Writtle walks

Explore Hylands Estate following this path through the park.

3 village circular walk through Howegreen, Great Baddow, and Sandon

Along pavements, footpaths and bridleways and across fields.

From wooden bus stop we follow Hutton Village, then off-road to the old church. We go cross-country to Ingrave, past the huge pile of Thorndon House & thru' Thorndon Park North. As well as the park, the route takes in many other properties owned by the Thames Chase Community Forest, including Warley Gap, Codham Hall Woods & Franks Wood. We pass thru' Little Warley, Great Warley and skirt the outside of Upminster on our way to the finish at the Thames Chase Forest Centre at Broadfields Farm.

We divert off the Essex Way to take in some of the histories of this old town. Rejoin the Essex Way for a short distance, before leaving it for one last time. Then follow St Peters Way thru' High Ongar & most of the way to Blackmore. We follow St Peter's Way for over a mile to Fryerning then thru' the village & across fields to Mountnessing. A short walk thru' a housing estate & industrial estate to enter Hutton Nature Reserve to soon finish at Hutton Village.

A circular walk that circumnavigates the village of Little Baddow. Beginning in Lingwood Common, the route follows bridleways, footpaths, the river towpath and quiet country lanes. A good walk for any time of year, but not after spells of prolonged rain when the towpath, especially, can become something of a quagmire. Walking it in spring is highly recommended as Blake's Wood is nationally known for its display of bluebells.

A circular walk in a comparatively unspoiled part of mid Essex, between Chelmsford and Braintree. It is particularly suited to being a winter walk as most of the route is on quiet country lanes, surfaced bridleways and grassy field paths, thus avoiding the worst of the Essex mud. It is a good walk for any time of year though, with fine views across open countryside and is, for the most part, devoid of traffic noise.

Reviewed and updated April 2024

A countryside walk beginning and ending in the village of Terling. Nothing spectacular about the route but it has some nice views and pleasant countryside, passes an old windmill and a rare round tower church. The route follows the course of the River Ter in places, and there are quite a few springs along the way, so it can get muddy. There are a couple of woods with excellent displays of bluebells in the spring but it is a good walk for any time of year. Waymarking is generally excellent.

Details are given for a shorter walk of 4 miles that does not visit Great Leighs church.

This walk, close to the ancient village of Woodham Walter, offers a nature reserve, arable fields, woodland and The Wilderness. The route is along bridleways and footpaths for the most part, with a couple of short sections on country lanes. There are only two cross-field paths so it's a good winter walk but, like any Essex hike, it can be muddy after rain.

Pleasant stroll in the Essex countryside at Hatfield Peverel along field paths, secluded lanes and a quiet stretch of the river bank.

A pleasant stroll in the Essex countryside along field paths, secluded lanes and a stretch of river bank. Along the way there is an 18th century former priory, a canal lock (and tearoom), the delightfully named World's End Cottage, a ford and the Parish Church of St. Andrew.

A circular walk around the small Essex town of Great Dunmow.
With plenty of historic buildings, a fine 13th century church, some great pubs and a fantastic Indian Restaurant this provides any visitor a taste of this ancient town. The walk is simple and easy and one cannot visit Dunmow without discovering the interesting history of the Dunmow Fitch which is the main feature to this walk.

An easy stroll in the countryside near Wickham Bishops, departing close to the redundant St Peter's church, passing beneath the last wooden railway viaduct in the country and then along the meandering banks of the River Blackwater. The return passes through woodland and has some excellent views across the Essex countryside. This is an all-seasons walk but is particularly good in spring and autumn.

A circular walk from Purleigh that passes close to three excellent pubs using footpaths, bridleways, byways and short sections of country lanes. It joins St Peter's Way here and there, follows a disused railway track and goes through vineyards before meeting a WW1 airfield. A walk for all seasons, although sections can be muddy after rain.

Please see the Useful Information section for important information regarding the aerodrome.

A circular walk from Maldon through farmland to Hoe Mill Lock, returning along the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.

Starting and ending in Great Totham, this walk visits The Swan in Little Totham - a fine, privately owned freehouse, built in the 16th century.
For those not wanting, or are unable, to visit the pub, an amended route is given.

If you are looking at this walk, it is likely that you want to leave the city for a breath of fresh air. And you can … without leaving it! So, take your Oyster card (or contactless card) and jump on the Central Line with me for a walk through Epping Forest!

From Epping Station, we follow the Essex Way for our whole route. Thru' fields and an ancient track to Coopersale Street, then across fields to Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve. Cross over the M11 and go in a straight line towards Toot Hill. Thru' Toot Hill village and fields to Greensted and onto Chipping Ongar. Two videos at YouTube, one by John Rogers and a second by voxley19, both cover this whole walk.

Starts at Thames Chase Forest Centre, the headquarters of the Thames Chase Community Forest, at Broadfields Farm. Route passes thru' the old village of Cranham, then Cranham Marsh Nature Reserve, Corbets Tey, Belhus Country Park, Belhus Chase & the town of Aveley. For the last two miles we follow the Mardyke Way thru' Davy Down, then thru' Stifford Green and Warren Gorge Nature Reserve to finish at Chafford Hundre Railway Station.

A walk across salt marshes with numerous birds and returning inland via the ruined Hadleigh Castle. Highly accessible from London as the Fenchurch Street line takes under an hour to get you to the start.

A walk from Earls Colne to Colne Engaine and return, via some unspoiled North Essex countryside. There are a couple of short sections on quiet lanes but for the most part it's fields and woods all the way. Sections of the walk run along the Colne Valley Path and the route never strays far from the River Colne.

For a more challenging walk in London, the Belvedere to Greenwich trail via the Thames Path is what you need. This long-distance trail starts at the Natural Reserve of Crossness then through the marshes, before linking to the Thames Path all the way to the O2 arena and ends in Greenwich park with a takeaway from the market stall. Ready for a challenge?