly otherworldly. I started from the Rainham train station, crossing the tracks and followed the route through the extensive marsh land and just kept pushing on not knowing what I’d find. It was a mild summer day but still the industrial edginess was intimidating and yet compelling and by the time I reached the Queen Elisabeth Bridge it was getting near dark and I was unsure how I was even going to get out of there. That was a time of 3G and Google maps took eons to download. Now I have to find your walks through the Dagenham docks, another area I found fascinating. Thanks as usual John, great walk!
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing that memory 3dog - such a great landscape for walking
@halsumpter73423 жыл бұрын
That was thrillingly strange and beautiful! I've done the stretch from Rainham to Purfleet, I had the idea you couldn't walk by the Dartford Bridge, glad to be proved wrong. Thanks for this John, I love your stuff, I don't get out nearly as often as I would like so glad to explore these places vicariously. You made a comment in your last video about the eco system of London, amazing that Epping Forest and this bit of the river are all interconnected. Have you done a video on the Hoo Peninsula? You can get to the Western end of it by train to Gravesend of Lower Higham, you would need to drive to Allhallows/Isle of Grain unfortunately although there some's lovely footage of the old branch line that used to run out there: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5usmXWOr8SjrJY It's still within the purlieu of London but feels as wild as Dartmoor and you could can feel just as solitary. Keep up the good work!
@Pipbrewster3 жыл бұрын
Great video, I live in Grays and often walk and cycle this route. Look forward to viewing more of your content!
@john80c3 жыл бұрын
Great area, London's wild frontier being slowly reclaimed by nature and concrete disappearing under layers of tags-really enjoyed it.
@lynpotter55833 жыл бұрын
Surprised you did not mention that Proctor and Gamble factory was featured in Four Weddings and a funeral and St Clements church just tucked behind is worth a visit built around 1100! I live in Grays and have never ventured beyond the Pillboxes! I will definitely be going a bit further next time. Many many thanks this is brilliant xx
@SMILEVIDEOTRAINS3 жыл бұрын
the real river Thames.. where only John would wander on such a damp day. Excellent.
@bazangelopoulos3 жыл бұрын
The weather really compliments the mood.
@196hasnain3 жыл бұрын
Ive cycled down this route a few times and its an amazing experience. Taking the Thames path on the south side up to gravesend and the ferry across. Its quite surreal the mix of big industrial buildings whilst being surrounded by bushes, fields and overgrown hedges. Kind of gives an apocalyptic vibe. Passing under the QEII bridge was a weird experience, we went on a foggy day and so couldn't see it till it was towering above us creeping out of the fog.
@candiceb89253 жыл бұрын
I grew up in tilbury 🙂 all still local to me ❤ thank you john you've have made me smile 🙂🙂
@fintandineen39303 жыл бұрын
was only there the other weekend on a cycle from Rainham to Basildon - such a haunting, otherworldly terrain that stretch, exemplified by the weather as well - hardly a single soul encountered along the way, trolleys sticking out of the mud like modern art pieces, standing under the dartford crossing certainly is awe inspiring - i found those three swings quite touching somehow as well. Certainly the side of the thames they don't want you to see, but its always there, clanking on - powering the nation. Thanks John
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks for sharing that Fintan - really rewarding stretch of the river. Been a few years since I've walked the Tilbury stretch so looking forward to that next
@person.X.3 ай бұрын
What a fantastic walk. Perfect weather for it too! I love these industrial areas - so many interesting things to see even if not the prettiest.
