A HIGH-ROAD IN THE SEA.
557
& Andre's large map of Essex, published in
1777. This southern portion was done away
with about half a century ago, probably
because the traffic over it was endangered
by the long-range gun-trials from Shoebury-
ness.
From the "Stairs" the road runs out
on to the sands, curving eastward, for about
a mile, until it has reached a distance of
nearly half a mile from the shore. Then,
turning about north-eastward, it runs almost
perfectly straight in that direction, and
at the same distance from the shore, for
about five miles, when, having reached a
certain point off the coast of Fowlness
known as Fisherman's Head, it turns
suddenly in towards the land and gains the
shore. In this five-mile course it fords the,
shallow runlets draining Havengore Creek (be-
tween the mainland and Havengore Island),
New England Creek (between Havengore and
New England Islands), and Shelford Creek
(between New England and Fowlness Is-
lands). At seven different points, too, branch
roads leave the main road more or less at a
right-angle and run in towards the shore,
giving access to as many landing-places or
ways over the sea-wall—one on Havengore
roadside kind. When the tide is high, these
"sea sign-posts" (as they may be called),
rising from the water, present a very
curious appearance. These branch roads
add nearly three miles to the seven, or
thereabout, of the main road, making about
ten miles altogether. When the Broomway
started from Pig's Bay it must have ex-
tended altogether to nearly thirteen miles.
Those who do not know the Maplins
might fear that travellers along the Broom-
way were in danger from quicksands. There
is no such danger; for the surface of the sand
is surprisingly hard and firm, though covered
in places by a thin film of mud and in others
by many tiny pools of water. The actual
"road surface" (if it may be so called) is,
indeed, as firm as that of a well-made land-
road, although it is of sand only and has
never been "made up." Those driving
over it in wagons or other spring-less vehicles
feel a vibration much like that felt when
driving over a cobble-paved road, due to
the ripple-marks left by the retreating tide ;
but fortunately there is none of the
noise associated with driving over cobbles.
The road surface is, indeed, so good that,
in 1843, the late Mr. D. R. Stratton, of
Prittlewell
Priory, drove his
cricket team over
the Broomway in
his coach and
four, to play a
Fowlness team.
Yet to motor
traffic the Broom-
way is closed
completely. His-
tory records that,
in the early days
of motors, an
adventurous
motorist drove
on to Fowlness,
and even man-
aged to drive
back again, but
that afterwards
he had to expend
a large sum on
repairs, the fine
sand having got
Island, one on New England Island, and
five on Fowlness Island (at Shelford Head,
Asplin's Head, Rugwood Head, Eastwick
Head, and Fisherman's Head respectively).
At each of these branches there is set up an
inscribed hand-post of the commonplace
into and mined all the bearings of his car.
Cars may be built, better now, but all
motorists will be wise to keep off the Broom-
way. For cyclists, too, the road is practically
impassable, owing to the number of shallow
creeks and runlets which have to be crossed