East
Coalville
Oakham
Swaffham
Norwich
Stamford
Dereham
LEICESTERSHIRE
Wisbech
RUTLAND
Great
Leicester
Yarmouth
Downham
Wymondham
Watton
Oadby
Wolverhampton
Market
Uppingham
Hinckley
Montgomery
Blaby
Peterborough
Attleborough
Bridgnorth
Lowestoft
Newtown
Market
Nuneaton
West Bromwich
Church
Wimblington
Oundle
Harborough
Bungay
25TH BIR T HD
Stretton
Dudley Birmingham
Beccles
POWYS
A
Y
Corby
Chatteris
I
S
SUE
Stourbridge
Littleport
Thetford
Brandon
Bedworth
WEST MIDLANDS
Diss
Rothwell
Sawtry
Ely
Clun
gurig
Kidderminster
Kettering
Solihull
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Halesworth
COVENTRY
Ludlow
Southwold
Huntingdon
Mildenhall
Eye
StourportBromsgrove
Knighton
Rugby NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Brampton
on-Severn
Leamington Spa
Rhayader
Wellingborough
Rushden
Redditch
Waterbeach
Bury St Edmunds
Warwick
Presteigne
Saxmundham
Llandrindod
Droitwich
Daventry
Leiston
Newmarket
Leominster
WARWICKSHIRE
St Neots
Northampton
Wells
Stowmarket
WORCESTERSHIRE
SUFFOLK
Aldeburgh
Kington
Stratford
Cambridge
Bromyard
upon Avon
Worcester
Bedford
Stradishall
Woodbridge
ilth Wells
Towcester
Pershore
HEREFORDSHIRE
ShipstonNewport Pagnell
Biggleswade
Ipswich
Great Malvern
on-Stour
Sudbury
BEDFORDSHIRE
Evesham
Royston
Milton Keynes
Hay-on-Wye Chapel of St Peter-on-theBanbury
Hereford
Ledbury
Brackley
Saffron
Wall – one of the oldest in
Felixstowe
Moreton-in-Marsh
Baldock
Walden
Tewkesbury
Buckingham
Leighton Letchworth
Harwich
Halstead
the UK – nearing the end of
Manningtree
Hitchin
econ
Buzzard
Chipping
Norton
Stevenage
Stow-on-the-Wold
your walk.
Colchester
Ross-on-Wye
Braintree
Bicester
Cheltenham
Dunstable Luton
Stansted
ESSEX
Gloucester
Crickhowell
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
HERTFORDSHIRE
Abergavenny
Kidlington
Witham
Clacton-on-Sea
Brightlingsea
Ware
Tring
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
Aylesbury
Monmouth
Witney
Brynmawr
St Albans
thyr Ebbw
Harlow
Wendover
Vale
Blaenavon
Oxford
Chelmsford
Carterton
dfil MERTHYR
Hatfield
BLAENAU GWENT
Hemel
Stroud
MONMOUTHSHIRE
Thame
Maldon
Cirencester
Lydney
re TYDFIL Pontypool
OXFORDSHIRE
Hempstead
Southminster
Nailsworth
Amersham
ONDDA
Watford Barnet Enfield
Bargoed TORFAEN
Faringdon Abingdon
Brentwood
Chepstow
ON TAFF
CAERPHILLY Cwmbran
Rayleigh
High Wycombe
Cricklade
Didcot
Tetbury
Chigwell
Risca
Wantage
Harrow
Newport
ypridd
Marlow
Caldicot
Wallingford
Malmesbury
GREATER LONDON Basildon
Uxbridge
Southend-on-Sea
NEWPORT
Caerphilly
Henley Maidenhead
Canvey Island
Swindon
LONDON
Avonmouth
CARDIFF
Slough
dgend
Woolwich Tilbury
BRISTOL
BERKSHIRE
Sheerness
Windsor
Cardiff
Dartford
Chippenham
Richmond
Gravesend
Reading
Margate
Bristol
Staines
OF GLAMORGAN
Avebury
Hungerford
Corsham
Clevedon
Rochester
Bracknell
Kingston
Barry
Newbury
Marlborough
Congresbury
Bath Melksham
Sutton
Chatham
Start/parking
Drive downRamsgate
East
Croydon
Sittingbourne
Devizes
Weston-super-Mare
Woking Epsom
Kingsclere
Sandwich
Faversham
Maidstone
End Road. Where
surfaced
road
Camberley
Trowbridge
W I LT S H I R E
Caterham
Leatherhead
Cheddar
Sevenoaks ends, continue
Canterbury
Basingstoke
Reigate
Aldershot
parkingDeal
KENT on track,
Oxted
Westbury
Dorking
Burnham-on-Sea
Whitchurch
Frome
Andover
Tonbridge
Guildford
Redhill
in area before gates, grid ref
Farnham
Minehead
Warminster
Wells
Ashford
East
SURREY
Dover
Pilton
Godalming
HAMPSHIRE
TM023078
Watchet
Grinstead
Glastonbury
Alton
Amesbury
Folkestone
Crawley
Tunbridge Wells Is itCranbrook
Street
Bridgwater
for me?
