Vikings once had a fortified camp at Benfleet. In 893, the forces of Alfred the Great's kingdom stormed it while most of the Danish army was away raiding, capturing ships, women and children, and archaeologists later found charred remains of ships in the creek. Today, South Benfleet is a quiet residential town on the Thames estuary, but the creek is still there, lined with boats and mudflats, and the history adds depth to an otherwise suburban place.
The estuary landscape is unusual and atmospheric. Wide mudflats, salt marshes and creeks stretch out towards the Thames, with huge skies and the sound of seabirds. To the south lies Canvey Island, reclaimed from the marshes by Dutch engineers in the seventeenth century and protected by sea walls. To the east, on a hill overlooking the estuary, stand the ruins of Hadleigh Castle, painted by John Constable, and the country park around it hosted the mountain bike events of the 2012 Olympics.
The riding around Benfleet is not dramatic, but the views over the estuary are worth the trip. The roads can be busy, especially around the town centre and the route to Canvey, and the A13 and A127 are major arteries into London. But the lanes around Hadleigh and the marshes offer quieter riding, with gentle hills and views over the water. Wind off the estuary can be strong.
South Benfleet has fuel, shops, pubs and cafés, and there are plenty of options in nearby Southend-on-Sea, with its famous pier, the longest pleasure pier in the world. Fish and chips by the sea is a natural choice. Head north afterwards and the saltmarsh coast of Essex leads on towards the villages of Suffolk.