Britain’s ‘most dangerous’ walk has left more than 100 people dead | UK | News
A member of the public crosses Broomway during a guided walk (Image: Getty Images)
An abandoned Amazon delivery van was discovered on the country’s “deadliest road” last weekend, prompting a flurry of jokes on social media.
“Amazon has completed your delivery” was among the most popular jokes after images of the vehicle stranded on mud flats along the Essex coastline went viral. Another joked that “Kevin the Seal” must have ordered it.
The hapless driver was forced to abandon the van at The Broomway in Great Wakering after it became stuck on mud flats along the tidal causeway.
They were following their GPS trying to reach Foulness Island on the evening of February 14th. Following the incident, a spokesperson for HM Coastguard Southend confirmed: “The delivery driver had exited the van and reported the incident to Amazon.
“HM Coastguard’s primary concern was the safety of residents and possible pollution.”
HM Coastguard Southend were called to reports that an Amazon delivery van was heading towards The Broomway via Wakering Steps. (Image: Neal Threadgold/HM Southend Coastguard)
But despite the ridicule on social media, the 600-year-old road, which stretches for six miles towards the Thames Estuary, is considered the most dangerous road in Britain, and for good reason.
It is recommended that people only travel this route with a guide (driving is not recommended).
Unpredictable tides make it dangerous and more than 100 people are believed to have died.
Author Robert Macfarlane referred to this road in his book The Old Ways, describing it as “the most unearthly road I have ever walked”.
A hiker leaves the mainland from The Broomway (Image: Getty Images)
Stating that the number of deaths in Broomway exceeded 100, he continued: “It is possible that there were other victims whose fate was not recorded. 66 of the dead were buried in the small church of Foulness; the other bodies were not found.”
He noted that Edwardian publications eventually called it The Doomway rather than The Broomway.
Describing its contrasting nature, he wrote: “The Broomway passes over vast expanses of sand and mud flats, stretching for miles almost without slope. At Foulness, at low tide, it rises to a great distance, revealing strips of sand hardened enough to support the weight of a walker.”
“But when the tide comes back, it comes fast, galloping across the sand faster than a man can run.
Remains of an old Oil Tank stand at the end of The Broomway walk (Image: Getty Images)
“Disorientation is as much a danger as flooding: in fog, rain or mist, it is easy to lose your bearings in such a self-similar terrain, with bright sands stretching in all directions.”
He also warned that some surfaces were unsafe for walkers, describing how mud could “trap” you while quicksand could “swallow” you.
Still, he admitted: “But in fine weather, following the right route can feel like nothing more than a walk on a very wide beach.”
The dangerous tidal route up to the military firing range remains a public right of way protected by the Essex Highways, while the land has been owned by the Ministry of Defense since 1915. This road has served as a munitions testing area for decades.
Misjudging the tide or getting disoriented in bad weather has cost lives over the years; But according to 19th-century writer Philip Benton, some islanders were actually excited to use this dangerous route.
He wrote in the History of the Rochford Hundred: “It is extremely dangerous for any stranger to attempt to enter or leave this island without a guide, but the dangers involved have been a pleasurable thrill to many.
“Some farmers would stay last, then race the tide and swim the creeks.”
The last person to die on Broomway, so named after the hundreds of brooms once placed on both sides of the road, was reportedly a man who was returning from the market in Rochford before the tragedy in 1919.
