Hi Steve this area used to be my stomping ground. The Broomway is easily the most dangerous path in the UK. As the person in the video says this path crosses a live firing range. Is on MOD land and goes into the Thames Estuary which has the second fastest tide race in the uk and the second highest tidal range in the uk. The Thames Estuary is seven miles wide and has a tidal race of six knots it also has a tidal range of upto six metres at times. The substrate of the Thames isn't sand at all its soft sinking mud that smells ransid if one strays from the path and gets stuck in the mud its suction power is immense and very dificult to get free without rescue. The nearest RNLI station is Southend Pier and they were the first lifeboat station to have a rsecue Hovercraft stationed with them to cope with the mudflats at low tide they also have specialised equipment to free someone from the suction of the mud flats of the Thames Estuary. Foulness Island is still owned by the military and is still an active firing range. The obs tower you saw in the video is not for an airport. It is a coastal obs tower used by the Coastguard and foreshore service for monitoring the Thames estuary If you want another few videos to check out on this area there are a few of them that could and will peak your interest. One is a video on SS Richard Montgomery the USA Liberty ship thats sunk in the Thames with thousands of tonnes of unexploded bombs still on board. It's still there to this day. Two is the role that Southend pier played in WW2 it was renamed HMS Leigh during the war and played a massive role in DDay . Three is the Mulberry Harbour section that was abandoned in the Thames Estuary just off of Shoebury because it sank while on its way to the Normandy landings. And last but not least the video that tells the story of a WW1 German Submarine that was captured by the Brits and then sunk in the Estuary where two rivers meet these rivers are the Thames and the Medway
I used to spend a lot of time on that mulberry harbour as a kid. Walk out with the tide, mark the water level as it goes down when you get there and hurry back as soon as it starts to come up. I expect people still walk out there to fish and spend one or two Tides there before coming back. Gotta get it right or you end up dead.
I grew up near a potentially dangerous area similar to this. People would go out on the mud flats, tide would come in fast behind them down narrow channels. They think They're safe, they turn around...no way back! These places can look so inviting if you haven't seen them when the tide is high. Gives me the chills!
@@suzannelacy8093i like that their right to protect themselves is in their constitution. Protect yourself in the uk you will find yourself in prison 😂.
The public footpaths was established long before the military base was built. Therefore the footpath has to take priority over whatever the land current is currently used for 😉
Morecambe Bay has a similar reputation for people being caught by incoming tides, I remember in 2004 at least 21 Chinese immigrant workers were drowned. After a Gang Boss dumped them on Morecombe Bay to collect cockle shellfish, and they had no idea how dangerous the area was. There has been an official "King's Guide to the Sands" since 1548. A royal appointment, with the current annual salary of £15.
Not strictly true. There are occasions where the MoD can put a case through Government to close Public Rights of Way indefinitely under the Terrorism Acts. Otherwise, training areas typically allow access by the public but must have clear warning signs and barriers at times of use eg live firing.
Having worked for the Countryside Service in Wales I absolutely agree with you there! Farmers and other businesses try, but PROWs are so passionately defended that local authorities actually spend a smidge of money on them! .... Well, they _did_, it remains to be seen if that continues given the current situation.
They do and have done. There was a path running through an RAF station leased to the USAF near me. "Ramblers" attempted to access these paths (Still on OS maps) during the late eighties and the Yank security threatened to shoot people due to sensitivity. I believe a compromise was arranged and the Americans laid out and maintained a new path around the perimeter? Ironically, the majority of station closed within ten years of this!
@@Winteriscoming... Not at all helped by the fact that Countryside staff have been decimated by redundancies. They were the ones who could get extra funding, attract volunteer help, provide tools & PPE. The difference from 15 years ago is incredible. When cuts have to be made, it's one of the near invisible ones. It's a shame that people are losing access to nature, when a lot need it the most. The Wales Coastal Path is a great achievement.
The majority of MOD firing ranges in the UK are on land which is land open to the public when not in use for military firing. Many footpaths are ancient rights of way, and often the areas are protected to encourage rare floral and fauna. You can be walking on some ranges and come across tanks, APCs, snipers and soldiers generally (UK troops, European, US, Canadianand more). Our dogs have found snipers, its quite irritating for them after being embedded for days only to be discovered by a couple of excited gundogs! 😆🐕🐕
Don't have gun dog but my dog sh** life out of a sniper & soldiers in past what they thought was 2 wolves with collars on... A Saarloos wolfdog & a Czech Wolfdog, they both picked up on their scent instantly. Lol. No Red flags, they were further passed our wooded area...
Salisbury plain, one of the biggest army training areas is crisscrossed by footpaths and bridleways, but when the red flags are not flying, public access is permitted.
I've really gotten into your videos Steve, not only because your reactions are so genuine, sometimes funny and sometimes "sweet" but also because I'm learning things about my country I didn't know myself. I'm learning along with you and I think that's awesome.
For military firing/training ranges plus old buildings, check out Tyneham in Dorset UK. The village was evacuated in 1940's as part of preparations for a potential German landing point. Invasion was a very real prospect, the people of Tyneham made a huge sacrifice that should be remembered from time to time.
I thought it was evacuated as part of D-day preparations? The villagers were promised they could return but that never happened. Tyneham's well worth a visit, a step back in time.
@@geoffpoole483 I'm sure they planted a load of concrete bollards because they thought the German tanks could be landed there. It was also used for training in our tanks, so maybe that's why tanks were on their minds!
@@geoffpoole483 The first time that I walked part of the range walks around Tyneham the path was quite restricted, The other side of the fence you could see old unexploded shells, the area was still being cleared. The old village of Tyneham was used in the early film 'Far From the Madding Crowd' with Julie Christie, you could still see the remains of the film 'extensions' to the houses. Warbarrow Bay has one of the best beaches in the area, no rubbish 'grockle traps' and very clear water. The Range Walks are now opened much of the year, but have recently been closed quite often for training of Tank Crews from the Ukraine.
I live in Okehampton where there is the Okehampton Battle Camp. Its a training point where the military use the adjacent Dartmoor are for live firing excercises. There is a public footpath straight through the battle camp and obviously dartmoor itself is public access but closed off when excercises are happening
Essex is my home county. I've never had the courage to walk the Broomway! Re MOD firing ranges, I believe you can visit by appointment or during open days and watch tanks having target practice: there's one in Dorset, I believe.
I used to Live in Lulworth Camp, Dorset, Beautiful area. The ranges are fine to go on, DO NOT go when red flags or Red Lights are up is the GOLDEN rule. We used to go on the ranges since we lived on the base. So long as you obey the signals, it's fine. Not sure if this is where you mean for Dorset, I mean, the Tank museum is just down the road in Bovington so... The amount of shells we would find, sometimes that's all you were walking on. You can access the ranges in Lulworth, or could, anytime, just watch those flags, they aren't just decoration. The thing about Lulworth that makes it more interesting? Flowers Barrow, an ancient hill fort going back 2,500 years so the military history is extremely long and the area still being actively used. This route also leads to the ranges. Rumour has it, Roman's were last seen during the Second world war marching along with around 100 witnesses in one report. The apparently come out when Britain is under threat. The area is extremely haunted.
I have a friend who lives and farms on Shoeburyness. The biggest problem he says is that the bits of shells etc that are hidden in the fields keep on damaging his Combine Harvester!
He should contact a local metal detecting group to go over his land for him and clear it. My husband is frequently asked by farmers he knows to go over their land for them, particularly if they know there is a broken piece of equipment they have lost, to prevent damage to their expensive machinery.
Here in the UK we have something called 'Right of way' we have paths going through farmland, even people's gardens, ancient footpaths are maintained and remain open and the public must have access at all times. The UK has some of the largest tidal estuaries, in some places the tide can go out for miles. Great channel, keep up thr good work.👊🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻
THe brooms were stacks of brushwood placed at intervals to mark the path. For some reason they had a limited lifespan. Would recommend Tom Scott's video of his walk.
That tower is probably not for aircraft but to give observers an elevated viewpoint to keep a check that people are not straying into the danger areas when live firing is under way.
That particular MoD site has a small civilian village in the middle complete with pub completely surrounded by military land. The pubs now closed but you used to be able to go to it. You'd call the landlord who'd phone the gate guard to let you through.
