Baslei one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Baslei here.

Directs you to walk through the grounds of a private care home.

Walked from Basildon to Leigh. Most of this route is fine, but very muddy and slippery in wet winter conditions. Unfortunately I am going to have to fail it and submit an alternative because the route down into Vange does not work as drawn - the GPX suggests turning left onto Downs Grove but there is no route through to London Road that way - the route that works goes straight across (see BASLEI two). This is likely to mislead potential walkers so I can't pass it as drawn.

I have posted a more detailed review with pictures on BasLei two.

I walked this East to West and was familiar with much of the path to Pitsea Station. The route to this point is a mix of wide gravel paths and narrow muddy paths, not suitable for wheels. Once the route gets to Pitsea it becomes much more urban and trickier to navigate, the stretch across the golf course in particular, GPS track helped me it here.

I walked from Basildon to Leigh-on-Sea. I did this over two days having paused at Pitsea.
From Basildon station there is a short stretch of roadside walking before crossing a golf course. The path across the course is not well marked and easy to take a wrong turn. There are narrow paths, kissing gates and cycle barriers, no wheels allowed! Exiting the golf course the road goes down hill and there are pedestrian staircases down to the main road. The main road (B1464) is boring and takes you under the A13 and past Pitsea Railway Station.
There is a viewpoint at Pitsea Mount and I took a short detour off path to the top to see a view across the estuary and the ruin of St Michael's church. Very steep.
A short suburban road ,across a patch of grass into a field beside the railway. From here the walk changes from suburban to open countryside. The open fields are full of birds many of which I could only hear in the reeds. The marsh land changed to farm land and after St Margret's church became a narrow muddy track. After passing under the A130 the path turns over a stile and through 3 fields with ponies, and here's a problem.
The path is obstructed by a fence (see photo). I have chosen to ignore this for the following reasons. It is a clearly marked signposted right of way. The path is well trodden, and had been used earlier that day (footprints in the dew). Ducking through the fence is easier and quicker than climbing the stile to enter the field and does no damage. The alternative would be to follow the Coastal Path to the South adding some distance to the route.
The path carries on alongside the railway, then behind houses to Benfleet Marsh which are in fact playing fields with a track toward Benfleet town. The town is on a hill and has shops for snacks and coffee and has views of the estuary. There is a steep path downhill to Benfleet Downs. The downs are open marshy fields with cows that undulate for the next 5km all the way to Leigh-on-sea. Wide open skies and lots of birds make this interesting. There is a turn-off for a Rare Breeds Farm with tea rooms near Hadleigh Castle. There is a slight rise in the path as it approaches Leigh-on-Sea and a short stretch by the road to the station. Shops and cafes close by.
The begining is urban and difficult to navigate in places, followed by easy to navigate open countryside. Most of this walk is lovely and has quite a bit of variety, I enjoyed the wide open spaces of the marshes with views across the estuary, probably wet and muddy in winter. Not for wheels.

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