@nelliemelba49673 жыл бұрын
I'm on the Kent side, and in the day before RA got the better of me, we used to walk across the lovely wilderness of the Dartford Marshes, with its gunpowder remnants, pill boxes, the winding Creek, cows and huge mushrooms on the path! We used to get as far as the Littlbrook Power Station with its mighty chimney, now sadly demolished. I've often wondered at it was like on the other side of the river at Purfleet. Thanks for taking us on that walk, John.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
My pleasure Nellie - reminds me I must return to your side of the river
@robertbarling56013 жыл бұрын
Thank you John for cheering me up on a gloomy evening. Bob.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
my pleasure Bob - glad you enjoyed the video
@alexmaggs57703 жыл бұрын
I believe you were looking into the remains of BPB paperboard. As a young project manager I oversaw the installation of a new phone system there in about 2006 and we were given a free run of the place - it was a amazing - it has its own power station, railway line running through it and the main mill was a few football pitches long and I remember it being like a giant set of the Crystal maze - hot spaces, cold spaces, lots of different smells and processes recycling paper into the stuff you use to cover walls in houses under the plaster. I believe you can see it in its final days in the episode of ‘I’m Alan partridge’ where his book ‘bouncing back’ is being recycled in a giant vat! The day we completed the install they announced the site was to close.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks for sharing that Alex - sounds amazing
@BritishBoy19713 жыл бұрын
You can catch nice sized Sea Bass all along there (fish it between 2 hours before high tide and 2 hours after). *Go easy reeling them in, as they are powerful fish and can bend your hook straight (I'm not kidding)! Thanks for another video John. 😊
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks for the fishing tips Rottie - I saw quite a few people fishing from the old wharf at Grays
@jenniferlevine5406 Жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed watching this again today! I find the land where it meets the river to be so captivating. Also I marvel that the access is so easy, it's available for anyone to walk. We would have fences and barriers.
@huttonpark3 жыл бұрын
Great video. I have been meaning to do this walk again having previously done it in 1974. It looks quite different from what I remember with a lot more fences and high walls. I remember going through the massive Thames Board Mills site which I assume is now long gone. The old church is worth a look although when I was there the adjoining land was being used as an unofficial traveller's site and I was immediately surrounded by 4/5 ferocious looking dogs but fortunately they didn't press home an attack. The Wharf was then a good old school riverside pub but I suspect that it has since been given a makeover.
@artdecoy3 жыл бұрын
Another great video and many thanks for posting. I rode this route in March but left the Thames at the Proctor and Gamble plant where there's an old church directly in front of the factory which features in 'Four weddings and a funeral ' I love this part of the world and will definitely ride it again once the weather gets a bit better. Thanks for sharing
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
Thanks artdecoy - I was wondering where the Four Weddings Church was - I couldn't see it from the other side of the sea wall
@artdecoy3 жыл бұрын
@@JohnRogersWalks There's a small wooded area by the wall and it's the other side of that.
@jamesstephenson47113 жыл бұрын
Great video John, I live in Grays and have down the walk a few times from Purfleet to Grays. I guess it is slightly dystopian especially you approach the P and G factory.
@jonasranson76772 жыл бұрын
Fantastic walk John, fighting against the elements. Believe it or not, the Royal Opera House now has a costume and sets facility in Purfleet, situated in the High House Production Park, on the ridge overlooking the QE2 bridge. It’s surrounded by Grade II listed farm buildings and beautiful converted barns. They’ve created a programme to reflect projects from the Royal Opera House and create new innovative events tailored for local communities and residents. I had some involvement there last year in my activities as a film extra. Quite a contrast to the industrial landscape that the area is known for. I lived in a block of flats over looking the Estuary in Grays as a child, between 1972 and 1976.
@daveconyard89463 жыл бұрын
Thanks john when you ended the great walk you missed a very old pub on the banks in Grays forget the name of it but had a few pints in there many years back , Keep safe. Dave 👍
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
was it The Wharf Dave? It caught the eye - not sure if it's still open but there were lights on inside
@candiceb89253 жыл бұрын
The wharf never reopened after Lockdown
@gillywild3 жыл бұрын
What a magnificent document these walks are John. If you could upload seven a week I could watch seven. Nobody else captures the essence of these places like you do. I share totally your love of the liminal, of the interstices, the edge lands. Thank you sincerely for bringing me with you on these wonderful walks.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks so much for that gillywild
@ianjohnson21983 жыл бұрын
Thanks John. Dramatic landscape. Dramatic sky. And dramatic sounds! I imagine that area is no stranger to mudlarkers. Must be a lot of history buried in that mud.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
I reckon you're right Ian - you certainly get people picking through the historic landfill site at Tilbury
@wendybrown59353 жыл бұрын
Hi John, facinating video. I was in the choir at the opening of the qe2 bridge, right in front of the Queen, pouring with rain but it was a fun day and glad I was part of it.. I still have the newspaper cutting.
@jatsajatsa3 жыл бұрын
Just, stunning. Thank you.