The whole of Salisbury Plain is used for military exercises- it’s a large area with several villages and towns. Areas are closed periodically, then open ended for general access, but some parts are permanently closed. Lots of wildlife reserves here as a result.
I love Salisbury Plain. I watched one morning as a fox stalked rabbits grazing on the other side of gully. One of our mortar teams dug in within a few feet of a badgers sett and watched them coming and going all night. Lots of wildlife and ancient tumuli etc
Broom was from a tree, not for sweeping up. Nearby Southend is a famous tourist beach. It is another Planet ..... "Southend Pier is the city's most treasured, historical icon as well as being the longest pleasure pier in the world. It stretches for 1.33 miles out into the Thames Estuary, putting Southend on the map as well as into the record books". Plenty of people there !!
There are a few places around the UK coast where the tide can come in, quite literally, faster than you can run. Some are notorious. The southern North Sea used to be the land bridge to mainland Europe, and it looks dead flat for a long way out at low tide, then the water just rushes in! The tidal range is quite high too, up to 12-15 ft between low and high tide.
Essex is the driest part of the U.K., it’s really flat and there are lots of villages with very ancient buildings. It’s full of interest for such a flat area. Nice vid, thank you
I live in Essex . We have a church built in around 1230 .its a beautiful old church . Plenty of ghost stories about the red monk and the pirates grave . Worth looking into
I live in Northumberland and we have the Lindisfarne causeway, which is tidal and leads you to a place well worth visiting. The monastery was the first place in Britain to be raided by vikings and the village is very charming. There is a rescue tower half way across and it is needed. Every year a few people think they can ignore the tide table and they get to perch up there and watch their cars drift away. There is also the "Pilgrim's way" (also tidal) which is a viable path across the mud-flats marked by poles. That is seriously dangerous, if you wander even a couple of yards from the path you can easily be trapped in the mud as the tide comes in. It's only suitable for organised groups.
When I was much, much younger, I worked in a local hospital where one night we had notification to expect an admission from Lindisfarne. It was the first time in my 20 year career that I had to check the tide tables in order to work out when to expect the ambulance arriving.
Glad to see your comment 👍. We in the northeast are very privileged to enjoy such beautiful coastlines with a wealth of history. I wouldn't live anywhere else.
We have a firing range path near me at Lulworth. You can walk through the MOD land (if the flags say it’s safe), then walk along the cliff tops to see a world-renowned landmark at Durdle Door, go through the abandoned village of Tyneham, and dip your feet in the see at Lulworth Cove … it’s pretty spectacular!
I hope to walk the path soon. I have to be extra careful though as I recently had to spend the night in some local woods after falling down a hole & breaking my ankle before eventually being found, & have only just started walking again!
I watch a lot of Tim's videos as he visits various places around the UK with his lovely family. That path and the area it's in is all my nightmares in one. Lovely to look around that area - from the air lol The quicksand is what terries me. Where I live tourists are often caught out by the sudden incoming tide which cuts them off and then it's an RNLI rescue. Big shout out to our amazing RNLI volunteers who donate their time and expertise in helping keep the British public safe. I cannot praise them highly enough, especially as most have full time jobs and volunteer in their downtime. Incredible human beings.
A beach close to me has a fair size patch that's notorious at low tide. So far, to my knowledge, the only 'victims' have been very mucky cars. I was once stuck in a 2mt mud filled ditch. I wasn't in any danger as my colleague was already reaching down, but I've only got little legs. Terrifying is right, the pressure was intense and I was up to my thighs in seconds. Complete panic.
@@madoldbatwoman I shudder at the very thought of that, poor you, but thankfully a colleague was there to help you get out. I've seen documentary videos of what happens when a horse/other large mammal steps on mud that sucks them down and it's my worst fear. I was on a beach once, as a kid, before I realised what was happening I was up to my knees in seconds and luckily someone plucked me out. I live right by a 7 mile long beach and have NEVER been on it due to my fear, I love walking along the promenade though lol
@@Herbie-Went-Bananas-Then-Split Honestly, it was mere seconds. We were having to ditch hop most of the day and the bank had eroded a little on this bit. I used a bloody big pitchfork as a vaulting pole the next day! 🤣 Here's to both of us keeping out of the quicksand!
Also in Cornwall in the uk there is a cobble path that crosses the sea to St Michael's Mount you can cross on foot when the tide is out but when the tide is in you can only cross by boat so you have to check the tide times so you don't get caught out by the tide
Uk isn't as big as America but there are bases where public aren't allowed to access & as said ancient footpaths have been there before the bases, I live in Devon & we have a live firing land nearby - I think they put up red flags on all footpaths around that lead onto the Burroughs. there are Marine bases around & they train with equipment & landing craft on the public beaches. A chap I know was out walking & came across live ammunition that had just been left! Main areas are Dartmoor, Brecon Beacons & Salisbury Plains - all open to public. Breacon Beacons can be harsh - we were out hill walking one weekend & the weather came in up on a ridge & headed for the lowland & shelter. That weekend, we heard in news, 2 soldiers had died. You could be out hill walking amongst SAS training & servicemen, who knows.
Hi Steve, our son lives in a village on Salisbury plain, and often when he is walking his dog he see solders training jumping out from hiding places, a couple of years ago he took me to Imber a village taking over by the MOD during the war, they told the residents they could return after the wat they lied and now you can only go there about twice a year once at Christmas and another time so the relations can visit their ancestors graves and have a service at the church,
I did my MOD apprenticeship there at the Proof and Experimental establishment in the late 80's.Sometimes the Russians would park a ship bristling with aerials in the estuary pretending to queue for Tilbury dock. On these occasions all work would stop and we would be allowed to get on with any of our own interests or hobbies to confuse them. Many of the engineers would go fishing down at Wakering Steps..We loved them Russian ships.
Our footpaths are many and varied. They can keep you close to civilisation or take you to place you'd never get to in a vehicle and let you see wildlife that you otherwise miss.
There's another tidal path to holy island Lindisfarne also dangerous the sea comes in really fast there, we just made it back on the motorbike, we knew when the times were but the tide decided it was going to come in early. Lindisfarne holy island is in Northumberland, England.
I remeber walking a path in Rochdale and on my left were circle pieces of wood 5 feet away. Behind them where people in the distance with bow and arrows, and the targets were towards the path. It was an archery field. At least they waited for me to pass.
He got there at low tide which is not good if you want to cross to the island. A local told me that if I wanted to cross over the best bet was to arrive as the tide starts to drop then follow the tide edge as it retreats to give yourself the maximum amount of time to complete the journey, especially if you want to walk back...
You should check out "imber village bus tour", it's an abandoned village that's used for military training. There's also several 'tidal islands' in the UK
There are quite a few footpaths over areas used for military exercises, such as across Salisbury Plain, parts of the Dorset coast, and across Barry Links in Scotland. In each case, access is conditional upon there being no red flag flying around the perimeter, which indicates that there are exercises taking place that do sometimes involve the use of live ammunition! Likewise, there are a few other places where there is access across tidal areas, notably Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, where many lives have also been lost due to quicksand and incoming tides. I think this may be the longest tidal 'road' that is in theory, open to all traffic. The islands of Colonsay and Oronsay in the Scottish Hebrides are also connected this way at low tides, while the offshore island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland is also accessed by such a tidal road along a stone causeway, however it at least has a small refuge box you can climb up into if for some reason you are surrounded by the incoming tides! There is also St Michael's Mount in Cornwall; and a number of small, most uninhabited islands. elsewhere. Since the First World War, when the famous Churchill Barriers were constructed to prevent access to Scapa Flow (where the entire British Navy was temporarily based) between closely adjacent islands; which however also provided raised causeways that are always above the waves; most of the other, inhabited, close islands in the Outer Hebrides, have been connected by similarly raised barriers along which public roads also run, though there have been occasions where access to some of these may have been inadvisable at high tide, especially during extreme weather events. Unique not only in Britain but indeed the entire world, is the tidal runway of Barra Airport, on which scheduled passenger flights take off and land at low tide, on a daily basis!
