🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 84 (from laksa179)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa084.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html","crawl_time":1771392631,"first_indexed_time":0,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,nytimes!www,\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html s443","src_root_hash":"4566504020376537684","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"A Deadly Medieval Path in England Claims a Modern Victim: An Amazon Van - The New York Times","meta_descriptions":["The Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Advertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT\nThe Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it.\nAn Amazon delivery van was stranded on Sunday after its driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile path out into the Thames Estuary in England.\nCredit...\nNeal Threadgold\/HM Coastguard Southend on Sea\nFeb. 17, 2026\nIt is considered one of the most treacherous paths in Britain, a medieval route that is said to have caused dozens of deaths over hundreds of years.\nAnd in 2026, it proved to be too much for an Amazon van.\nOne of the company’s delivery vehicles became stranded on Sunday after the driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile walking path in Essex, in southeast England. The driver was following GPS directions to get to Foulness Island, a restricted military testing area, from the mainland.\nThe HM Coastguard Southend said in a statement that it received a call on Sunday morning about “an Amazon delivery van that had driven onto the Broomway.” Amazon was made aware of the incident, the statement said, and the company “arranged recovery of the vehicle.”\nA photograph of the scene posted to social media by the HM Coastguard showed a gray Amazon Prime van parked in the mud flats. The driver was able to exit the vehicle, the statement said.\nAmazon declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said, “Thankfully driver is safe, van retrieved and we are investigating.” The company arranged for a nearby farmer to remove the van, the HM Coastguard said.\nThe Broomway’s name comes from\nthe hundreds of brooms\nthat once marked its path. Edwardian newspapers gave it a more sinister nickname: The Doomway.\nIt has been described as a disorienting place where sea fog and quicksand can make it feel as if the earth has merged with the sea.\nAccess to the path is available only during low tide. Venture onto the path at the wrong time, and rapidly rising tides can quickly become overwhelming.\nMore than 100 people are thought to have died on the Broomway,\naccording to the BBC\n, and it is now only partially open to the public.\n“It is still a public road, so it’s classed as a byway, which means you can drive a road-legal vehicle on it, legally. But it’s highly not recommended,” said Kev Brown, who leads walking tours of the path through his company, Thames Estuary Man. “It’s not a place to go if you don’t know where you’re going.”\nToday, aspiring walkers are advised to travel the Broomway with a local guide who understands the fickle tides and can offer safe passage across the sand and mud flats to the farmland on Foulness Island. The Broomway was once the only path by which services could reach the island.\nAmong its more regular travelers were\npostmen\n, who presumably did not rely on GPS.\nAli Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast.\nAdvertisement\nSKIP ADVERTISEMENT","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#site-index)\n\n[Europe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/europe)\n\n[Today’s Paper](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/todayspaper)\n\n[Europe](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world\/europe)\\|A Deadly Medieval Path in England Claims a Modern Victim: An Amazon Van\n\nhttps:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html\n\n- Share full article\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-top)\n\nSupported by\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-sponsor)\n# A Deadly Medieval Path in England Claims a Modern Victim: An Amazon Van\nThe Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it.\n\nListen to this article · 2:33 min [Learn more](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/24318293692180)\n\n- Share full article\n\n![A blue van sits on marshy land just beyond a small pathway. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/17\/multimedia\/17xp-broomway1\/17xp-broomway1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nAn Amazon delivery van was stranded on Sunday after its driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile path out into the Thames Estuary in England.Credit...Neal Threadgold\/HM Coastguard Southend on Sea\n\n[![Ali Watkins](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2019\/02\/20\/multimedia\/author-ali-watkins\/author-ali-watkins-thumbLarge-v3.png)](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/ali-watkins)\n\nBy [Ali Watkins](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/by\/ali-watkins)\n\nFeb. 17, 2026\n\nIt is considered one of the most treacherous paths in Britain, a medieval route that is said to have caused dozens of deaths over hundreds of years.\n\nAnd in 2026, it proved to be too much for an Amazon van.\n\nOne of the company’s delivery vehicles became stranded on Sunday after the driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile walking path in Essex, in southeast England. The driver was following GPS directions to get to Foulness Island, a restricted military testing area, from the mainland.\n\nThe HM Coastguard Southend said in a statement that it received a call on Sunday morning about “an Amazon delivery van that had driven onto the Broomway.” Amazon was made aware of the incident, the statement said, and the company “arranged recovery of the vehicle.”\n\nA photograph of the scene posted to social media by the HM Coastguard showed a gray Amazon Prime van parked in the mud flats. The driver was able to exit the vehicle, the statement said.\n\nAmazon declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said, “Thankfully driver is safe, van retrieved and we are investigating.” The company arranged for a nearby farmer to remove the van, the HM Coastguard said.