@cgj38883 жыл бұрын
A pleasure to share your walk today viewing sites close up having driven passed many a time What treasures I missed the joys of a happy wanderer SMILES 👍🏴👌
@garyfurner12273 жыл бұрын
Done this walk yesterday John,loved it,thanks for the video.....which opened my eyes to this place of the Thames.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
great stuff Gary
@davidfarrell7373 Жыл бұрын
John this is one of your films that I overlooked. I real dystopian beauty. Thank you. Dave
@themeditativewalker65233 жыл бұрын
A quite remarkable film John with an atmosphere so thick you could cut it with a knife. It is the sort of walk that I have done with an unsettling narrative and for that reason is absolutely fascinating. A great watch, thank you!
@neilburns36143 жыл бұрын
Nick Papadimitriou would have loved that walk, John. Kinda industrial 'wastelands'. An outlier's refuge. Love it.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
for sure Neil - here's a video of when we went down to Tilbury in 2010/2011 for our radio show kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnWZp4CGn6qmp8U
@paulbillingham45943 жыл бұрын
Hi John, If you turn up the side of the Procter and Gamble factory there is a little 9th Century Saxon Church which the soap factory almost encloses on 3 sides. Many years ago while working on the Power Station that is now long gone I was asked to clear the cemetery of vegetation for Procters. The little Church appeared in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, though the footage gives no idea that this ancient Church is nearly enclosed by the massive factory with huge slab like walls. It nestles almost behind the Ikea warehouse store in Thurrock. Smashing film and very enjoyable. Thanks for uploading.
@TechnicalAnalysts3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic video...really captures the huge size of everything.
@codsushi3 жыл бұрын
Superb. Definitely my kind of walk, all those industrial structures. Reminds me of my early childhood in Sheffield, 30 odd years ago.
@dfrankpgh3 жыл бұрын
What a wonderful walk. It's amazing how you highlight the beauty and spirituality of even the harshest of industrial environments. This was a great moment of zen.
@shauntodd71233 жыл бұрын
Fantastic jaunt along the Essex Riverside
@rambling_rob70353 жыл бұрын
A couple of times I expected to see Ringo Starr plodding along the river. Amazing to see the industry tourists never see. Thank you, John.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks for watching Rob
@clivelangham4353 жыл бұрын
thank you for posting this great walk.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
My pleasure Clive glad you enjoyed it
@annepuffett20253 жыл бұрын
Such a dramatic landscape and so enjoyable thankyou John
@pumpkinprincess10313 жыл бұрын
Watching this again. This week is going to be a tough one for many here in the US. I think I’m going to have to do a rewatch of some of my favorites. So nice to escape. Thank you.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
All the best Lisa - brighter days ahead
@shotgunpsycho3 жыл бұрын
Rainy walks always heighten the sences my freind.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
they certainly do - this was great for the soul
@harrisonhealey16793 жыл бұрын
I like the way you show so much passion and interest in the small things, we need more people like you!
@christinestone9006Ай бұрын
I really enjoyed joining you on your walk. I was displaced to Purfleet from the hills and mountains of Wales in 1987 after my parents divorced and my mum wanted to live close to her family in Greater London/Essex. As a 16/17 year old I hated living in such a grey, dusty and industrialised area. I ended up working at West Thurrock Power Station in the late 80s and early 90s and was surprised not to see it on your walk. I recognised the Esso Terminal immediately and the Proctor & Gamble site too. I have cousins that still live in South Stifford. Thank you so much for the nostalgic wallow and for your interesting and knowledgeable commentary. I've now subscribed to your channel as my mum was born in SE London but had family members in the East End and SW London and some of her relatives were barrow boys and Pearly Kings and Queens, and I'm interested to learn more about undiscovered London and the South East. I worked in London in the early to mid 90s, based in Finsbury Square and used to walk out on my lunch breaks around London Wall, Monument and Bank.
@JohnRogersWalksАй бұрын
Thanks for sharing that Christine.
@rogerthecabinboy6463 жыл бұрын
5:20 - I just missed you John, had you walked passed at 1800 that would be me up that crane (RTG).....Like your videos, very interesting.
@RubbishGimpy2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you walked the Graffiti side. Its a great free gallery of some decent work.
@Drdee13 жыл бұрын
I've walked from the Thames flood barrier to Erith on the South bank and felt intimidated by the brutal industrial landscape and people hanging around there but, like you, glad to have completed it and seen another side of London
@sw_9094 ай бұрын
Thanks for the video John, I really enjoyed it. I grew up in Hornchurch and when we were kids we used to jump on the train and explore all the abandoned factories along the Thames. Very dangerous but when you are 12 or 13, very fun. This brought back lots of memories. Also I didn’t know that you could walk under the bridge like that. And that mega pylon - in the 90s I always heard stories about people base jumping from it.
