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Dark sites in Essex

dark star

By dark star
in The Astro Lounge

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dark star

dark star

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I live on the Essex/ London borders. I wondered if there are any dark sites accessible by public transport e.g. rail and then by foot (or possibly by bike). I have been to Burnham on Crouch on the Dengie Peninsula in Essex with my binoculars and I could see the Milky Way really well.

This was along the sea wall. The only problem is that where I went, the part of the sea wall nearest Burnham on Crouch, there is a brightly lit caravan park. Otherwise it was great. There was even a bench to sit on!

The sky was still great and much better than at home, but I would like somewhere that is really dark. Obviously I don't fancy walking too far along the sea wall in darkness!

I can't drive so had to catch the last train back to London. I still had a really good time, even just with binoculars.

I realise most dark sites in the countryside are far from transport links, but maybe someone knows of one 30 minutes or so walk or bike ride from a train station.

Maybe at some point I will save up for driving lessons, but as I am 51 I don't think I would learn very fast!

David

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Dave Dubya

Dave Dubya

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Burnham isn't bad, but there a few sources of light pollution (especially from the Southend/Shoeburyness/Foulness direction across the river).

Depending on how late the buses run to get you back to your station, I'd recommend heading more toward the Bradwell area - almost no streetlights, lots of open land. It's about 8 miles from Southminster. Most of the villages that way are fairly sparse.

Otherwise perhaps try try heading for the Epping forest area.

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dark star

dark star

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Thanks. I will try towards Bradwell, it sounds good.

I have tried around Epping Forest a few times. If anyone knows a good spot let me know. It seems to be too close to London to be really dark.

Plus, a lot of places in Epping Forest are accessible along tracks by cars or jeeps. I once had a strange experience when a jeep turned up in the middle of nowhere when I was looking at the stars and stood there with headlamps on for a long time. Then left. I still don't know if it was forest rangers or not!

I like walking in the Dengie Peninsula as it is not a huge distance from where I live on the outskirts of London but feels like it is very far away. You can walk along country lanes and see only one or two cars an hour! So I can spend the day walking and looking at nature and then the evening looking at the stars.

David

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Dave Dubya

Dave Dubya

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Thanks. I will try towards Bradwell, it sounds good.

I have tried around Epping Forest a few times. If anyone knows a good spot let me know. It seems to be too close to London to be really dark.

Plus, a lot of places in Epping Forest are accessible along tracks by cars or jeeps. I once had a strange experience when a jeep turned up in the middle of nowhere when I was looking at the stars and stood there with headlamps on for a long time. Then left. I still don't know if it was forest rangers or not!

Yeah, perhaps not somewhere to go to on your own at night. There used to be a couple of spots with clear openings - one was down the road from the Jewish cemetary and the other was toward the Chingford end but whether they are still worthwhile now I'm not sure. Loughton and its plentiful array of golf courses may have screwed it up by now.

I like walking in the Dengie Peninsula as it is not a huge distance from where I live on the outskirts of London but feels like it is very far away. You can walk along country lanes and see only one or two cars an hour! So I can spend the day walking and looking at nature and then the evening looking at the stars.

Yeah, it's definitely well worth the trip out there. The RAF Bradwell Bay site has a Mosquito memorial and you often see Barn Owls in the daytime over there. And then somewhere like St Cedds is near perfect at night.

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dark star

dark star

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The only problem is that the last bus to Southminster from Bradwell seems to be around six o'clock in the evening!

The only solution is to get a bike, which I was planning to do anyway!

Is St Cedds a school? Or did you mean somewhere near by the school?

David

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  • 10 months later...
omahaastro

omahaastro

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Do you guys use the Bortle dark sky scale at all? What are the darkest skies that areas of the UK provide? Is it coastal Wales that provides the darkest skies in the south (hah, then I saw some guy post that it's always cloudy there?) ... no doubt northern Scotland is the destination for the really dark skies? How far outside of the center of London would you have to drive to find mag 6.5 skies?

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  • 6 years later...
Mognet

Mognet

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Which end of Essex is good for you? Once you get north of the Colchester/Braintree/Bishop Stortford corridor it turns into small towns and little villages. I used to live on the Suffolk/Essex border which has some decent skies, but I've been out of the area a bit too long to be able to recommend any good/safe spots. Driving is pretty much essential though, as there is little in the way of late running public transport there

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skywatcher250

skywatcher250

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Good lord I last wrote here in 2012 🥳

 

a car is essential but to be honest if you can find an area with no street lights away from east London, Colchester and other town areas were the cameras don’t do tooooo bad. I’m in Ig10 area and I’ve gotten some good star trails and such from my garden.  Margaret Roding as knobby said is next on my list (with knobby) all welcome 

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