East Peckham Wandering - A river walk

August Bank Holidayand a so-called weekend of Beatles records. In fact it was a Beatles weekend with the 'Fab Four' ad infinitum. Now, I like the Beatles having parodied the words of their songs in pubs with my mates the first time around. By the time I had heard most of the versions of the hit records - and missed out on the fabulous Mrs Mills - I was reaching for the insecticide.

The idea was to try and find tranquility by the river. I had never been to East Peckham. The church is Victorian I am sure - there is a hive of wild bees in a crack above the clock.




Mid day and I had to get on my metaphorical bike and head for the river. We have walked the riverside a couple of times and this month seems to be the time of the year for having a pleasant stroll along the Medway and other waterside areas. Of course walking on the water is difficult so we usually stay on the river bank. East Peckham has the river running beside it rather than through complete with a lock and weir plus mill streams that once powered mills (sic) either for grinding grains or for other purposes. The mill streams are host to wild life and reeds and the banks are topped at this time of the year with delicious, sun warmed blackberries.


At this time of the year the sun can be quite fierce and with the river as tranquil as it was this day the sky and bankside trees were reflected so cleanly that I could not resist taking a picture.




East Peckham is a township - in my terms anyway - close to the A26 and the river Medway that has some little gems of buildings but is generally a modern place although its history appears to stretch back much earlier. The oldest buildings are the pubs and the farms and many that I saw were 18th century at the earliest. The rest were later but mostly appeared to be post Victorian with very few really old buildings. Maybe I didn't look hard enough.

However, forgetting the Beatles ( I am a fan but not an Anorak) I followed the towpath to the lock where I crossed the Medway again to walk back into the township. The Medway locks are works of art and harmonise with the river which reminds me that despite my disdain of the never ending Beatles fest I was always appreciative of the group's harmony and admit to humming Something as I walked. Damn the insects.




Industry gets in the way and access to a main road seems to spoil the village atmosphere and turn the place into a township but the river is the attraction. It was the river I headed for. I parked the model T in a quiet street and set off across the fields to Little Mill crossing the small mill stream and on to the Medway. I was glad because at the time somebody was murdering Hey Jude reminding me of the Karaoke version of The Rose in a pub in downtown Auckland.


From two locals I learned that the original East Peckham church ( St. Michaels) was the one I could see on the hill from my riverside view point. So, with the model T aimed for home and the Beatles burbling away I headed up Seven Mile Lane and found the place. The view over the valley and down to East peckham was magnificent. The church is no longer used but is looked after and is open between 10 and 4 during the day to visitors.





Just along the way there is Mereworth where I believe they grow strawberries and on that note I will remind you of Strawberry Fields Forever which is more or less where I came in, not quite but it was back to the Beatles on the way home.