Footpath 47

 I had a bit of time on my hands so I took a random ride out to Barking Riverside to see if it had changed much since my previous visit in August 2022 not long after the new station opened. Back then it was very much a building site.

 Now? Still a building site really, a bit tidier but not a lot going on on a Friday afternoon.

The area outside the river side of the station is a bit more finished and there's a horse box, which I assume dispenses coffee at some unspecified times but it wasn't open. I took a stroll down to the riverboat pier again but this time it was chained shut it being about 4 p.m. and there being no boats between 11:35 and 17:12 on a weekday.

So no escape that way. Not wanting to get straight back on the train I looked for something else to do and found Footpath 47 signposted from the "esplanade" near the pier. It's not a long walk, roughly a mile, but it takes you along the river side eastwards along what is currently a grassy bank with a large open space fenced off on the landward side which no doubt one day will be covered in blocks of identikit flats. Best make the most of this prime outdoor facility while it's here then. 

The Thames is around half a mile wide here giving a view over to Cross Ness and the water works which I visited in 2019 and more prominently the white and blue Belvedere Incinerator at the Riverside Resource Recovery Energy from Waste Facility, turning London's rubbish into power.

There was a fairly strong south-westerly breeze coming across the river, bending the long grass and short, scrubby trees on the riverbank but not disturbing the birds feeding on the exposed mudflats below - although they did all take care to keep their heads pointing into the wind.

Looking back past Barking Riverside Pier the horizon was studded with south east London towers and the cranes at the new Barking Riverside developments.

Intermittently aircraft bound for London City Airport made their way westwards following the Thames. Despite which it feels quite remote out here and is fairly quiet. I'm sure that will change as the flats and houses get closer.

After half a mile or so Footpath 47 reaches Horseshoe Corner where it turns inland to follow The Gores stream from its confluence with the Thames up a short valley with reed beds in the bottom to come out on Choats Road. The far side of The Gores is very different to the Footpath 47 side for here are the industrial estates of Dagenham Docks, with an aggregate plant blocking any further Thames side progress.

Over a high bank and a fence on the left of the path I could just make out ground works beginning on what The Masterplan for Barking Riverside describes as The Village – On The Horizon. With plenty of family homes and located close to the local schools and shops, The Village is an ideal neighbourhood to raise a family. The area also benefits from plenty of green spaces and long views over the River Thames.

Which is a good example of what Diamond Geezer refers to as "bolx".

The stretch of path from Horseshoe Corner to Choats Road starts out quite flowery with a lot of what Google Lens tells me is Goat's Rue and finishes very littery at the point where you squeeze out between substantial chunks of metal embedded into the ground, there to prevent the entry of motorbikes I suppose.

I squeezed out, turned left and walked down to the bus stop by the BRL Infrastructure Office where I caught the EL2 to Barking Station.

I can now say I've walked the remote Footpath 47 while it's still (relatively) remote and if you're anywhere nearby you should too, although to be honest it's not worth a special trip form afar.

I've put some more photos on Flickr