I lived in military accommodation as a child and the tank ranges were right alongside where we lived, we weren’t supposed to but we played on the ranges in the 80s 🤦🏻♀️😂
The footpath pre-dates the MOD range. We have something similar up here in my part of Scotland, a military exercise area on the hills. They fly red flags when the military are out on exercise but at other times the public are allowed full access. I remember when as an apprenctice I visited one of the facilities on Shoeburyness the range is huge, with several farms on it. There is a lot of land on the range and only parts are actually used by the military. That was back in the 80's
There are some nice walks in the German regions of the mudflats, too. You can Walk from the island of Amrum to the island of Föhr (did that on a school excursion years ago, takes about three hours) or go by horse drawn carriage from the mainland to the island of Neuwerk. No paths, just mudflats, take a guide, the "paths" shift from year to year.
Around 1981-82 I lived in walking distance to RAF Burtonwood. This was accommodation to over 2000 USAF servicemen and families. They lived on an enclosed housing area with military checkpoint at main gate. However they had a side gate leading to the facilities including a bowling alley. I was able to exchange £1 for $2.40 and play bowling - buy root beer ( I was a kid) and play on the arcade video games and I would still have money left over. The US servicemen working the base never had an issue with it.
RAF Alconbury was similar. We would often pop in for a beer with some of the USAF personnel we worked with. Unfortunately all changed in the mid eighties after CND started demonstrating, thinking wrongly, they had cruise missiles in there. Mind you, CND said our Target Towing Canberra's, stationed down the road, built in the 1950's were nuclear bombers!
@@johnp8131 aye and it was thought missiles may have been stored at Burtonwood which was the largest storage warehouse in Europe at the time. The base had a runway on it and control tower - the runway stopped being used after the war and the M62 motorway was built right through it. I learned to drive on it as it was just empty abandoned space
I live two rivers north of this area, it is very flat here and we have big skies and fabulous sunsets. Out along the rivers it can be eerie but there are usually loads of wading birds and being surrounded by so much farmland there is usually a tractor or two to be seen. There are islands in my nearest river that I can see from my bedroom and there is a causeway to one of them. I think the Vikings came across that river when they invaded Maldon in 991.
The shoreline on wakering Steps is where we scattered my Dad s ashes, as a once paratrooper and lifelong sailor it seemed appropriate. If he had set of a mine on his way out to the North Sea that would have been kind of appropriate! It was a lovely sunny day too.
TRY looking at Salisbury plane firing ranges and Lulworth ranges in Dorset and the lost villages due to firing ranges and you can drive your car through them . All the fun of living on the wild side on a very small Island . Lets hope he took or knew the tide times . Yes of course he did or we would never have watched his video . 🤔😉
That's crazy, I live on an estuary with a sandbank and dog walkers regularly get stranded on the sandbank, in the summer quadbikes patrol the beach as the tide comes in warning people but in the winter they don't, I've seen two people get stranded out there and it's horrible as you can't do anything to help besides call emergency services, then just wait for the lifeboats to turn up, the sandbank is equidistant between two lifeboat stations so they're both called and race to get there first, as it's a sandbank they launch motor powered dinghies so you see two coming from different directions, and they seem insanely slow, it takes them several minutes to reach the sandbank which is agonising, both times I've witnessed it the people stranded had the tide get very close but were both saved, the only humorous part is the actual rescue itself, because of the shallow sandbank the dingy has to stop 30 feet away and the lifeboat people don't mess around, they run over and literally grab the people, forcibly drag them and throw them into the dinghy like ragdolls, when you have a very fast incoming tide they can't mess around!
Further North and on the West Coast is a place called Grange over Sands and there's a similar walk that can be done (with an official guide). In the past it would be travelled by people on foot, by horse and by cart and carriage. When the tide comes in it come is fast, the saying was that it comes in "faster than a galloping horse". I expect the speed of the tide would be similar here.
For some reason my late parents took us on holiday to Grange over Sands in, if I remember right, 1964. I do remember they weren’t impressed and called it Grange over Mud, or, I suspect if their daughters weren’t listening, Grange over Shit. There was a sewage outfall on the beach.
Hey Steve, I've been enjoying a lot of your videos. This one is right up my street. I live in Southend which was mentioned a few times. This path is about 10 minutes drive from where I live. Such a small world. I've run along those roads near the base but I didn't know we were allowed in. I'll have to make a trip.
I forgot to say - the railway carries the ordinance into the base. They also store a large number of railway carriages ready to be used to move lots of people in an emergency. We often hear them testing guns from our house. It shakes the windows.
I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath (USAF base on MOD property) and there was a public footpath that ran right through the middle of the base. The path was clearly marked and we followed/escorted them through the base. If they strayed of the path at all, they were detained and turned over to the MOD police.
There's a firing range at Lulworth, Dorset, on the Jurassic Coast, just to the east of the cove. Within the MOD area is the village of Tyneham, evacuated in WWII and never re-inhabited. You can walk to it when the Lulworth Ranges are not being used. As with anywhere there are tanks and artillery being used, it's really important to follow instruction. We occasionally get the Warrior fighting vehicles on the roads round here but not as part of the firing range. I think they are learning to drive in traffic. A great sight and sound.
So glad that you’ve reacted to a walk with me Tim video he is an amazing guy and does great videos on travels around the world. If you want informative videos about holiday destinations around the world this is the man to watch. He’s a friendly guy he has a nice family and he just does great videos I really couldn’t recommend this man enough.
I live in the northeast of england and there is something similar to this to get to Lindisfarne/Holy Island in Northumberland, many people get swept away every year. I recommend checking it out, the Island is beautiful. I had no idea about this one in Essex!
Yes, we have several places we are able to walk during set times. 😊 Tyneham Village was taken and never given back. Its now a museum walk, on some days public can visit 😀
In Cambridgeshire, there is a MOD shooting range (Barton Road range) which has a public right of way straight through the centre. The public are not allowed to walk through when shooting is taking place but is open at all other times. There are the usual red flags when in use. This range is kinda famous anyway due to the movie "Full metal jacket" being filmed there.
You should look up "Lulworth Range Access" in Dorset. Some of the best walks going are on those ranges and its the only way to get access to the abandoned village of Tyneham which was evacuated in December 1943 and has been empty ever since. You have to stick to the paths as those are the only bits the get cleared of unexploded shells. There used to be a few old tanks dotted about they used as target practice while training in the tanks and now and then you'd see a new patch of road where somebody hit it by mistake. It's all part of the Tank training grounds but we used to love to go down to the beach and go fossil hunting in all the slate that fell from the cliffs. there is a path leading to the fossil forest and the whole area is called the Jurassic coast. well worth a visit if you are ever over here, I haven't been there since I was a kid but it left a lasting impression.
The village of Imber is in the middle of the huge Salisbury Plain firing range, and was taken over by the MoD in 1943. Since then, it's official bus route is open once a year, and lots of classic buses come from all over the country to carry visitors to see the village. This couple do great videos, mostly about railways, but here they are taking the bus instead: ruclips.net/video/xdNwwAXKCUM/видео.html
John Rogers has done a good video about this place. He has some of the best videos about walking through loads of different areas of London and the south east. He has a whole series about walking the London Loop which goes all the way around London. He does specific walks about ghosts and allsorts, well worth a look.
I pulled John Rogers up about an important fact he got wrong concerning 'Fagin' from the 'Oliver twist' dickens novel and it was about where the gang of pickpockets hung out and he blocked my comment instead of admitting his mistake.
You should look at the most dangerous river in the UK, some people say most dangerous in the world. Apparently it has a 100% fatality rate if you fall in. It looks like a tiny little stream, it's in North Yorkshire called the Strid. My daughter lives 50 miles away from it and I've warned her not to go near it 😂
As a Yorkshire lass, I can confirm you’re correct, the Strid is very deep and fast flowing and full of areas where you would be trapped. It’s very unlikely that you would get out if you fell in.
@@twistedsister2568 i recently watched a video on it and the guy was making me so nervous 😩 he was close to the edge messing with a camera. Obviously he survived and didn't fall in because he managed to upload the video but my anxiety was off the charts!
Used to live opposite a salt marsh, at low tide the ocean would be close to 2 miles out, high tide it was 20ft from the edge of the road. The marshes were walkable but dangerous, area was littered with 6ft+ deep pools and it was so easy to loose sight of the path off the marsh. We used to plant a flag to mark the way we came onto the flats.