@DjAja3 жыл бұрын
Thanks John,We really enjoyed that walk i used to get off at Grays to go an old girlfriends at chadwell St Mary !
@robbrierley30093 жыл бұрын
Great walk, Loved the bridge from the river, More urban river walks please
@mozdickson3 жыл бұрын
One of your best John. Epic industrial ugly beauty. If this resonates folks, John's colleague Rachel Lichtenstein has written a phenomenal book on this area and wider water, Estuary.
@bss13463 жыл бұрын
Loving the videos John down in the Rainham and upwards area to Grays/Dartford. From around them areas myself. Would love to bump into you one day for a chat! Been with your channel for around a year or so now and have never regretted subscribing or watching your walking adventures! Brilliant 👍🏼
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks very much - we're bound to bump into each other one day - I'll be back down there to walk from Tilbury and plenty more walks round that area planned
@arnold-hu4vk3 жыл бұрын
looks like the journey to the zone in Stalker. :)
@benben88663 жыл бұрын
Absolutely.
@williamkirby67293 жыл бұрын
I found this walk soothing and relaxing. Thanks John👍
@mervwright26113 жыл бұрын
Great one , John.........You will have to keep us updated on the new lock down you folks are under, Thanks .Merv .....BC .....Canada
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Merv - certainly keep you updated on the lockdown, I’ll keep walking and uploading videos
@magicknight84123 жыл бұрын
Nice bleak but atmospheric one this! Something very cool about that whole area.
@4thEyeVision3 жыл бұрын
Wow what a beautiful walk thank you
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
my pleasure 4thEye
@begbieyabass3 жыл бұрын
John, You helped me out of a real down day, Were still on a 25km lockdown so it is a bit hard for me to get out & about, but this is the next best thing. Cheers John
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
Glad I could get you outside Dave
@admiralcraddock4642 жыл бұрын
You need grey depressing weather like that to fully enjoy the bleak, dystopian landscape of that walk.
@MF-fg3cg3 жыл бұрын
Truly fantastic walk and cinematography. Really atmospheric and emotive. thanks so much.
@Charlie.TheChatRoom3 жыл бұрын
Thank you John for capturing such eerie passage ways and pathways in that intricate industrial conglomerate of the Thames Isis.
@rubbberrobbie3 жыл бұрын
Amazing John. I've often walked the south side and it certainly does have an energy - even in a storm!
@chrismccartney86683 жыл бұрын
Superb so much old jetties pipelines etc...
@steveandrews78803 жыл бұрын
Driven over the Dartford crossing many times so fascinating to see you walk beneath it . Another amazing walk John.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Steve
@FIO62713 жыл бұрын
John this walk felt so special. Dramatic, almost cinematic. Have a nice week!! All the best from Argentina
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks Fiona all the way over there in Argentina. Yes there's something epic about that landscape
@paularnold44403 жыл бұрын
Surreal landscape. Thanks John . Looking forward to Tilbury walk. Wonder if you plan to go as far as Coalhouse fort? Would pass former Bata shoes model estate on way to East Tilbury station.
@CyclingSteve3 жыл бұрын
Yikes, I had considered cycling this route. I'll pack light for all the lifting up and down steps. Wonderfully bleak and even more so in contrast with the amazing artworks on the sea wall.
@Ben_Mdws3 жыл бұрын
Fascinating place John - thank you for sharing it
@billyfury19523 жыл бұрын
Thanks John..Brrrrr what a grim walk..it made me put my heating on lol
@benjamindenton3 жыл бұрын
John spends a rainy windy Saturday afternoon along the industrial Thames - 'so you don't have to'®
@dolorespinto31063 жыл бұрын
Thanks for that. So strange and forbidding, yet fascinating. Not a walk I would be brave enough to do.
