featured-image

Essex is home to many beautiful and serene walking trails, but one stands out as the most perilous - The Broomway, as it is said to have claimed the lives of 100 people by drowning. This ancient footpath, often dubbed "The Most Dangerous Walk in Britain," is not for the faint-hearted. At over 600 years old, recorded as early as 1419, the Broomway runs for 6 miles (9.

7 km) along the Maplin Sands, approximately 440 yards from the present shoreline. This path - estimated to be a three to four hour walk - is only walkable at low tide, and connects the island of Foulness with the Southend mainland at Wakering Stairs. In the past, a number of headways ran from the track to the shore, giving access to local farms.



The track is extremely dangerous in misty weather, as the incoming tide floods across the sands at high speed, and the water forms whirlpools because of flows from the River Crouch and River Roach. READ MORE: The 'tranquil' dog-friendly Essex beach perfect for a family day-out this summer READ MORE: The Essex pub with stunning views of historic Victorian railway bridge from the garden It has earned the reputation of the most dangerous walk in Britain by virtue of the disorientating nature of its environment in poor visibility, and near inevitability of death by drowning for anyone still out on the sands when the tide comes in. The path is marked with large Danger Area signs on the map, and it’s said to have claimed the lives of more than 100 people in the last 600 years.

.

Back to Beauty Page