\n\nThe Broomway’s name comes from [the hundreds of brooms](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cgmz7g7dw34o) that once marked its path. Edwardian newspapers gave it a more sinister nickname: The Doomway.\n\nIt has been described as a disorienting place where sea fog and quicksand can make it feel as if the earth has merged with the sea. Access to the path is available only during low tide. Venture onto the path at the wrong time, and rapidly rising tides can quickly become overwhelming.\n\nMore than 100 people are thought to have died on the Broomway, [according to the BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/article\/20170110-why-the-broomway-is-the-most-dangerous-path-in-britain), and it is now only partially open to the public.\n\n“It is still a public road, so it’s classed as a byway, which means you can drive a road-legal vehicle on it, legally. But it’s highly not recommended,” said Kev Brown, who leads walking tours of the path through his company, Thames Estuary Man. “It’s not a place to go if you don’t know where you’re going.”\n\nToday, aspiring walkers are advised to travel the Broomway with a local guide who understands the fickle tides and can offer safe passage across the sand and mud flats to the farmland on Foulness Island. The Broomway was once the only path by which services could reach the island.\n\nAmong its more regular travelers were [postmen](https:\/\/www.geograph.org.uk\/photo\/299201), who presumably did not rely on GPS.\n\nAli Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast.\n\n- Share full article\n## Related Content\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-bottom)\n\n## Site Index\n[Go to Home Page »](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n\nNews\n\n- [Home Page](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/)\n- [U.S.](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/us)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/world)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/politics)\n- [New York](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/nyregion)\n- [Education](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/education)\n- [Sports](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/section\/sports)\n- 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Navigation\n- [© 2026 The New York Times Company](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014792127-Copyright-Notice)\n\n- [NYTCo](https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/)\n- [Contact Us](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115015385887-Contact-The-New-York-Times)\n- [Accessibility](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115015727108-Accessibility)\n- [Work with us](https:\/\/www.nytco.com\/careers\/)\n- [Advertise](https:\/\/advertising.nytimes.com\/)\n- [T Brand Studio](https:\/\/advertising.nytimes.com\/custom-content\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/10940941449492-The-New-York-Times-Company-Privacy-Policy)\n- [Cookie Policy](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/privacy\/cookie-policy)\n- [Terms of Service](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014893428-Terms-of-Service)\n- [Terms of Sale](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/115014893968-Terms-of-Sale)\n- [Site Map](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/sitemap\/)\n- [Canada](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/ca\/)\n- [International](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/international\/)\n- [Help](https:\/\/help.nytimes.com\/hc\/en-us)\n- [Subscriptions](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/subscription?campaignId=37WXW)\n\n- [Manage Privacy Preferences](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/privacy\/manage-settings)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Advertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-top)\n\nThe Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it.\n\n![A blue van sits on marshy land just beyond a small pathway. ](https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2026\/02\/17\/multimedia\/17xp-broomway1\/17xp-broomway1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale)\n\nAn Amazon delivery van was stranded on Sunday after its driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile path out into the Thames Estuary in England.Credit...Neal Threadgold\/HM Coastguard Southend on Sea\n\nFeb. 17, 2026\n\nIt is considered one of the most treacherous paths in Britain, a medieval route that is said to have caused dozens of deaths over hundreds of years.\n\nAnd in 2026, it proved to be too much for an Amazon van.\n\nOne of the company’s delivery vehicles became stranded on Sunday after the driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile walking path in Essex, in southeast England. The driver was following GPS directions to get to Foulness Island, a restricted military testing area, from the mainland.\n\nThe HM Coastguard Southend said in a statement that it received a call on Sunday morning about “an Amazon delivery van that had driven onto the Broomway.” Amazon was made aware of the incident, the statement said, and the company “arranged recovery of the vehicle.”\n\nA photograph of the scene posted to social media by the HM Coastguard showed a gray Amazon Prime van parked in the mud flats. The driver was able to exit the vehicle, the statement said.\n\nAmazon declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said, “Thankfully driver is safe, van retrieved and we are investigating.” The company arranged for a nearby farmer to remove the van, the HM Coastguard said.\n\nThe Broomway’s name comes from [the hundreds of brooms](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cgmz7g7dw34o) that once marked its path. Edwardian newspapers gave it a more sinister nickname: The Doomway.\n\nIt has been described as a disorienting place where sea fog and quicksand can make it feel as if the earth has merged with the sea. Access to the path is available only during low tide. Venture onto the path at the wrong time, and rapidly rising tides can quickly become overwhelming.\n\nMore than 100 people are thought to have died on the Broomway, [according to the BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/travel\/article\/20170110-why-the-broomway-is-the-most-dangerous-path-in-britain), and it is now only partially open to the public.\n\n“It is still a public road, so it’s classed as a byway, which means you can drive a road-legal vehicle on it, legally. But it’s highly not recommended,” said Kev Brown, who leads walking tours of the path through his company, Thames Estuary Man. “It’s not a place to go if you don’t know where you’re going.”\n\nToday, aspiring walkers are advised to travel the Broomway with a local guide who understands the fickle tides and can offer safe passage across the sand and mud flats to the farmland on Foulness Island. The Broomway was once the only path by which services could reach the island.\n\nAmong its more regular travelers were [postmen](https:\/\/www.geograph.org.uk\/photo\/299201), who presumably did not rely on GPS.\n\nAli Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/02\/17\/world\/europe\/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-bottom)","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

