Thursday, April 17, 2014

Hullbridge Riverside






If you like the idea of having your yacht at the bottom of your garden, then you may fancy a home overlooking the River Crouch at Hullbridge. These properties have unspoiled views across the river to land belonging to Marsh Farm on the north bank and beyond to a ridge where the Burnham Road passes between South Woodham Ferrers and North Fambridge. From their rear verandas and balconies the view extends from east, through north to the west, where on mid-summer evenings the most gorgeous sunsets can be seen reflecting off the water and mud flats. Air pollution over the metropolis enhances these spectacular scenes at dusk.

Wallasea Island lies nine miles* to the east, and a further ten miles will have you at the easternmost extremity of Foulness Sands, north of the Whitaker Beacon. A full day’s sail can be had by taking the ebb as far as the Whitaker and returning on the flood. As the prevailing wind is from the SW, the return trip will often entail much tacking. Get it right when the wind is from the south; you will have ample time for anchoring off the Sands to watch the seals and have lunch.

*Land miles.

Links

5 Bedroom Detached House at Hullbridge overlooking the River Crouch, £770,000

3 comments:

Steve Carey said...

Hi Bill,

Hullbridge brings back many happy memories for me. My first boat when I was in my late teens was a Polycell Prout "Voyager". It was 13' 6" OA, 2 berth and had twin keels (Built by Juxta Mare Marine, Bradwell on Sea for POLYCELL group, at that time owned by REED Paper Group, who I worked for. They also owned IPC, the Daily Mirror along with the Mirror Dinghy class!).

I was living at home with my parents at Chadwell Heath. I had been to Hullbridge a few times and decided that it was the place to launch my first boat. My father fitted a towing bracket to his 3.8ltr MKII Jag and off we went. We slipped "Haft Teppah" onto the mud and my father returned home with the trailer.

Whilst waiting for high water and to be able to sail my boat, I bumped into the Water Bailiff who asked if I was planning on keeping my boat on the water at Hullbridge. After ten mins of chatting, he assigned me an a "Just vacated" swinging mooring for the tune of £35 per year! It was well out in a deep area at HW but dries out for a few hours or so at LW. Being right opposite Ferry Road, it was easy for me to get to in my Dinghy.

Most weekends I would travel down by train to Wickford Station and then WALK (Never thought about a folding bike!). On "Bad" tide weekends, I would go down Friday night after work and sail to Burnham on Crouch on a fast ebbing tide! Burnham 0n Crouch is another place with fond memories . . . . . one of them being Fish & Chips from the ? Chariot Fish Restaurant then reading for an hour before turning in. I eventually moved my Voyager to a mooring at Rice & Cole's foreshore!

I could go on and on and on and on . . . . . .

Steve

Unknown said...

I suppose if one can buy a house at £770,000, then £24.99 doesn't seem so bad......

William Serjeant said...

Well, Steve,

That's a story in itself - perhaps worth completing and publishing on your blog.

I first sailed at Hullbridge in 1972 with friends at the Up River Yacht Club. In 1973 I had a half share in a 24' Wessex One Design with my brother, but we kept her at West Mersea and entered her in the 1974 Round Britain Race.

Later, I kept a series of boat at Hullbridge: a Wharram Hina, a Hunter Europa, a Fairy Fulmar and a Folksong 25.

Like you, Hullbridge brings happy memories.

Cheers,
Bill.