We wouldn’t say hiking and trail walking as much as just walking quite often, the former makes them feel detached and out the way but they’re *everywhere*
I live on the edge of the Salisbury Plains and the whole area is crossed with public footpaths, while also used for military training exercises with tanks and firing ranges.
I lived in Great Wakering for years, you often see tanks driving up and down that road from the MOD site. I walked the dog every day down to the boomway but beware the path across the water can be super slippery! Great fun but you got to know the tides or swim very well 😂😂
Have a look for Bosham near Chichester in West Sussex, there is a area like that where you can park below the tide line but the tide comes in so quick because its flat many cars get flooded where the owners haven't taken notice of the warning signs.
Several public rights of way all over the UK go through MOD land. There's a big one through a live range in Scotland, and several major public roads through Salisbury plain live range
Oh wow...your watching walk with Tim!!..his channel is brilliant and if you want to see a lot more of destinations in England, Wales, Ireland scan through his channel...he's fantastic...him, his wife gabby and there baby thumps....am so chuffed your showing Tim on your channel! 👍👏
There's a Costal Marathon that goes through some MOD land. They have little markers that are either red or green depending on whether you're allowed access.
I use to park by the black watch training in Wiltshire, the jets going over the tank area they would fly directly over our heads maybe 200 feet directly above us, awesome
A nice place to walk is up by Holbeach Marsh on the edge of The Wash. It doesn't cross MOD land but it skirts the edge of the Holbeach Air Weapons Range, and you have excellent views of aircraft using the range for live gunnery firing. In the past I've watched Harriers, Tornados, A10s, F16s, F15s and AH-64s firing their guns there and occasionally dropping practice bombs. You can get to about 400m from the targets.
What he doesn't explain well is that the walk is parallel to the shore. The walk down to the path you see that is in concrete (aka: The Hards) is perpendicular to the shore of course, but it then turns 90 degrees for the walk to the island in question. That is the actual Broomway part. I thought the guy was going to walk it in the video but he doesn't at all. The island to aim for is not "out to sea" per se either... but is further along the same coast across further tidal inlets. That's not to say it isn't still very dangerous... but your route should be close to land at all times for said three hours... if you do it right. The only issue might be that you decide to call it short because you feel you aren't going to make it in time... and then you choose to go off where the brooms once were, missing other safe 'Hards' and entering a bit of quicksand as you attempt to get back to shore. Quite literally falling just short...
If you are interested in MOD public areas, then Castle Martin in Pembrokeshire is a good place to see the main battle tanks in operation. The public viewing area is only about 100 yards or less from the tanks when they are undergoing firing practice and can be seen during the day or night. The firing times are posted on google and there are some good video's on RUclips to give an idea of what can be seen there.
i used to live in Ottawa, Canada's capital. I am a birder and a member of the local nature group. A popular birding spot along the Ottawa river happened to be at the Canadian Armed Forces Military Artillery Range. Only our club had permission to enter the area for photography but we had to call before and after to get cleared to go in.
Another one you might be interested in Steve is hiking Mickle Fell (788m) in the Pennine hills in Northern England. It used to be the highest hill in Yorkshire before they changed the county boundaries in the 1970s. You need a special access permit from the MOD as the mountain forms part of the Warcop army training area. I hiked in this area recently but not on the MOD land - the area is very popular with hikers doing the Pennine Way. Great Dun Fell (848m) has a weather and radar station on top forming part of the UK's air traffic control network and the road leading up to it is the highest in Britain. We passed several hardy individuals cycling up it as we walked down! There are videos about these hills and hiking the Pennine Way on RUclips.
Head out on this 13.3-mile loop trail near Southend-On-Sea, Essex. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 6 min to complete. This trail is great for walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring.
There's a lot of places around the UK like that Weston in the south west, Morecombe in the North west, Lindisfarne in the North East that have huge mud / sand flats and massive tidal ranges. The tides can come in at well over 10mph which is faster than anyone can run in those conditions - there's stories of tides outrunning horses. As the tide comes in the land liquifies forming quicksand, depressions and channels you barely notice fill with water and the change in water height can be 10m (35 feet). Not done this one but have done a couple of interesting beach hikes Morecombe bay with the royal guide to sands - a lot of it was like walking on jello. Saunton Sands - another MOD training site this one for C130 beach landings, did it as a nice evening walk at Christmas time, well till the massive sandstorm started and we couldn't see more than 6 feet.
Thats not the only one like this on the Essex coast. I live near a few that are similar and im on the Essex coast. Theres a crossing that gets closed off by the tide very close to me called mersea Island. But i wouldnt class this as the most dangerous path. You might say Jaywick is the most dangerous, if you know you know lol
When I was young my grandfather worked for the MoD. We used to sail on the river. I can remember being told to get off the water as they wanted to use the firing range - which was over the water.
Yes very dangerous area. When I was a boy I walked out from Shoeburyness out on the sands to the broken concrete war time Mulberry Harbour that sunk before it could be put Iin place during WW2. It was a good mile out on the sands and the tide had created a deep pool around it so you could dive off of it quite safely. I stayed out a little too long and only just got back in time as the tide rushed in. Between the shore and the sand bank the ground level drops about 2 foot and the water was a good 18 inches deep when I reached it and the current was frightening.
The railway line was used for transporting ammunition, large guns and other equipment it was later used for storage of rail wagon’s waiting for scrapping
It's around a 10 min walk from my place. Walked it once with a mate after a night down the pub. Staggered around for a while (who knows how long) and some guards (a little grumpy) drove up a few times to ask if we were alright. Got a lift back to the checkpoint in the end and staggered home
Hi Steve this area used to be my stomping ground. The Broomway is easily the most dangerous path in the UK.
As the person in the video says this path crosses a live firing range. Is on MOD land and goes into the Thames Estuary which has the second fastest tide race in the uk and the second highest tidal range in the uk. The Thames Estuary is seven miles wide and has a tidal race of six knots it also has a tidal range of upto six metres at times.
The substrate of the Thames isn't sand at all its soft sinking mud that smells ransid if one strays from the path and gets stuck in the mud its suction power is immense and very dificult to get free without rescue. The nearest RNLI station is Southend Pier and they were the first lifeboat station to have a rsecue Hovercraft stationed with them to cope with the mudflats at low tide they also have specialised equipment to free someone from the suction of the mud flats of the Thames Estuary. Foulness Island is still owned by the military and is still an active firing range. The obs tower you saw in the video is not for an airport. It is a coastal obs tower used by the Coastguard and foreshore service for monitoring the Thames estuary
If you want another few videos to check out on this area there are a few of them that could and will peak your interest. One is a video on SS Richard Montgomery the USA Liberty ship thats sunk in the Thames with thousands of tonnes of unexploded bombs still on board. It's still there to this day. Two is the role that Southend pier played in WW2 it was renamed HMS Leigh during the war and played a massive role in DDay . Three is the Mulberry Harbour section that was abandoned in the Thames Estuary just off of Shoebury because it sank while on its way to the Normandy landings. And last but not least the video that tells the story of a WW1 German Submarine that was captured by the Brits and then sunk in the Estuary where two rivers meet these rivers are the Thames and the Medway
I used to spend a lot of time on that mulberry harbour as a kid. Walk out with the tide, mark the water level as it goes down when you get there and hurry back as soon as it starts to come up.
I expect people still walk out there to fish and spend one or two Tides there before coming back.
Gotta get it right or you end up dead.
@@cliveadams7629 exactly!
I grew up near a potentially dangerous area similar to this. People would go out on the mud flats, tide would come in fast behind them down narrow channels. They think They're safe, they turn around...no way back! These places can look so inviting if you haven't seen them when the tide is high. Gives me the chills!
The Severn Bore being first?!
I have family there & that Bore is 2nd only to China IN THE WORLD, as Clarkson would say😅
Is that the one near Sheerness?
Public rights of way in the UK are pretty much untouchable. Their use is an inalienable right.
Absolutely 🤗 . Much better than the American's right to carry guns .
Ha ha ha, in your dreams.
Why don’t you shut up you just keep on with shitt talking
@@suzannelacy8093i like that their right to protect themselves is in their constitution.
