The Swale Wastelands – July 2003.

If you want to venture to the flat & remote wilderness of the Tundra or Alaska, The Swale may be a good place to train!!

No that’s not true and being very unfair to the area – true, it does not have many mountains or caves or impressive cliffs but it does have acres of marshland for migratory birds, sand dunes for seals to sun themselves on and a wide openness you can’t always find in the overdeveloped south east!

It also had for this weekend – a great campsite in a lovely pub garden, glorious sunny weather, marsh harriers on the morning breeze and, perhaps most importantly, a great bunch of people to spend the time with!

We arrived at The Harty Ferry Inn around about 10.45 on Saturday morning for a midday launch, The others were already there, except Richard who was away working for the morning skinning something to turn into an Inuit handbag or some other accessory.

The afternoon trip was west up the Swale towards Elmley with a possible excursion up Milton Creek.

Getting there early meant that we had to search for an inlet to the Creek. Jackie and I found a deep enough channel that sadly dried (?) out before it reached the main one. Whilst Jackie pondered whether to turn back or wait for the tide to float her over, I decided to walk! Indiana Jones would have skipped over no problem and probably rescued some ancient relic on the way. Me? Straight up to my knees in stank, dirty black estuary mud!! Dragging one foot reluctantly after the other I did cross the 75metres and meet up with the others who were gently floating in clean boats waiting for me. Jackie was suitably unimpressed and paddled back to round and found another way through.

Milton Creek sounds good doesn’t it? Creek – tree lined, beavers running along bouldered shores and the sound of exotic birds in the distance? Maybe not the Oxford Dictionary definition but close enough? No, no and thrice no! Yet Milton Creek is home to at least 2 new but not yet endangered species – the shopping trolley and the upside down road cone! I did not like Milton Creek. Whilst I will certainly go back to the Swale, Milton Creek will not be on the itinerary.

We turned out of the Creek and found a spot near its’ start point for a late lunch that overlooked the Swale itself.

With the weather looking as if it was going to change we set off back to the pub and our campsite. Evening meal was taken en-masse in the beer garden and full marks to the chef for good food all round.

The weather had cleared a little and the evening was really warm and still. Fireworks on the mainland (another SESK speciality) were complimented with a quite spectacular lightning show.

No rain and Sunday morning dawned hot and sunny with a warm westerly breeze. Richard and Raquel were paddling with us today. Richard has made his own skin frame kayak and a report on how it was made should be on the web soon. Unfortunately Maggie and Joe had to leave on Sunday and couldn’t paddle but Andy Bien complimented our numbers by launching off the mainland and meeting us.

The Sunday plan was easy enough. 9.00 launch, go east with the tide past Whitstable, have lunch and run the flood tide back to the pub in the afternoon.

Easy! Launching was slightly delayed till 9.30 but we were well away before the clay pigeon massacre started at 10.00. Keeping fairly central to the Swale we made good progress down past the sandbars to Swalecliff beach. Common seals were sunning themselves on the sandbars as we approached but did not stay around long enough o have their photo taken.

Not as populated with seals as Wales or Scotland it was still good to see them and possibly suggests something about the cleanliness of the waters here.

With the wind on our tail we made good time eastwards but as the wind was strengthening, we decided to take lunch early and see how it developed.

As lunch progressed, the tide turned and the wind didn’t ease. We left Swalecliff and headed straight over to Shell Ness, which is in effect a 6km open crossing. The wind against tide made for a great bouncy ride over and an equally good bounce down the Sheppey coast back to the campsite. There was one spot, a kilometre or so from the landing spot, where the combination of gusty winds and sandbanks caused some larger waves and everyone seemed to accelerate off into the waves to have some fun.

Mid afternoon and we were back at the pub after 2 really great days of paddling. There was time for a quick chat, slow beer and visit to the pub barbeque before we headed off our separate ways.

My thanks to Clive and Richard for sorting out the camping and the trips and to all those who came along, it was good to see you. If you weren’t able to make it, this weekend, don’t underestimate the Swale – it’s got more to offer than you may think.

Nigel Williams