📝 Field Notes
📌 Brief Wander Details: Join me and Graham on a two mile, reflective wander from Harty Ferry Church to the bird hide at Shellness, taking in coastal views, marsh wildlife, and a sense of peace and tranquility.
📍 Start Point: (What3Words) bolsters.averages.haystack
🗓️ Walk Recorded On: 16th June 2025
🗺 Terrain: Coastal trail
🏔️ Altitude: Sea level
📏 Distance: 2 miles
⏳ Estimated Time: 1 Hour, but allow extra time to explore
🔥 Difficulty: Easy
🌡 Temperature: 26°C
🌦️ Weather: Hot and sunny
🥾 Recommended Footwear: Trainers, flip flops or something comfortable
🎥 Equipment Used: Insta360 X3
📌 Wander Details: Join Graham and I for a virtual dog walk, and my final wander in England before leaving for America, along the sea wall, at the far end of the Isle of Sheppey…
I parked the van just outside Harty Ferry Church, on the island where I grew up, and we wandered down towards Shellness, stopping at the bird hide on the way…
It was a beautiful day in mid June, but also a heavy one… The 16th of June marked 19 years since the loss of my best friend, Mike.
This walk became a chance to reflect on six precious, but also stressful weeks back in the UK, spending time with Polly, my family, and loved ones…
I also express the frustration of changing plans with seeing my son, and how difficult it can be, having a child with someone I struggle to see eye-to-eye with on almost anything!
Harty Ferry itself holds many fond memories, from my dad teaching me to drive here as a kid, to evenings watching wildlife with him, and even nights parked up in my van while staying in Kent…
For me, this place will always carry a special weight.
Check out the interesting facts about this beautiful place at the end of the description 👇🏼
Also, if you’ve noticed my footwear in this video… I’m walking in the most comfortable flip flops ever... I recently joined the Amazon Associates program, so if you want to check them out, here’s the link, and just so you know… I will receive a small commission from any sale if you purchase anything from this link… https://amzn.to/460R9oX
If you enjoyed this little wander, please do give the video a like and consider subscribing to the channel, it really does help me keep sharing these adventures with you… A small gesture on your end, but a big boost on mine 🙏🏼
And if you, or someone you care about is having a tough time lately, please know you’re not alone… Life can be a bit of a rugged trail now and then… but there's always a way through, even if it’s just one careful step at a time.
You’ll find me on Instagram if you'd like to follow along, or drop me a message for a chat. I’m always happy to hear from fellow wanderers, and others who may need a friend!
Look after yourself, and each other 💙
🦂 Interesting facts about Harty Ferry and the Island
An “Island within an island”
Harty was once a separate island, split from the Isle of Sheppey by the Capel Fleet. Today, a causeway unites them, but that tiny separation lends it an enchanting stillness.
A strategic sentinel
With sweeping views of the North Kent coastline and Thames Estuary, Harty served as a protective lookout. Henry VIII even stationed his fleet of 25,000 men here, before setting sail for Calais.
The Ferry House Inn’s legacy
The pub takes its name from the ferry that once carried travellers across the estuary. That ferry last sailed in 1941–46, but the inn and the ferryman’s rights remain.
Birdwatcher’s paradise
The Isle of Harty Trail and Capel Fleet Raptor Viewpoint are famous among twitchers. Spot marsh harriers, avocets, short-eared owls, and merlins amid the marshes and reedbeds.
A walk through time and wildlife
A 6-mile circular walk across Harty offers sea-swept marshlands, pastel-shelled beaches at Shellness, wetlands rich with egrets, swans, lapwings, oystercatchers, and even grey seals lounging on mudflats.
Quiet, unspoiled solitude
Far from tourist trails, Harty Ferry is a peaceful stretch of saltmarsh, mudflats, and grasses, perfect for artists, anglers, or anyone longing for space and silence.
Birthplace of British aviation
In 1909, the Royal Aero Club set up at Leysdown, making the Isle of Sheppey the cradle of UK flight. The Wright brothers visited, and Shorts Brothers built some of Britain’s earliest aircraft here.
Isle of Sheppey’s quirky natural history
It’s home to England’s only established scorpion population, living here since the 1860s. They arrived, hidden in shipments of fruit and goods unloaded at Sheerness Docks. Being hardy little hitchhikers, they settled into the warm, sheltered cracks of the old dock walls and survived ever since. They glow under ultraviolet light and can easily be found around the Blue Town area.
#VirtualDogWalk #IsleOfSheppey #CoastalWalks #WalkWithMe #EnglandCoast #KentWalks #VanLifeUK #RelaxingWalks #TheDiariesOfAWanderer
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