Protect yourself in the uk you will find yourself in prison 😂.
@@suzannelacy8093Whaaaaagh!
The public footpaths was established long before the military base was built.
Therefore the footpath has to take priority over whatever the land current is currently used for 😉
Morecambe Bay has a similar reputation for people being caught by incoming tides, I remember in 2004 at least 21 Chinese immigrant workers were drowned. After a Gang Boss dumped them on Morecombe Bay to collect cockle shellfish, and they had no idea how dangerous the area was. There has been an official "King's Guide to the Sands" since 1548. A royal appointment, with the current annual salary of £15.
The Kent channel is where a lot get caught out
Priest skear or periwinkle Island can be really dangerous.
The BBC reporter forgot where he was and He just said "The North" when he finished his report
I remember this happening, so sad!
@@gmdhargreavesProud of yourself?
This disaster deeply affected my kids at the time. Such a sad day for everyone in the area
Even the military can't prevent you walking a public right of way. Those paths are sacred.
Not strictly true. There are occasions where the MoD can put a case through Government to close Public Rights of Way indefinitely under the Terrorism Acts.
Otherwise, training areas typically allow access by the public but must have clear warning signs and barriers at times of use eg live firing.
Having worked for the Countryside Service in Wales I absolutely agree with you there! Farmers and other businesses try, but PROWs are so passionately defended that local authorities actually spend a smidge of money on them! .... Well, they _did_, it remains to be seen if that continues given the current situation.
NOT when the RED flags are flying!
They do and have done. There was a path running through an RAF station leased to the USAF near me. "Ramblers" attempted to access these paths (Still on OS maps) during the late eighties and the Yank security threatened to shoot people due to sensitivity. I believe a compromise was arranged and the Americans laid out and maintained a new path around the perimeter? Ironically, the majority of station closed within ten years of this!
@@Winteriscoming... Not at all helped by the fact that Countryside staff have been decimated by redundancies. They were the ones who could get extra funding, attract volunteer help, provide tools & PPE. The difference from 15 years ago is incredible. When cuts have to be made, it's one of the near invisible ones. It's a shame that people are losing access to nature, when a lot need it the most. The Wales Coastal Path is a great achievement.
The majority of MOD firing ranges in the UK are on land which is land open to the public when not in use for military firing. Many footpaths are ancient rights of way, and often the areas are protected to encourage rare floral and fauna. You can be walking on some ranges and come across tanks, APCs, snipers and soldiers generally (UK troops, European, US, Canadianand more). Our dogs have found snipers, its quite irritating for them after being embedded for days only to be discovered by a couple of excited gundogs! 😆🐕🐕
Red flags are usually flown when the area is actively in use.
The irony that they are gun dogs. 🤣🤣🤣
The Abandoned village of Tyneham in Dorset is a public right of way. The village is in an armoured vehicle firing range.
😂😂😂 oh man, his sergeant will be pissed 😂 they fly the red flag here wh3n were not allowed to walk the bombing range
Don't have gun dog but my dog sh** life out of a sniper & soldiers in past what they thought was 2 wolves with collars on... A Saarloos wolfdog & a Czech Wolfdog, they both picked up on their scent instantly. Lol. No Red flags, they were further passed our wooded area...
Salisbury plain, one of the biggest army training areas is crisscrossed by footpaths and bridleways, but when the red flags are not flying, public access is permitted.
But its even more important than ever to stick to the paths because there can be unexploded ordnance
@@redf7209 or literally disregarded usable amunition
@@RoraighPriceone can only hope!
Its all fun and games until you end up on the wrong side of the flags without realising
I've really gotten into your videos Steve, not only because your reactions are so genuine, sometimes funny and sometimes "sweet" but also because I'm learning things about my country I didn't know myself. I'm learning along with you and I think that's awesome.
I learn from Steve learning, it's great.
Yep, totally agree 👍
Yes. Same here 😎😎
You’ve even learned the American word ‘gotten’.
For military firing/training ranges plus old buildings, check out Tyneham in Dorset UK. The village was evacuated in 1940's as part of preparations for a potential German landing point. Invasion was a very real prospect, the people of Tyneham made a huge sacrifice that should be remembered from time to time.
I thought it was evacuated as part of D-day preparations? The villagers were promised they could return but that never happened. Tyneham's well worth a visit, a step back in time.
@@geoffpoole483 I'm sure they planted a load of concrete bollards because they thought the German tanks could be landed there. It was also used for training in our tanks, so maybe that's why tanks were on their minds!
While at Tyneham and it's a nice day , rake the footpath to Worbarrow Bay . A beautiful clean shingle beach that faces west with amazing sunsets .
@@geoffpoole483 The first time that I walked part of the range walks around Tyneham the path was quite restricted, The other side of the fence you could see old unexploded shells, the area was still being cleared.
The old village of Tyneham was used in the early film 'Far From the Madding Crowd' with Julie Christie, you could still see the remains of the film 'extensions' to the houses.
Warbarrow Bay has one of the best beaches in the area, no rubbish 'grockle traps' and very clear water.
The Range Walks are now opened much of the year, but have recently been closed quite often for training of Tank Crews from the Ukraine.
With quite a lot of irony, the author Frank Tayell in his excellent Strike A Match series of post-nuclear novels makes Tyneham the capital of England.
I live in Okehampton where there is the Okehampton Battle Camp. Its a training point where the military use the adjacent Dartmoor are for live firing excercises. There is a public footpath straight through the battle camp and obviously dartmoor itself is public access but closed off when excercises are happening
Tom Scott has a good video on this, in which he walks the path with a guide.
Essex is my home county. I've never had the courage to walk the Broomway! Re MOD firing ranges, I believe you can visit by appointment or during open days and watch tanks having target practice: there's one in Dorset, I believe.
That's not lack of courage, that's a common sense Risk Assessment! I wonder how many of those who lost their lives had enjoyed a few pints?
I used to Live in Lulworth Camp, Dorset, Beautiful area. The ranges are fine to go on, DO NOT go when red flags or Red Lights are up is the GOLDEN rule. We used to go on the ranges since we lived on the base. So long as you obey the signals, it's fine. Not sure if this is where you mean for Dorset, I mean, the Tank museum is just down the road in Bovington so... The amount of shells we would find, sometimes that's all you were walking on. You can access the ranges in Lulworth, or could, anytime, just watch those flags, they aren't just decoration. The thing about Lulworth that makes it more interesting? Flowers Barrow, an ancient hill fort going back 2,500 years so the military history is extremely long and the area still being actively used. This route also leads to the ranges.
Rumour has it, Roman's were last seen during the Second world war marching along with around 100 witnesses in one report. The apparently come out when Britain is under threat. The area is extremely haunted.
I have a friend who lives and farms on Shoeburyness. The biggest problem he says is that the bits of shells etc that are hidden in the fields keep on damaging his Combine Harvester!
He should contact a local metal detecting group to go over his land for him and clear it. My husband is frequently asked by farmers he knows to go over their land for them, particularly if they know there is a broken piece of equipment they have lost, to prevent damage to their expensive machinery.
There was a tidal path across the Solway Firth were the tide comes in at the speed of a galloping horse!
Here in the UK we have something called 'Right of way' we have paths going through farmland, even people's gardens, ancient footpaths are maintained and remain open and the public must have access at all times. The UK has some of the largest tidal estuaries, in some places the tide can go out for miles. Great channel, keep up thr good work.👊🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻
THe brooms were stacks of brushwood placed at intervals to mark the path. For some reason they had a limited lifespan. Would recommend Tom Scott's video of his walk.
Broom is the name of the scrubby looking shrub on either side of the path.
That tower is probably not for aircraft but to give observers an elevated viewpoint to keep a check that people are not straying into the danger areas when live firing is under way.
That particular MoD site has a small civilian village in the middle complete with pub completely surrounded by military land. The pubs now closed but you used to be able to go to it. You'd call the landlord who'd phone the gate guard to let you through.
Glad you enjoyed the walk !
I love your videos, I watch every one as soon as I can. Thank you for your unbiased content and fantastic reviews.
The whole of Salisbury Plain is used for military exercises- it’s a large area with several villages and towns. Areas are closed periodically, then open ended for general access, but some parts are permanently closed. Lots of wildlife reserves here as a result.