1 month ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	1.8 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html
Last Crawled	2026-02-18 05:30:31 (1 month ago)
First Indexed	not set
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	A Deadly Medieval Path in England Claims a Modern Victim: An Amazon Van - The New York Times
Meta Description	The Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT The Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it. An Amazon delivery van was stranded on Sunday after its driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile path out into the Thames Estuary in England. Credit... Neal Threadgold/HM Coastguard Southend on Sea Feb. 17, 2026 It is considered one of the most treacherous paths in Britain, a medieval route that is said to have caused dozens of deaths over hundreds of years. And in 2026, it proved to be too much for an Amazon van. One of the company’s delivery vehicles became stranded on Sunday after the driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile walking path in Essex, in southeast England. The driver was following GPS directions to get to Foulness Island, a restricted military testing area, from the mainland. The HM Coastguard Southend said in a statement that it received a call on Sunday morning about “an Amazon delivery van that had driven onto the Broomway.” Amazon was made aware of the incident, the statement said, and the company “arranged recovery of the vehicle.” A photograph of the scene posted to social media by the HM Coastguard showed a gray Amazon Prime van parked in the mud flats. The driver was able to exit the vehicle, the statement said. Amazon declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said, “Thankfully driver is safe, van retrieved and we are investigating.” The company arranged for a nearby farmer to remove the van, the HM Coastguard said. The Broomway’s name comes from the hundreds of brooms that once marked its path. Edwardian newspapers gave it a more sinister nickname: The Doomway. It has been described as a disorienting place where sea fog and quicksand can make it feel as if the earth has merged with the sea. Access to the path is available only during low tide. Venture onto the path at the wrong time, and rapidly rising tides can quickly become overwhelming. More than 100 people are thought to have died on the Broomway, according to the BBC , and it is now only partially open to the public. “It is still a public road, so it’s classed as a byway, which means you can drive a road-legal vehicle on it, legally. But it’s highly not recommended,” said Kev Brown, who leads walking tours of the path through his company, Thames Estuary Man. “It’s not a place to go if you don’t know where you’re going.” Today, aspiring walkers are advised to travel the Broomway with a local guide who understands the fickle tides and can offer safe passage across the sand and mud flats to the farmland on Foulness Island. The Broomway was once the only path by which services could reach the island. Among its more regular travelers were postmen , who presumably did not rely on GPS. Ali Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast. Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT
Markdown	[Skip to content](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#site-content)[Skip to site index](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#site-index) [Europe](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/europe) [Today’s Paper](https://www.nytimes.com/section/todayspaper) [Europe](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world/europe)\\|A Deadly Medieval Path in England Claims a Modern Victim: An Amazon Van https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html - Share full article Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-top) Supported by [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-sponsor) # A Deadly Medieval Path in England Claims a Modern Victim: An Amazon Van The Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it. Listen to this article · 2:33 min [Learn more](https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/24318293692180) - Share full article ![A blue van sits on marshy land just beyond a small pathway. ](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/17/multimedia/17xp-broomway1/17xp-broomway1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) An Amazon delivery van was stranded on Sunday after its driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile path out into the Thames Estuary in England.Credit...Neal Threadgold/HM Coastguard Southend on Sea [![Ali Watkins](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/02/20/multimedia/author-ali-watkins/author-ali-watkins-thumbLarge-v3.png)](https://www.nytimes.com/by/ali-watkins) By [Ali Watkins](https://www.nytimes.com/by/ali-watkins) Feb. 17, 2026 It is considered one of the most treacherous paths in Britain, a medieval route that is said to have caused dozens of deaths over hundreds of years. And in 2026, it proved to be too much for an Amazon van. One of the company’s delivery vehicles became stranded on Sunday after the driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile walking path in Essex, in southeast England. The driver was following GPS directions to get to Foulness Island, a restricted military testing area, from the mainland. The HM Coastguard Southend said in a statement that it received a call on Sunday morning about “an Amazon delivery van that had driven onto the Broomway.” Amazon was made aware of the incident, the statement said, and the company “arranged recovery of the vehicle.” A photograph of