Days 15-18...Together again and more!

Our last day this week, Thursday 31st July, started at the army encampment east of Shoebury. Linda had rejoined us bringing with her, Andy, her son, back from Toronto for a sabbatical. This is he and his mum by the side of the car at our first stop (top right).

One of our strong desires had been to walk on both The Broomway (across Maplin Sands) and Foulness Island but it's not as easy as you'd think, being a former MOD (now Qinetiq) site with live firing daily. I had tried two routes of contact, via the RSPB and through the local church - neither of which, in the end, provided a way in, but we are still praying about it. We decided therefore to walk the boundary around the mainland and even there, we had to use our Ordnance Survey map carefully, ensuring we didn't stray onto MOD land by mistake.

Having made the decision to remain on the mainland, we were still in territory once ruled with a rod of iron by Richard Rich, a former Lord Chancellor and Speaker of the House of Commons. He is recorded as 'a resolutely scheming, relentlessly bloodthirsty cad who seems to have delighted in wickedness for its own sake' (Southend Echo, 12.7.07) and unique for occupying both his posts of state at the same time. He was born in c.1496, dying in 1567 - therefore living through one of the most turbulent religious times in England's history. He qualified as a lawyer, using his position as King's commissioner to plunder abbeys and monasteries in Essex, despite being a lifelong Catholic. He found his way into the favour of Henry VIII and wilfully lied about Sir Thomas More at his trial to please the king. After Henry died, Rich persecuted both Catholics and Protestants depending upon which was out of favour. Not only did he persecute them, he enjoyed torture, according to the testimony of Anne Askew. His interest for us was his powerful ownership of more than 100 houses and land in Essex, especially around his home, Rochford Hall. This was the area into which we were heading next.

We had already visited the Rochford boundary as part of praying for Southend - South End being the southern part of lands held by Prittlewell Priory, which Rich plundered after the Dissolution for stone to build Rochford Hall.

This little church at Sutton Hall (right) sits juxtaposed to the boundary - a haven of holiness and peace and we prayed here for Southend.

Back to the present...starting at the active MOD site in East Shoeburyness, we headed out towards Great Wakering by road, past the red-marked 'Danger Area' stopping at Great Wakering church to pray. Down New Road we found Landwick Gate, where we prayed to be able to get on to Foulness, moving on across the stile to the sea wall at Fleet Head.

Joining the sea wall there, we checked our bearings carefully with both map and a birdwatcher (due to another 'Danger Area') as we headed towards Barling Marshes.

The creek scenery surrounded by marshland is really beautiful, except for the loud thumps and bangs from the firing range on Foulness, but we had a sinking sense of fear and abandonment within the land itself.

Andy, Linda and I all felt it, ploughing through it like fog, until finally we arrived at Barling Hall Farm, opposite Potton Island. Here is a selection of landscape pictures, some featuring us as we walked.

Mother and son...

Potton Creek

The seawall as it approaches Barling Marsh

Arriving safely at Barling Hall Farm, we discovered that farmers can also be fishermen who enjoy messing about in boats (this particular farmer seemed to have endless boats, large and small!) and we made our way out on the footpath past Barling Church to greet the others in the car and sit, with relief, by the roadside.

With perspiring feet, we stripped off our socks and boots as Gerry approached with a bottle of water. The Lord had already spoken to her about washing our feet and as we sat there on the grass verge, she poured cool water on our hot toes and prayed for our feet to 'take the land, little by little'.

Our last venture that day was on the return journey as we took Linda and Andy to visit Leigh Steps where Smith Wigglesworth had prayed and preached.

The steps are situated close to a church in the centre of Leigh and we prayed for Smith's anointing to be reawakened in this town and in our county.