I love Salisbury Plain. I watched one morning as a fox stalked rabbits grazing on the other side of gully. One of our mortar teams dug in within a few feet of a badgers sett and watched them coming and going all night. Lots of wildlife and ancient tumuli etc
It’s the same where I am it’s only open when they are not doing active stuff we can go in
Broom was from a tree, not for sweeping up. Nearby Southend is a famous tourist beach. It is another Planet ..... "Southend Pier is the city's most treasured, historical icon as well as being the longest pleasure pier in the world. It stretches for 1.33 miles out into the Thames Estuary, putting Southend on the map as well as into the record books". Plenty of people there !!
Yeah give me Southend any day than that eerie hellish path lurking nearby! I wouldn't walk it WITH a tour guide!
There are a few places around the UK coast where the tide can come in, quite literally, faster than you can run. Some are notorious. The southern North Sea used to be the land bridge to mainland Europe, and it looks dead flat for a long way out at low tide, then the water just rushes in! The tidal range is quite high too, up to 12-15 ft between low and high tide.
Essex is the driest part of the U.K., it’s really flat and there are lots of villages with very ancient buildings. It’s full of interest for such a flat area. Nice vid, thank you
I live in Essex . We have a church built in around 1230 .its a beautiful old church . Plenty of ghost stories about the red monk and the pirates grave . Worth looking into
I live in Northumberland and we have the Lindisfarne causeway, which is tidal and leads you to a place well worth visiting. The monastery was the first place in Britain to be raided by vikings and the village is very charming. There is a rescue tower half way across and it is needed. Every year a few people think they can ignore the tide table and they get to perch up there and watch their cars drift away. There is also the "Pilgrim's way" (also tidal) which is a viable path across the mud-flats marked by poles. That is seriously dangerous, if you wander even a couple of yards from the path you can easily be trapped in the mud as the tide comes in. It's only suitable for organised groups.
When I was much, much younger, I worked in a local hospital where one night we had notification to expect an admission from Lindisfarne. It was the first time in my 20 year career that I had to check the tide tables in order to work out when to expect the ambulance arriving.
Glad to see your comment 👍. We in the northeast are very privileged to enjoy such beautiful coastlines with a wealth of history. I wouldn't live anywhere else.
We have a firing range path near me at Lulworth. You can walk through the MOD land (if the flags say it’s safe), then walk along the cliff tops to see a world-renowned landmark at Durdle Door, go through the abandoned village of Tyneham, and dip your feet in the see at Lulworth Cove … it’s pretty spectacular!
Hello fellow Dorset person.I was thinking of lulworth too.I’m in crossways but was in bovi for 8 yrs.Tyneham is def one to visit.very eerie
@@suzanne386 and?didn’t realise it was a competition 😂
I hope to walk the path soon. I have to be extra careful though as I recently had to spend the night in some local woods after falling down a hole & breaking my ankle before eventually being found, & have only just started walking again!
I watch a lot of Tim's videos as he visits various places around the UK with his lovely family. That path and the area it's in is all my nightmares in one. Lovely to look around that area - from the air lol The quicksand is what terries me. Where I live tourists are often caught out by the sudden incoming tide which cuts them off and then it's an RNLI rescue.
Big shout out to our amazing RNLI volunteers who donate their time and expertise in helping keep the British public safe. I cannot praise them highly enough, especially as most have full time jobs and volunteer in their downtime. Incredible human beings.
A beach close to me has a fair size patch that's notorious at low tide. So far, to my knowledge, the only 'victims' have been very mucky cars. I was once stuck in a 2mt mud filled ditch. I wasn't in any danger as my colleague was already reaching down, but I've only got little legs. Terrifying is right, the pressure was intense and I was up to my thighs in seconds. Complete panic.
@@madoldbatwoman I shudder at the very thought of that, poor you, but thankfully a colleague was there to help you get out. I've seen documentary videos of what happens when a horse/other large mammal steps on mud that sucks them down and it's my worst fear. I was on a beach once, as a kid, before I realised what was happening I was up to my knees in seconds and luckily someone plucked me out. I live right by a 7 mile long beach and have NEVER been on it due to my fear, I love walking along the promenade though lol
@@Herbie-Went-Bananas-Then-Split Honestly, it was mere seconds. We were having to ditch hop most of the day and the bank had eroded a little on this bit. I used a bloody big pitchfork as a vaulting pole the next day! 🤣 Here's to both of us keeping out of the quicksand!
@@madoldbatwoman You have nerves of steel, they would have had to air lift me out of there hah!
@@Herbie-Went-Bananas-Then-Split 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I filled those few seconds with a high pitched repetition of " Get me out! Get me out! Get me out! Get me out!"
Also in Cornwall in the uk there is a cobble path that crosses the sea to St Michael's Mount you can cross on foot when the tide is out but when the tide is in you can only cross by boat so you have to check the tide times so you don't get caught out by the tide
Uk isn't as big as America but there are bases where public aren't allowed to access & as said ancient footpaths have been there before the bases,
I live in Devon & we have a live firing land nearby - I think they put up red flags on all footpaths around that lead onto the Burroughs. there are Marine bases around & they train with equipment & landing craft on the public beaches.
A chap I know was out walking & came across live ammunition that had just been left!
Main areas are Dartmoor, Brecon Beacons & Salisbury Plains - all open to public.
Breacon Beacons can be harsh - we were out hill walking one weekend & the weather came in up on a ridge & headed for the lowland & shelter. That weekend, we heard in news, 2 soldiers had died. You could be out hill walking amongst SAS training & servicemen, who knows.
Hi Steve, our son lives in a village on Salisbury plain, and often when he is walking his dog he see solders training jumping out from hiding places, a couple of years ago he took me to Imber a village taking over by the MOD during the war, they told the residents they could return after the wat they lied and now you can only go there about twice a year once at Christmas and another time so the relations can visit their ancestors graves and have a service at the church,
They were all indread excellent for FIBA
I did my MOD apprenticeship there at the Proof and Experimental establishment in the late 80's.Sometimes the Russians would park a ship bristling with aerials in the estuary pretending to queue for Tilbury dock. On these occasions all work would stop and we would be allowed to get on with any of our own interests or hobbies to confuse them. Many of the engineers would go fishing down at Wakering Steps..We loved them Russian ships.
Wow!
Our footpaths are many and varied. They can keep you close to civilisation or take you to place you'd never get to in a vehicle and let you see wildlife that you otherwise miss.
There's another tidal path to holy island Lindisfarne also dangerous the sea comes in really fast there, we just made it back on the motorbike, we knew when the times were but the tide decided it was going to come in early. Lindisfarne holy island is in Northumberland, England.
Walk with me Tim is a channel you need to check out for various British things such as holidays (vacations) destinations in Britain.
I remeber walking a path in Rochdale and on my left were circle pieces of wood 5 feet away. Behind them where people in the distance with bow and arrows, and the targets were towards the path. It was an archery field. At least they waited for me to pass.
He got there at low tide which is not good if you want to cross to the island. A local told me that if I wanted to cross over the best bet was to arrive as the tide starts to drop then follow the tide edge as it retreats to give yourself the maximum amount of time to complete the journey, especially if you want to walk back...
You should check out "imber village bus tour", it's an abandoned village that's used for military training.
There's also several 'tidal islands' in the UK
There are quite a few footpaths over areas used for military exercises, such as across Salisbury Plain, parts of the Dorset coast, and across Barry Links in Scotland. In each case, access is conditional upon there being no red flag flying around the perimeter, which indicates that there are exercises taking place that do sometimes involve the use of live ammunition! Likewise, there are a few other places where there is access across tidal areas, notably Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, where many lives have also been lost due to quicksand and incoming tides. I think this may be the longest tidal 'road' that is in theory, open to all traffic. The islands of Colonsay and Oronsay in the Scottish Hebrides are also connected this way at low tides, while the offshore island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland is also accessed by such a tidal road along a stone causeway, however it at least has a small refuge box you can climb up into if for some reason you are surrounded by the incoming tides! There is also St Michael's Mount in Cornwall; and a number of small, most uninhabited islands. elsewhere. Since the First World War, when the famous Churchill Barriers were constructed to prevent access to Scapa Flow (where the entire British Navy was temporarily based) between closely adjacent islands; which however also provided raised causeways that are always above the waves; most of the other, inhabited, close islands in the Outer Hebrides, have been connected by similarly raised barriers along which public roads also run, though there have been occasions where access to some of these may have been inadvisable at high tide, especially during extreme weather events. Unique not only in Britain but indeed the entire world, is the tidal runway of Barra Airport, on which scheduled passenger flights take off and land at low tide, on a daily basis!
