Heavy industry – is it a thing of unnatural beauty, its inner workings a mystery to be wondered at? Or is it an ugly, smoke-belching, sludge-spewing sprawl of ghastliness? A bit of both, maybe.
As we got closer to Southampton Water ships laden with containers sailed into or out of port.
We trudged along a litter-strewn shore. This litter had not been dropped by other people. It had been washed up by the tide. It was not bottles and crisp packets; but pallets, off-cuts of timber, metal and rope. It had become ensnared by tree branches and other driftwood and then washed up in a tangled heap.
The industry to the other side of Southampton Water was, at this point, three miles away. It felt a lot closer.
We turned and trudged on, knowing that it would take several walks before we would leave this sight behind.
Points on this part of the walk (copy and paste the co-ordinates into Google Earth):
- Litter-Strewn Shoreline: N 50° 49.661 W 001° 16.057
Walk #66 Statistics (of which this post forms the twelfth part):
- Date of Walk: 19 February 2014
- Walk #66 total distance covered: 15.29 miles
- Coast of Britain Walk Total Distance Covered: 554.05 miles
- CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO INTERACTIVE MAP!!!
The Coastal Path 
Hi Nick, The views on these walks aren’t always great (wait until you get to Port Talbot!!!!) but the SWCP is just around the corner 🙂
I realise us Bloggers ( re up to date postings) have day jobs, so where are you up to at the present time?
Martyn
Hi Martyn –
I believe you! But you can afford to be happy about it now given where you are up to!!!
We are presently at Barton-on-Sea. Our next walk takes us into Bournemouth, and from there, as you say, the SWCP. The problem, however, is that one we get beyond Sandbanks we’ll struggle to get down regularly. I fear our Coastal Path is going to become a school holiday venture quite soon…
Nic
That second picture could be an ad for stopping pollution or industry – it’s a very moving shot!
Does it have to be rule that the walk around the coast is continuous? When it gets too far to
drive, can you start closer to your house, but just go in the other direction? I realize that it will
just postpone the inevitable, but at least you guys could get the easy/close parts out of the way…
Hi Jill – We want to keep going in the same direction rather than work at it “from both ends”. Once we have done the next couple of walks we will be slowing down and only able to work at it during school holidays. It may be that we change our minds at that stage, but we’ll see.
Nic
Sounds like the Texas Gulf Coast around Galveston Bay! Yikes!