Quiet
lanes
and
New Alresford
Tenterden
Haslemere
Mere
Liphook
Horsham
Wilton
Crowborough
dry field edges; some Hythe
Winchester
Wincanton
New Romney
SOMERSET
Salisbury
Haywards Heath
Billingshurst
Taunton
map-reading
skills useful
Petersfield
Shaftesbury
Romsey
Wellington
Heathfield
Rye
Midhurst
Uckfield
Eastleigh
Stiles 2
Pulborough
Yeovil
Ilminster
Battle
Dungeness
EAST SUSSEX
Sherborne
Southampton
WEST SUSSEX
Hurstpierpoint
Havant
Lyndhurst
Arundel
Crewkerne
Blandford Forum
Hastings
Lewes Hailsham
Fareham
Chard
Chichester
Hythe
Bexhill
Ringwood
Worthing Hove
Brockenhurst
Gosport
Brighton Newhaven
Nearest town Chelmsford
Bognor Littlehampton
Axminster
Honiton
Wimborne Minster
Eastbourne
Regis
Lymington
Portsmouth
Seaford
DORSET
Bridport
Refreshments Three pubs and
New Milton
Cowes
Dorchester
Seaton
Ryde
Poole
1.9km/1¼Newport
miles
swings sharp L, go R over wide
Selsey
Lyme CHOSEN BY...
one café on route
Bournemouth
dmouth
Wareham
ISLE
Regis
Freshwater
Welshpool
Lichfield
Tamworth
Walsall
06
SOUTH
EAST
ESSEX
BRADWELL-ON-SEA
25
BEST WALKS
EVER
uDistance: 16.8km/10½ miles uTime: 5 hours uGrade: Challenging
PLAN YOUR WALK
Route
LEN BANISTER
“Essex holdsWeymouth
many
Fortuneswell
surprises. In 12
years
Portland Bill
I have written walks which
examine the astonishing
variety of countryside, geology,
and history to be found in this
county, which is criss-crossed
by paths and bounded along a
highly irregular coast by the
Thames Estuary and the
English Channel. The Dengie
Peninsula is a favourite of great
writers like Christopher
Somerville and Robert
Macfarlane and I hope to show
you why with this outing. It
starts with the remains of one
of two dozen Essex wartime
airfields, a glimpse of Bradwell
Nuclear Power Station, and
views across the Blackwater.
Soon, you are moving away
from populated areas, out over
rich but deserted and
hedgeless farmland, toward the
sea wall. Here I find that the
lack of distraction heightens
the senses; bird-cries are
clearer; objects which would
not normally be noticed assume
importance; the movement of
long grass in the wind produces
wave-like patterns. Once on the
wall, with saltmarsh and the
sea to the R, we notice the
efforts of mankind to tame the
sea and reap its harvests. A
long, reflective walk along the
coast has, as its appropriate
culmination, the quiet dignity of
St Cedd’s chapel.”
3
3.8km/2¼ miles
Keep forward, past Green
Man, turn L at fingerpost (going
forward to slipway gives view of
Blackwater Estuary) and up railed
footpath. Swing R of Marina
Tower, passing Marina Bar. Go R of
brick building, up on bank,
following it L then R to descend,
L, into field, following its R edge
alongside reedbed. Continue;
going R after pond, along R field
edges. In third field go L for 5m,
then R, straight across field, to
gap and road.
4
5.5km/3½ miles
Cross diagonally R to
bridge. Keep forward, with
hedge L, to road. Turn L; R along
fence at fingerpost, then on
cross-field path, forward into
woodland, crossing next field,
through trees and across
bridge. Take mid-path with
wooden fence L. Continue on
drive, swinging R. Go L at
fingerpost to Mark Farm.
concrete bridge.
Public toilets None
Public transport None
Maps Ordnance Survey Explorer
176; Landranger 168
6
10.2km/6¼ miles
Go L alongside ditch. (The
ultimate destination is building
ahead in front of sea wall.) After
isolated sluice, path swings R,
then L to regain direction. Reach
pumping station and go L up to
sea wall.
uBuy maps at: www.ordnance
survey.co.uk/mapshop
Don’t miss...
7
11km/6¾ miles
Keep to sea wall. At first you
see sunken barges, R, designed
to reduce erosion; later a strange
high-frequency transmitter. Just
before wooded area, go L down
bank to St Cedd’s chapel. Turn L
along track, hedge R, to return to
your car.
uRoute available to
download and print at:
www.lfto.com/routes
TRAILZILLA ID:
TZID12023
St Peter-on-theWall Chapel is
towards the end
of the walk. St Cedd, who
had sailed round the coast
from Lindisfarne, built the
chapel in 654, using parts
of an old Roman fort.
uDownload Ordnance Survey maps to
your PC, GPS, iPhone or iPad with
Digital Map Shop from Memory-Map
© Country Walking May 2012
3
1
Start
2
4
5
7.5km/4¾ miles
After barn go R then L along
track. After trees, L, go L with
ditch L. Keep forward along lane,
continuing past barrier between
barns. Where lane bends R, keep
forward across field to exit by
bridge in far L corner. Go L,
swinging R on track. When this
5
6
7
✁
1
Start
Walk back to and along road,
passing café and pub. Reach
bend, L.
2
Go R on concrete track
(ahead
OF
WIGHT
Shanklin
isSwanage
Bradwell Power Station).Ventnor
Reach
T-junction; go L on old airfield
perimeter runway. Reach road
and memorial. Go L, then R at
fingerpost on junction. Cross one
field, then diagonally R across
another to road.
Planning
Ordnance Survey mapping ©Crown Copyright in association with Memory-Map/Bauer Media’s Media Licence number AM086/11
ton
xham
outh
Cannock
Photo: © Tony Watson/Alamy
Exmouth
Dawlish
ignmouth
n Abbot
Telford