I lived in military accommodation as a child and the tank ranges were right alongside where we lived, we weren’t supposed to but we played on the ranges in the 80s 🤦🏻♀️😂
The footpath pre-dates the MOD range. We have something similar up here in my part of Scotland, a military exercise area on the hills. They fly red flags when the military are out on exercise but at other times the public are allowed full access. I remember when as an apprenctice I visited one of the facilities on Shoeburyness the range is huge, with several farms on it. There is a lot of land on the range and only parts are actually used by the military. That was back in the 80's
Watching any Walk with Me Tim gives you a great insight into British leisure time
There are some nice walks in the German regions of the mudflats, too. You can Walk from the island of Amrum to the island of Föhr (did that on a school excursion years ago, takes about three hours) or go by horse drawn carriage from the mainland to the island of Neuwerk. No paths, just mudflats, take a guide, the "paths" shift from year to year.
Around 1981-82 I lived in walking distance to RAF Burtonwood. This was accommodation to over 2000 USAF servicemen and families. They lived on an enclosed housing area with military checkpoint at main gate. However they had a side gate leading to the facilities including a bowling alley. I was able to exchange £1 for $2.40 and play bowling - buy root beer ( I was a kid) and play on the arcade video games and I would still have money left over. The US servicemen working the base never had an issue with it.
RAF Alconbury was similar. We would often pop in for a beer with some of the USAF personnel we worked with. Unfortunately all changed in the mid eighties after CND started demonstrating, thinking wrongly, they had cruise missiles in there. Mind you, CND said our Target Towing Canberra's, stationed down the road, built in the 1950's were nuclear bombers!
@@johnp8131 aye and it was thought missiles may have been stored at Burtonwood which was the largest storage warehouse in Europe at the time. The base had a runway on it and control tower - the runway stopped being used after the war and the M62 motorway was built right through it. I learned to drive on it as it was just empty abandoned space
I live two rivers north of this area, it is very flat here and we have big skies and fabulous sunsets. Out along the rivers it can be eerie but there are usually loads of wading birds and being surrounded by so much farmland there is usually a tractor or two to be seen. There are islands in my nearest river that I can see from my bedroom and there is a causeway to one of them. I think the Vikings came across that river when they invaded Maldon in 991.
The shoreline on wakering Steps is where we scattered my Dad s ashes, as a once paratrooper and lifelong sailor it seemed appropriate. If he had set of a mine on his way out to the North Sea that would have been kind of appropriate! It was a lovely sunny day too.
TRY looking at Salisbury plane firing ranges and Lulworth ranges in Dorset and the lost villages due to firing ranges and you can drive your car through them . All the fun of living on the wild side on a very small Island . Lets hope he took or knew the tide times . Yes of course he did or we would never have watched his video . 🤔😉
That's crazy, I live on an estuary with a sandbank and dog walkers regularly get stranded on the sandbank, in the summer quadbikes patrol the beach as the tide comes in warning people but in the winter they don't, I've seen two people get stranded out there and it's horrible as you can't do anything to help besides call emergency services, then just wait for the lifeboats to turn up, the sandbank is equidistant between two lifeboat stations so they're both called and race to get there first, as it's a sandbank they launch motor powered dinghies so you see two coming from different directions, and they seem insanely slow, it takes them several minutes to reach the sandbank which is agonising, both times I've witnessed it the people stranded had the tide get very close but were both saved, the only humorous part is the actual rescue itself, because of the shallow sandbank the dingy has to stop 30 feet away and the lifeboat people don't mess around, they run over and literally grab the people, forcibly drag them and throw them into the dinghy like ragdolls, when you have a very fast incoming tide they can't mess around!
Further North and on the West Coast is a place called Grange over Sands and there's a similar walk that can be done (with an official guide). In the past it would be travelled by people on foot, by horse and by cart and carriage. When the tide comes in it come is fast, the saying was that it comes in "faster than a galloping horse". I expect the speed of the tide would be similar here.
For some reason my late parents took us on holiday to Grange over Sands in, if I remember right, 1964. I do remember they weren’t impressed and called it Grange over Mud, or, I suspect if their daughters weren’t listening, Grange over Shit. There was a sewage outfall on the beach.
Hey Steve, I've been enjoying a lot of your videos. This one is right up my street. I live in Southend which was mentioned a few times. This path is about 10 minutes drive from where I live. Such a small world. I've run along those roads near the base but I didn't know we were allowed in. I'll have to make a trip.
I forgot to say - the railway carries the ordinance into the base. They also store a large number of railway carriages ready to be used to move lots of people in an emergency. We often hear them testing guns from our house. It shakes the windows.
I was stationed at RAF Lakenheath (USAF base on MOD property) and there was a public footpath that ran right through the middle of the base. The path was clearly marked and we followed/escorted them through the base. If they strayed of the path at all, they were detained and turned over to the MOD police.
Hi I live between Lakenheath & Mildenhall bases!
There's a firing range at Lulworth, Dorset, on the Jurassic Coast, just to the east of the cove. Within the MOD area is the village of Tyneham, evacuated in WWII and never re-inhabited. You can walk to it when the Lulworth Ranges are not being used. As with anywhere there are tanks and artillery being used, it's really important to follow instruction. We occasionally get the Warrior fighting vehicles on the roads round here but not as part of the firing range. I think they are learning to drive in traffic. A great sight and sound.
Tides around Britain can go out many miles, there are many mod danger areas the nearest to me is in the middle of Dartmoor .
So glad that you’ve reacted to a walk with me Tim video he is an amazing guy and does great videos on travels around the world. If you want informative videos about holiday destinations around the world this is the man to watch. He’s a friendly guy he has a nice family and he just does great videos I really couldn’t recommend this man enough.
I live in the northeast of england and there is something similar to this to get to Lindisfarne/Holy Island in Northumberland, many people get swept away every year. I recommend checking it out, the Island is beautiful. I had no idea about this one in Essex!
Yes, we have several places we are able to walk during set times. 😊 Tyneham Village was taken and never given back. Its now a museum walk, on some days public can visit 😀
In Cambridgeshire, there is a MOD shooting range (Barton Road range) which has a public right of way straight through the centre. The public are not allowed to walk through when shooting is taking place but is open at all other times. There are the usual red flags when in use. This range is kinda famous anyway due to the movie "Full metal jacket" being filmed there.
You should look up "Lulworth Range Access" in Dorset. Some of the best walks going are on those ranges and its the only way to get access to the abandoned village of Tyneham which was evacuated in December 1943 and has been empty ever since.
You have to stick to the paths as those are the only bits the get cleared of unexploded shells. There used to be a few old tanks dotted about they used as target practice while training in the tanks and now and then you'd see a new patch of road where somebody hit it by mistake.
It's all part of the Tank training grounds but we used to love to go down to the beach and go fossil hunting in all the slate that fell from the cliffs. there is a path leading to the fossil forest and the whole area is called the Jurassic coast. well worth a visit if you are ever over here, I haven't been there since I was a kid but it left a lasting impression.
The village of Imber is in the middle of the huge Salisbury Plain firing range, and was taken over by the MoD in 1943. Since then, it's official bus route is open once a year, and lots of classic buses come from all over the country to carry visitors to see the village. This couple do great videos, mostly about railways, but here they are taking the bus instead: ruclips.net/video/xdNwwAXKCUM/видео.html
Yes never been to Imber but there are regular tours with guides there
Appears to be the same as walking across Morecambe Bay. Guided walks are really the only safe option.
John Rogers has done a good video about this place. He has some of the best videos about walking through loads of different areas of London and the south east. He has a whole series about walking the London Loop which goes all the way around London. He does specific walks about ghosts and allsorts, well worth a look.
