Welcome to the Tendring Ramblers  website. The Tendring Group was formed in 1991 when it was decided to split the Colchester group. Tendring is in North East Essex. It extends from the River Stour, the Suffolk/Essex county border in the north, to the coast and the River Colne, Essex in the south, with the coast to the east and the town of Colchester to the west. Towns in the district include Frinton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, Brightlingsea and Harwich. Large villages in the district include St Osyth and Great Bentley.

 

England’s Coast Path

 

If you want to know what the future all-England coast path might look like, and how it might be perceived, then head for Devon and Cornwall. The South West Coast Path National Trail is estimated to generate more than £300 million annually for the regional economy, it’s a selling point for more than three-quarters of accommodation providers on or near the coast; and around 40% of all visitors say it’s a factor in their holiday plans.

 

Two years ago, the principle of a public right of access on foot around the entire English coast was finally established when the Marine and Coastal  Access  Act passed into law. It set out the aim of a continuous coastal path with ‘spreading room’ alongside to allow for exploration and the odd picnic. The first stretch of the route, at Weymouth Bay in Dorset, is due to open in time for the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events in July 2012. Work on the next five sections, in Cumbria, Durham, Norfolk, Kent and Somerset, begin this spring with a new right of access supposed to be completed within four years.

 

As expected, its providing to be a major undertaking, but one in which Ramblers volunteers around the country are already playing a pivotal role.

 

One of the fundamental tasks has been to map existing public access to the coast. In Kent, a member of the Canterbury ramblers has surveyed the county’s entire 345km/214-mile coastline on foot. He describes, stage by stage, the current access of coastal access, and pinpoints not just localised problems but also opportunities for improvement such as on the east bank of the Stour, near Ramsgate. As well as digital photos, full use of modern technology has been made including Kent County Council’s online Definitive Map, GPS, Memory Map and Google Earth to plot precise positions.

 

Another section of the first wave of coastal access is in Cumbria, between Whitehaven and Allonby.  A Lake District Rambler has walked every foot of this shore and recalls a clear methodology for coming up with a suggested route for the coast path.

 

We try to cater for most walking abilities by offering regular weekly walking on Sundays and Thursdays. Walks are usually between 7 - 10 miles long with the occasional 11 - 14 miler. We also organise shorter half day walks twice a month on Thursdays and once a month on a Wednesday. These walks are up to 5 miles long. Most of our walking is in Tendring and the surrounding areas which include the Dedham Vale (Constable Country) and Suffolk.

 

As always, we require walk leaders. NO LEADER, NO WALK. If you feel you would like to lead, have a talk with Dorothy or Paul. Alternatively, telephone any of the numbers on the contacts page. You will not be pressurised into leading.

 

Please have suitable footwear and clothing for a walk you intend to join, and bring some food and drink, even if the walk includes a pub or café stop. Leaders may refuse to accept participants who in their opinion are inadequately equipped or unfit.  When in doubt, contact the walk leader in advance.

 

For information and details of joining the Tendring Ramblers please refer to Contacts and Membership or telephone any of the Contacts telephone numbers.