the scene posted to social media by the HM Coastguard showed a gray Amazon Prime van parked in the mud flats. The driver was able to exit the vehicle, the statement said. Amazon declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said, “Thankfully driver is safe, van retrieved and we are investigating.” The company arranged for a nearby farmer to remove the van, the HM Coastguard said. The Broomway’s name comes from [the hundreds of brooms](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmz7g7dw34o) that once marked its path. Edwardian newspapers gave it a more sinister nickname: The Doomway. It has been described as a disorienting place where sea fog and quicksand can make it feel as if the earth has merged with the sea. Access to the path is available only during low tide. Venture onto the path at the wrong time, and rapidly rising tides can quickly become overwhelming. More than 100 people are thought to have died on the Broomway, [according to the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20170110-why-the-broomway-is-the-most-dangerous-path-in-britain), and it is now only partially open to the public. “It is still a public road, so it’s classed as a byway, which means you can drive a road-legal vehicle on it, legally. But it’s highly not recommended,” said Kev Brown, who leads walking tours of the path through his company, Thames Estuary Man. “It’s not a place to go if you don’t know where you’re going.” Today, aspiring walkers are advised to travel the Broomway with a local guide who understands the fickle tides and can offer safe passage across the sand and mud flats to the farmland on Foulness Island. The Broomway was once the only path by which services could reach the island. Among its more regular travelers were [postmen](https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/299201), who presumably did not rely on GPS. Ali Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast. - Share full article ## Related Content Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-bottom) ## Site Index [Go to Home Page »](https://www.nytimes.com/) News - [Home Page](https://www.nytimes.com/) - [U.S.](https://www.nytimes.com/section/us) - [World](https://www.nytimes.com/section/world) - [Politics](https://www.nytimes.com/section/politics) - [New York](https://www.nytimes.com/section/nyregion) - [Education](https://www.nytimes.com/section/education) - [Sports](https://www.nytimes.com/section/sports) - [Business](https://www.nytimes.com/section/business) - [Tech](https://www.nytimes.com/section/technology) - [Science](https://www.nytimes.com/section/science) - [Weather](https://www.nytimes.com/section/weather) - [The Great Read](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/the-great-read) - [Obituaries](https://www.nytimes.com/section/obituaries) - 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Readable Markdown	Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-top) The Broomway in Essex is notoriously treacherous because of the quick-moving waters surrounding it. One delivery vehicle didn’t make it. ![A blue van sits on marshy land just beyond a small pathway. ](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2026/02/17/multimedia/17xp-broomway1/17xp-broomway1-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale) An Amazon delivery van was stranded on Sunday after its driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile path out into the Thames Estuary in England.Credit...Neal Threadgold/HM Coastguard Southend on Sea Feb. 17, 2026 It is considered one of the most treacherous paths in Britain, a medieval route that is said to have caused dozens of deaths over hundreds of years. And in 2026, it proved to be too much for an Amazon van. One of the company’s delivery vehicles became stranded on Sunday after the driver mistakenly steered onto the Broomway, a six-mile walking path in Essex, in southeast England. The driver was following GPS directions to get to Foulness Island, a restricted military testing area, from the mainland. The HM Coastguard Southend said in a statement that it received a call on Sunday morning about “an Amazon delivery van that had driven onto the Broomway.” Amazon was made aware of the incident, the statement said, and the company “arranged recovery of the vehicle.” A photograph of the scene posted to social media by the HM Coastguard showed a gray Amazon Prime van parked in the mud flats. The driver was able to exit the vehicle, the statement said. Amazon declined to comment on the specifics of the incident, but said, “Thankfully driver is safe, van retrieved and we are investigating.” The company arranged for a nearby farmer to remove the van, the HM Coastguard said. The Broomway’s name comes from [the hundreds of brooms](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmz7g7dw34o) that once marked its path. Edwardian newspapers gave it a more sinister nickname: The Doomway. It has been described as a disorienting place where sea fog and quicksand can make it feel as if the earth has merged with the sea. Access to the path is available only during low tide. Venture onto the path at the wrong time, and rapidly rising tides can quickly become overwhelming. More than 100 people are thought to have died on the Broomway, [according to the BBC](https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20170110-why-the-broomway-is-the-most-dangerous-path-in-britain), and it is now only partially open to the public. “It is still a public road, so it’s classed as a byway, which means you can drive a road-legal vehicle on it, legally. But it’s highly not recommended,” said Kev Brown, who leads walking tours of the path through his company, Thames Estuary Man. “It’s not a place to go if you don’t know where you’re going.” Today, aspiring walkers are advised to travel the Broomway with a local guide who understands the fickle tides and can offer safe passage across the sand and mud flats to the farmland on Foulness Island. The Broomway was once the only path by which services could reach the island. Among its more regular travelers were [postmen](https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/299201), who presumably did not rely on GPS. Ali Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast. Advertisement [SKIP ADVERTISEMENT](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/world/europe/broomway-england-amazon-van.html#after-bottom)
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