A Peasants’ Pilgrimage
Saturday 15 June 2024
Start: St Michael’s Church, High Road, Fobbing, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 9JH
End: Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea Hall Lane, Pitsea, Basildon, Essex, SS16 4UH
Start & End: Wat Tyler Country Park, Pitsea Hall Lane, Pitsea, Basildon, Essex, SS16 4UH
There are two walks available for this event which commemorates the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt’s links to Fobbing. As well as being part of T100 Festival Goes Wild, this walk will be part of the Essex Book Festival, organised in partnership with T100 Festival.
Choose from a six-mile walk from Fobbing to Wat Tyler Park, or a 1 mile walk around Wat Tyler Park.
Guided by Walk Leader Phil East, walkers will discover the origins of the revolt and the day will conclude with free medieval street entertainment by The Thameside Mummers. This walk will start at St Micheal’s Church and finish in Wat Tyler Park to commemorate the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt which began in Fobbing. The day will conclude with free entertainment on the park’s village green by The Thameside Mummers.
Book your place:
Walk 1: Longer walk – Please note, if you book a place on this walk, there is no need to book a place on the shorter walk as well.
Walk 2: Shorter walk
Today, Fobbing is a quiet South Essex village edged by marshland and creeks of the tidal Thames. However, back in the 14th Century, Fobbing became a hotbed of insurrection and arguably the birthplace of the greatest grassroots rebellion this country has ever witnessed – The Peasants’ Revolt during 1381’s Summer of Blood.
Much has been written about the uprising but most accounts centre on the confrontations in London, which culminated in the killing at Smithfield of Wat Tyler, the most prominent leader of the ‘rustics’. Over the course of a six-mile journey from St Michael’s Church, our small band of ‘pilgrims’ will walk-and-talk their way to Wat Tyler Country Park, focusing on the origins of the revolt in South Essex, addressing questions like: “What caused commoners like Fobbing’s Thomas Baker to risk everything by speaking out against the hated poll tax?”; “What were the commoners ultimately hoping to achieve?” and “Why in Fobbing!?”
The day will conclude with free medieval street entertainment by The Thameside Mummers. For those who want to go the extra mile, during the interval between mumming plays, there will be the option of a guided stroll around the country park and a visit to Basildon Heritage Centre. A volunteer ‘Walk Leader’ for Kinetika and T100 Festival, Phil East is an amateur writer and professional Southender. After a lifetime of glitz and glamour working for the Council, Phil retired to walk around in circles; read up on social history; and twang Thames Delta Blues on air banjo.
WALK INFO
Longer Walk:
- Duration: 4.5-hour walk (wider full event 6.5hrs)
- Distance: 5.75 miles plus optional 1.2miles extra loop around Wat Tyler Park (Walk 2)
- Grading: Difficult
- Terrain:Countryside footpaths and marshland, uneven ground, bridges and stiles. There is the possibility of boggy ground in places around bodies of water being traversed.
- Access: Not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchair users.
- Walk leader: Phil East & wider T100 team
Shorter Walk:
- Duration: 1-hour walk
- Distance: 1.2 miles
- Grading: Easy
- Terrain: Made countryside footpaths, possibility of muddy patches depending on weather
- Access: Suitable for wheelchairs and pushchair users.
- Walk leader: Basildon Heritage Centre & T100 team members
TRAVEL
If travelling to the event by public transport, we advise carefully planning your route in advance as the start and end points are more remote and less well served by close and regular public transport services. We have included telephone numbers for local taxi companies should you wish to book a taxi for part of the route. We advise booking well ahead to avoid disappointment.
TRAINS
Fobbing: Stanford-le-Hope is the nearest train station from where you can take a taxi, see below for details.
Alternatively Basildon train station then taking the 100 bus towards Lakeside, disembarking at Social Club (15mins walk away from the Church).
Wat Tyler Country Park: Pitsea Station is a 16min (0.8) mile walk from Wat Tyler Country Park
CARS
Fobbing: Various free parking options nearby. Small car park at the Gardner Hall (Church Hall), a few yards further on from the church or parking in the road, including further up the High Road. (Please do not park in the Pub car park, reserved for their customers).
Wat Tyler Country Park: Plenty of free parking on-site.
TAXIS
All are familiar with the area and regular routes to support people getting to public transport but advise booking in advance.
Fobbing: Likeable Cars and Minibus: 07574 590000
Wat Tyler: AB Taxis, Basildon: 01268 555 555
ACCESSIBILITY
The longer walk is not suitable for wheelchair and buggy users.
The shorter loop of Wat Tyler Country Park is designed with accessibility in mind and is suitable for wheelchair and buggy users.
T100 walks are of different lengths and on varying terrain. Some are mainly on footpaths, and others mainly on footpaths where ground may be uneven. We have designed our programme with accessibility in mind so we hope that there is something for everyone to enjoy. If you would like to discuss this, please contact nicole@kinetika.co.uk.
Please note: Everyone needs to choose walks within their capabilities; the walk leaders are experienced but must take people’s word that they are sufficiently fit for the grade of walk they have chosen.
Due care has been exercised in organising the walks, however, Kinetika, the funders and associated partners of the project cannot accept liability for loss, accident or injury caused to any person following the routes, especially unsupervised. Participants under the age of 16 are welcome, but must be accompanied by an adult.
WHAT TO TAKE
Please ensure that you are properly equipped for all walks. The weather can be unpredictable so bring waterproof clothing and/or sun hats and sun cream – it’s best to be prepared for all weather! Walking boots/shoes are recommended, but if you don’t have these please wear suitable and comfortable footwear – best to leave open-toe sandals or high heels at home. Make sure you bring snacks and a packed lunch with you, if necessary, and plenty to drink. Toilet facilities can be accessed at St Michael’s Church at the start of the walk or at Wat Tyler Park at the end of the walk.
PHOTOS/ FILMING
We will be taking photographs and video of this event to promote and celebrate the project in print and online. If you do not give consent to be photographed or filmed, that’s absolutely fine, please let a member of the Kinetika team know on the day. If you take any of your own photos whilst taking part in the walk, we would love to see them. Share your photos on social media with #T100GoesWild.
PARTNERS AND SUPPLIERS
- Essex Book Festival
- Thameside Mummers
- Basildon Heritage Centre
- Wat Tyler Park
- BasildON