I pulled John Rogers up about an important fact he got wrong concerning 'Fagin' from the 'Oliver twist' dickens novel and it was about where the gang of pickpockets hung out and he blocked my comment instead of admitting his mistake.
You should look at the most dangerous river in the UK, some people say most dangerous in the world. Apparently it has a 100% fatality rate if you fall in. It looks like a tiny little stream, it's in North Yorkshire called the Strid.
My daughter lives 50 miles away from it and I've warned her not to go near it 😂
As a Yorkshire lass, I can confirm you’re correct, the Strid is very deep and fast flowing and full of areas where you would be trapped. It’s very unlikely that you would get out if you fell in.
@@twistedsister2568 i recently watched a video on it and the guy was making me so nervous 😩 he was close to the edge messing with a camera. Obviously he survived and didn't fall in because he managed to upload the video but my anxiety was off the charts!
Used to live opposite a salt marsh, at low tide the ocean would be close to 2 miles out, high tide it was 20ft from the edge of the road. The marshes were walkable but dangerous, area was littered with 6ft+ deep pools and it was so easy to loose sight of the path off the marsh. We used to plant a flag to mark the way we came onto the flats.
We wouldn’t say hiking and trail walking as much as just walking quite often, the former makes them feel detached and out the way but they’re *everywhere*
Wow ive never heard of this place great vid mate n yeah it looks very surreal 👍
Tim's videos are great I recommend watching more of his videos 👍
I had no idea this existed! Great video 😁
this shows the level of right that you have on public rights of way- even the MOD cant stop people using the footpath
I live on the north Kent coast and we can hear (and often feel the vibrations) from the firing at shoeburyness
I live on the edge of the Salisbury Plains and the whole area is crossed with public footpaths, while also used for military training exercises with tanks and firing ranges.
We live on a small island man. Island life
I lived in Great Wakering for years, you often see tanks driving up and down that road from the MOD site. I walked the dog every day down to the boomway but beware the path across the water can be super slippery! Great fun but you got to know the tides or swim very well 😂😂
Have a look for Bosham near Chichester in West Sussex, there is a area like that where you can park below the tide line but the tide comes in so quick because its flat many cars get flooded where the owners haven't taken notice of the warning signs.
Tom Scott has a video doing the walk, goes into the details and some history
I can hear (feel) the rumbles in my house coming from there. Actually shakes the house and I'm in North Essex.
Likewise, we live on Salisbury Plain and the windows rattle often. 😁
Several public rights of way all over the UK go through MOD land. There's a big one through a live range in Scotland, and several major public roads through Salisbury plain live range
Been over Salisbury plain a number of times while off reading. Beautiful place, just stick to the known safe areas
The island, the fourth largest in the UK is inhabited by around 200. There is also a bus service from Southend twice a day.
Oh wow...your watching walk with Tim!!..his channel is brilliant and if you want to see a lot more of destinations in England, Wales, Ireland scan through his channel...he's fantastic...him, his wife gabby and there baby thumps....am so chuffed your showing Tim on your channel! 👍👏
New intro Steve 👍🏻 great video..
Tim's channel is good too..
There's a Costal Marathon that goes through some MOD land. They have little markers that are either red or green depending on whether you're allowed access.
I use to park by the black watch training in Wiltshire, the jets going over the tank area they would fly directly over our heads maybe 200 feet directly above us, awesome
A nice place to walk is up by Holbeach Marsh on the edge of The Wash. It doesn't cross MOD land but it skirts the edge of the Holbeach Air Weapons Range, and you have excellent views of aircraft using the range for live gunnery firing. In the past I've watched Harriers, Tornados, A10s, F16s, F15s and AH-64s firing their guns there and occasionally dropping practice bombs. You can get to about 400m from the targets.
What he doesn't explain well is that the walk is parallel to the shore. The walk down to the path you see that is in concrete (aka: The Hards) is perpendicular to the shore of course, but it then turns 90 degrees for the walk to the island in question. That is the actual Broomway part. I thought the guy was going to walk it in the video but he doesn't at all.
The island to aim for is not "out to sea" per se either... but is further along the same coast across further tidal inlets. That's not to say it isn't still very dangerous... but your route should be close to land at all times for said three hours... if you do it right. The only issue might be that you decide to call it short because you feel you aren't going to make it in time... and then you choose to go off where the brooms once were, missing other safe 'Hards' and entering a bit of quicksand as you attempt to get back to shore. Quite literally falling just short...
Wow, I’d never heard of the Broomway before but it looks scary. I looked it up on Google, not a walk I’d like to do even with a guide 😱😂😂❤
If you are interested in MOD public areas, then Castle Martin in Pembrokeshire is a good place to see the main battle tanks in operation. The public viewing area is only about 100 yards or less from the tanks when they are undergoing firing practice and can be seen during the day or night. The firing times are posted on google and there are some good video's on RUclips to give an idea of what can be seen there.
i used to live in Ottawa, Canada's capital. I am a birder and a member of the local nature group. A popular birding spot along the Ottawa river happened to be at the Canadian Armed Forces Military Artillery Range. Only our club had permission to enter the area for photography but we had to call before and after to get cleared to go in.
Another one you might be interested in Steve is hiking Mickle Fell (788m) in the Pennine hills in Northern England. It used to be the highest hill in Yorkshire before they changed the county boundaries in the 1970s. You need a special access permit from the MOD as the mountain forms part of the Warcop army training area. I hiked in this area recently but not on the MOD land - the area is very popular with hikers doing the Pennine Way. Great Dun Fell (848m) has a weather and radar station on top forming part of the UK's air traffic control network and the road leading up to it is the highest in Britain. We passed several hardy individuals cycling up it as we walked down! There are videos about these hills and hiking the Pennine Way on RUclips.
Reminds me a little of Morecambe Bay where 14 people died in 2004, the tide surrounded them.
I had never heard of this pathway. As you said, Steve. Yikes!! You wouldn't get me going on that walk. Oh Mamma!
Head out on this 13.3-mile loop trail near Southend-On-Sea, Essex. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 4 h 6 min to complete. This trail is great for walking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring.
There's a lot of places around the UK like that Weston in the south west, Morecombe in the North west, Lindisfarne in the North East that have huge mud / sand flats and massive tidal ranges.
The tides can come in at well over 10mph which is faster than anyone can run in those conditions - there's stories of tides outrunning horses. As the tide comes in the land liquifies forming quicksand, depressions and channels you barely notice fill with water and the change in water height can be 10m (35 feet).
Not done this one but have done a couple of interesting beach hikes
Morecombe bay with the royal guide to sands - a lot of it was like walking on jello.
Saunton Sands - another MOD training site this one for C130 beach landings, did it as a nice evening walk at Christmas time, well till the massive sandstorm started and we couldn't see more than 6 feet.
At the end of the day it’s just a field that the MOD sometimes use for training there are a few MOD sites you can walk through
Thats not the only one like this on the Essex coast. I live near a few that are similar and im on the Essex coast.
Theres a crossing that gets closed off by the tide very close to me called mersea Island.
But i wouldnt class this as the most dangerous path.
You might say Jaywick is the most dangerous, if you know you know lol
When I was young my grandfather worked for the MoD. We used to sail on the river. I can remember being told to get off the water as they wanted to use the firing range - which was over the water.
Yes very dangerous area. When I was a boy I walked out from Shoeburyness out on the sands to the broken concrete war time Mulberry Harbour that sunk before it could be put Iin place during WW2. It was a good mile out on the sands and the tide had created a deep pool around it so you could dive off of it quite safely. I stayed out a little too long and only just got back in time as the tide rushed in. Between the shore and the sand bank the ground level drops about 2 foot and the water was a good 18 inches deep when I reached it and the current was frightening.
Hi Steve, have a look into bovington tank museum that's a proper fun and interesting day out, you can play in and ride on the tanks
The railway line was used for transporting ammunition, large guns and other equipment it was later used for storage of rail wagon’s waiting for scrapping
It's around a 10 min walk from my place. Walked it once with a mate after a night down the pub. Staggered around for a while (who knows how long) and some guards (a little grumpy) drove up a few times to ask if we were alright. Got a lift back to the checkpoint in the end and staggered home
walking on the broomway you may get swept away