@minijames27773 жыл бұрын
Drove over the dartford bridge many times, was great to see the walk underneath and what an amazing bridge it is. 😊
@morriganwitch3 жыл бұрын
Thank you John we are moving to near this area soon . We hope to be inspired by your travels xxx
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
you're in for some wonderful skies - it's a rich territory
@morriganwitch3 жыл бұрын
@@JohnRogersWalks thank you we decided to move back in Partly through your journeys , originally from Kent , just inspired me back home , husband happy ! Xxx
@muddyshoes29393 жыл бұрын
That was a great walk. Felt a bit edgy in places. Very interesting,
@peterwalton15023 жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed the walk with you John 👍
@danielwilson65293 жыл бұрын
I enjoy your narrated walks , and I often wonder about the music that accompanies your films , I know this particular part of the river very well and often walk it myself,, keep up the good work John Rogers 🙏🏻👍
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Daniel. A list of the music is in the video description- it’s all from the KZbin Audio Library
@danielwilson65293 жыл бұрын
@@JohnRogersWalks Thankyou very much 🙏🏻👍
@mickeythompson95373 жыл бұрын
Excellent edgelands exploration.
@MeTheRob3 жыл бұрын
This territory was all completely new to me. A unique walk. Lost for words, unless I can reclaim 'awesome' and return it to an older meaning - inspiring dread and wonder, especially wonder.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
well put Rob
@WinstonBuford3 ай бұрын
Always loved that bridge. Used to be able to see it from South Ockendon, Stifford Clays or Dagenham, it is a very exciting and interesting area.
@patrickhassett70773 жыл бұрын
Great video John!
@155stw3 жыл бұрын
Epic just epic as usual. You were able to combine ambience music, brilliant narration and footage. Turned a gloomy day into something so interesting , When I fly into London I will do the Epping walk.
@voxley193 жыл бұрын
Another amazing walk John. I think I've mentioned it before, but the section of the London Loop between Rainham and Purfleet along the Thames is a fantastic walk.
@jimjones79093 жыл бұрын
John, like someone else has mentioned you should have crossed over the wall at P&G and had a look at S Clements church - quite at odds with the buildings that dwarf it, - also a monument/mass grave to boy sailors drowned when a training ship sunk in the early 1900's - the 'mother of all pylons' are the tallest in the country, taking 400KV across to Kent
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
I really should have gone for a look at that church Jim - I was too fixated on the river
@jasonantigua68253 жыл бұрын
I’ve researched those pylons too Jim! Quite impressive structures. A base jumper died some years back when he jumped from the one on the Kent side!!!
@bill-tl1rq2 жыл бұрын
@@JohnRogersWalks do it John. I've been out of the area for 30 yrs but took my mum back maybe 5 yrs ago to look at the church. I was a pageboy there in the early 70s... It's dwarfed by proctors but has a tale to tell. Great channel John - I'm a newbie and love it 👌
@RajSinghKhalsa3 жыл бұрын
Wonderful, I think you earned a can or two of Stella great work
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Raj - I had some tea and cake before sinking a couple of pints
@howdymartin62583 жыл бұрын
Splendid - simply splendid
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks Martin
@mariana40593 жыл бұрын
Impressive landscape - like a massive industrial sculpture garden.
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
It's almost overwhelming Mariana
@ashleysgaze3 жыл бұрын
Elemental John! Great! 🌧🚶♂️
@Hammertime0543 жыл бұрын
I ride my mountain bike from barking to grays and back quite a few times along the Thames path👍
@lesgoody31413 жыл бұрын
Well done John, I admire your determination!
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks Les
@WinstonBuford3 ай бұрын
Behind Goresbrook Village Estate (i used to live there) just off Ripple Road, there used to be a massive wasteland behind it,lots of concrete and rubble, swampy area further out, - and it had old pillboxes there, was so cool to explore!
@stevenspraggs49533 жыл бұрын
loved that one thanks john
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
My pleasure Steven glad you enjoyed it
@patriciadodman12843 жыл бұрын
Great walk John
@JohnRogersWalks3 жыл бұрын
thanks Patricia
@suginami1233 жыл бұрын
Superb video.
@allannewson14613 жыл бұрын
Like the background music
@michaelshaw16623 жыл бұрын
Fascinating video John, thanks so much for sharing.
@yupitsteddy3 жыл бұрын
done this walk a few times over the last few years , until they changed the gate entrance you would have to walk past the cottages and go though a small gate next to them until they was pulled down last year
@danielwalker26132 жыл бұрын
The pylons at12:50 are quite famous. There are a pair spanning the Thames - and are the tallest in the UK.
@frankspencer53683 жыл бұрын
There is something frugal about those places. And I even miss them.
@obrYo3 жыл бұрын
Loved that walk. As you said "Some people will find beauty anywhere." The shit weather was great. The broken bench with no planks, just concrete supports will stay with me. Thank you.