10 Day Count Down – Tilbury
Tick Tock here we go… it’s day 8 of our 10 day count down! On the 21st Sept we are in ‘Gateway to the world’, otherwise known as Tilbury! It is still a very busy port and we will hear stories of how it used to be before the age of shipping containers, when tea arrived from India in chests, cargo was unloaded in wheelbarrows and rum came in barrels.
Dashing young dockers would catch the ferry over to Gravesend to meet their future wives at local dances. More recently, Tilbury is famous for the arrival of Windrush, and today is a growing Cruise Terminal welcoming international visitors to see the revolutionary Tudor Fort, the design that was replicated at Fort William in Calcutta. The walk continues along the river to Coalhouse Fort, a significant wartime defence for the Thames and reputed to be the most haunted place in Thurrock.
So if you’re not afraid of ghosts..Read more, see the route map and book your place here: 22nd Sept – Tilbury
Silk River is a journey of surprises from Kew to Southend, with speakers, music, performances and lots of walking!
The whole UK walking programme can be viewed here: UK Walks
There are still a few places left on the India Walks, for more info go here: India Walks
Special thanks go to the Tilbury Riverside Project , their staff and partners for the planning and facilitation of today’s walk.
The Tilbury Riverside Project worked with the following people and organisations for Silk River:
- Port of London Authority
- London International Cruise Terminal
- Tilbury Fort – English Heritage
- Tilbury Hub
Tilbury Riverside Project was started in 1992 by a Tilbury man named Peter Hewitt who wanted to help create civic pride for Tilbury. The past twenty years has seen the project grow into a well known and respected charity.
The Tilbury Riverside Project are involved in the Silk River project as it has connections that are important to the people of Tilbury. We hope that the project will educate people both here in the UK and India about each other and their cultures. By working together and learning about different ways of life will bring some tolerance and understanding.
Walkers will have the opportunity to experience the Gravesend/Tilbury Ferry which links Tilbury with Kent and is the first passenger crossing upstream from the Thames Estuary.
