Total7 walkers, in two groups as we didn't quite coordinate on timing. Weather-very-sunny. Gorgeous wheat fields. Dry underfoot but heavily rutted from winter mud. No real interaction with the railway+beer festival.

Andrew

10 walkers, incl. 2 first-timers, on this walk in sunny weather.

Posting this principally mud-prone walk in deep winter was a risk that kind of paid off I felt, as large stretches of ground were still frozen and even the paths and fields that were in the sun were only soapy in the top few centimetres but frozen underneath. Semi-serious mud was evident though along some enclosed tracks and in a couple of the arable fields mid-afternoon, when they had been exposed to the sun for longer. The challenge therefore was not so much the mud itself but the ever-changing ground conditions, sometimes every few metres.

With icy ponds and puddles everywhere, fine far views in the cold air, the dappled sun breaking through the leafless trees, it was a grand day for being out though. A couple of small herds of deer were observed just off-path, snowdrops were spotted, daffs are not far behind, grand footballer's mansions were admired in Fryerning.

All 10 walked the main walk route to Ingatestone, wiht 3 picnickers stopping at Ongar for their break, 3 others in Blackmore while the 4 lunchers feasted in The Leather Bottle. All 6 picnickers then waited outside the pub in the sun for the group to move on together. We got to The Bell Inn in Ingatestone just before 5 and all 10 went inside, even letting the next train pass and settling for the 18.02. Group Cohesion: admirable.

As Walker states the best bet to extend the walk is to improvise a loop around High Ongar but if you are feeling particularly adventurous -and rail strike permitting- you could add 8 miles by walking on to Ingatestone which I have done in the past (as has Thomas on a long walk from Loughton to Ingatestone) but although 2 trains an hour are still showing as running from Ingatestone to Liverpool Street on Saturday this is probably a bit too risky.

If you want to walk longer you could start at Loughton and follow a map-led direct wide track through the forest to Epping which is about 5 miles and have lunch at a pub you pass on the outskirts of Epping (Stargazer has done this as a mid week evening walk I think). You pass Epping tube station where you can end the walk if you wish.

The Green Man pub has a nice outside seating area so you should not need to book. Imho this is the best of the three "Central Line" walks - dont forget to visit the 1,000 year old church near the end. Enjoy your day.

PeteB- walk author

the route to Ingatestone is shown on the route map/has a gpx...

I came across this:

https://www.eorailway.co.uk/visit/date/25-06-2022/

I haven't checked the details as I'm thinking of doing Amersham.

I am up for the extension to Ingastone, if doable.

I will compromise on the late start.

Austen

15 on this walk, including one West Londoner who gets a special citation for travelling the entire length of the Central Line from Ealing Broadway (taking 1hr 20 mins). There were also two walkers on their first SWC outing since the start of the pandemic. Very nice to see them again.

This was the first time I had done this walk and I found it very pleasing. A nice mix of fields and fine woods. Considering its proximity to the M11 in its early stages I was surprised to hear no motorway noise. (Perhaps we were lucky with the wind direction, it being windy and mostly cloudy .)

The Green Man in Toot Hill proved a very acceptable lunch stop for eight (or nine?) of us. They had a two courses for £13.99 deal and service was very quick and friendly. So nice to find a pub without fussy rules or menus. We lingered somewhat there and some also stopped mid afternoon to see the amazing Saxon church - the oldest wooden building in Europe apparently.

Some front-runners, I hear, got an unexpected 3.20pm bus from Ongar. This group included one who had thought of walking to Ingatestone but decided the trains would finish too early due to the strike. The rest of us got to Ongar at 3.45pm. Many went straight for the 4pm bus, but four of us had a look at the charmingly-restored Ongar station and watched a DMU pull out (a diesel multiple unit, for the uninitiated). We then did the suggested extra loop backwards, though failed to notice the Norman castle remains, and had a quick drink at the King’s Head. At the bus stop we met with a fifth walker who had explored the village a bit, and we all then caught the 5pm bus.

6 blue skies jacket not required temperature

6 congregated at Epping and set off under blue skies. There was great autumn colour in the woods and along the field boundaries, especially vivid against the blue above. The morning was mostly through woodland with the first of the winter mud putting in an appearance (not very much, but an indication of things to come). We paused to admire St Andrews Church in Greensted and not long after arrived in Ongar. 2 decided to finish there and jumped on a bus while the remaining 4 lunched at the Cock Tavern. A simple menu with a couple of roasts and 3 other dishes all very reasonably priced. It was fine - nice clean premises, friendly staff and locals - but I'll probaly check out the King's Head the next time I'm in town.

Interestingly, given the day that was in it, the morning section followed the Essex Way where the way makers are decorated with Essex's county flower, the poppy.

We didn't linger too long at the pub as we knew we had quite a way to go to Ignatestone and wanted to make it before darkness. The afternoon had quite a few field crossings, some through arable fields recently ploughed and planted and the going was a little tough. But the skies remained blue all afternoon and there were some great views across the open fields, some already with green shoots (of what, we may never know) and again, the field boundaries resplendent in golds and russets. We made it in Ingnatestone just as darkness was descending. One ran off to the station and 3 of us enjoyed a drink or two at The Bell before catching the 18:05 back to London.

A lovely walk on a beautiful day.

If the green shoots looked like grass, they were winter wheat. If they looked cabbagey, oilseed rape.

Winter wheat is sown in early autumn and sprouts up to about 10cm and then stays that way till March or so, when it starts to shoot up. Being sown in autumn gives it a slight head start and produces an earlier crop. Traditionally sowing was done in February and this allowed birds to feed on fallen grain in the fallow fields over the winter. The introduction of winter wheat was thus harmful to wildlife.

Interestingly last year I noticed some farmers seemed to be returning to late winter sowing: why I do not know

By that, we had both: the winter wheat and the oilseed rape (lots of the latter, may make a fine walk in a dry April, should we have one).

The poppy theme continued in the afternoon: we weren't on the Essex Way anymore, but nevertheless had a surprise in Blackmore where the church was 'dressed' in a poppy curtain on the entrance-side outside wall, with plenty more displays, photos etc. inside, and the churchyard had several 'poppy trails', lined with poppies on stilts, leading to graves of people who had died in the war. (the displays will be up until 21 Nov).

10 set off for a very pleasant walk in the Essex countryside. Much more rural than I expected with large recently ploughed fields, hedgerow with beautiful berry bushes dotted in it and lovely vistas of the changing colours of Autumn. Purportedly, the oldest wooden church in the world was a delight to behold although how much of it was original Saxon was a debatable point. One thing that did strike me was how much darker it was inside the church compared to its stone equivalent. Half the group stayed in Ongar for tea and cakes.

I fully agree with BrightSpark's opinion of this very pleasant rural outing, but as a connoisseur of mud'n'motorway walks I have to say this one didn't quite live up to expectations. There was the brief thrill of crossing the M11 but the traffic noise disappeared all too soon and apart from that the walk was exceptionally quiet, just the occasional toots of a steam train (though too far away to be seen). And the only really muddy stretches weren't on narrow fenced paths with no escape routes, but in open woodland where they could no doubt be avoided with a bit of initiative. This might not be such a bad winter walk after all.

Like many pubs these days the Green Man has a large formal restaurant and only a small bar area, but they happily accommodated eight of us in the restaurant for lunch. I don't expect they get many groups of walkers but they were exceptionally welcoming. The walk author also managed to find us a very good small coffee shop for tea, much needed refreshment before a journey home which (in my case) took almost as long as the walk itself.