In the shadow of the oil refineries: swimmers and stranded boats in a sea of mud, Leigh on Sea

Leigh on Sea has something of a troubled relationship with the tide.

When it’s in, the Essex town can do a passable impression of a pleasant seaside resort, with a sandy beach, happy swimmers and ice cream shops and bars close by.

But come low tide, the shoreline retreats into the far, far distance, exposing a bleak, grey wilderness of mud, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Despite the sea (well, actually the Thames Estuary) being so far away you’d need a telescope to see it, hardy locals know how to make the most of things, striding across the vast muddy plains or plonking themselves into a small muddy causeway.

Here’s some photos from our visit last week – click here to see how different the place looks like when the tide is in.