Length: Around 12½ km (7.8 miles). Toughness: 1/10
10:35 Shoeburyness train from Fenchurch Street (Limehouse 10:40, West Ham 10:45, Barking 10:51 etc), arriving there at 11:52. The simplest ticket is a return to Shoeburyness, but you can save a pound or two by getting singles in each direction as c2c have implemented the new fares policy (off-peak single = half the price of a return).
Trains back from Leigh-on-Sea are every 15 minutes or so, at xx:15, xx:29, xx:45 & xx:59. The walk route never strays far from the railway line and you could cut the walk short at any of the five intermediate stations along the way.
I'd been planning a newish walk on the North Kent marshes but the resident waders and other sea birds will be enjoying its squelchy conditions rather more than we would, so I'll substitute this coastal walk on the other side of the Thames. Mud shouldn't be a problem here as most of the walk appears to be along the seafront promenade. In the four years it's been on the SWC website it's only had one feedback comment (from an intrepid pair of independent walkers) and this is its début as a group walk.
The outline notes for this walk actually describe it in the opposite direction, but Leigh looks to be a far livelier place to end up. You'd also have the option of carrying on past Leigh and finishing in Benfleet, using the directions in §B of the Benfleet Circular via Leigh walk. Anyway, I'm going to exercise the walk poster's prerogative and specify an east-to-west walk (and hope that there isn't a westerly gale blowing on Sunday).
The walk notes mention several possible refreshment stops along the way, although without any specific recommendations. The greatest choice is presumably on Southend's seafront, which you'll reach in about an hour and a half. Their establishments will surely welcome out-of-season walk-in customers, so just choose somewhere which appeals. You'll also find plenty of pubs and tea rooms along Leigh's High Street; the Crooked Billet pub at the far end (nearest the station) seems to be the favoured watering-hole.
NB. The notes highly recommend walking out and back along the ridiculously long Southend Pier (£1); or you could take the pier railway which glides out and back every half hour, leaving at xx:00 & xx:30 (about £6, half price for oldies).
Please print off the walk notes from the L=swc.355.rev page, even though there shouldn't be any directional challenges doing it in reverse (head for the beach at Shoeburyness, turn right and keep the sea on your left).