Essex Walks

Benfleet Circular via Canvey Island

Varied walk around a unique island in the Thames Estuary: mudflats, creeks, river traffic, sandy beaches, seawall murals, grassy marshland, oil terminals & refineries

Benfleet Circular via Leigh on Sea

Hadleigh Castle, Leigh on Sea, and Benfleet Creek

Bures to Sudbury

The Stour Valley Way, Gainsborough country and historic Sudbury.

Clacton-on-Sea to Walton-on-the-Naze

A short North Sea coastal walk between 2 seaside resorts

Epping to Ingatestone via Chipping Ongar

The Essex Way and the St. Peter's Way through mildly undulating landscape with plenty of woodlands and historical buildings.

Great Chesterford to Newport

Through rolling hills and river valleys to the historic market town of Saffron Walden and one of Britain's finest stately homes.

Hadleigh Castle Country Park

Essex Coastline, a ruined castle with a view, and 2 Tree Island

Ingatestone to Battlesbridge

The Wid Valley and the Wid itself, Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Reserve and the Crouch Valley via a mix of woods and fields.

Kelvedon Circular

Gentle Essex walk through the quiet Blackwater Valley to historic Coggeshall, with 300 listed buildings, for lunch.

Laindon Circular

Essex Hills, wooded Nature Reserves and panoramic Thames Valley Views

Leigh-on-Sea to Shoeburyness via Southend-on-Sea

Gentle coast path with quiet, residential, and seaside resort sections, and the world's longest leisure pier.

North Fambridge to Burnham-on-Crouch

Follow the tidal River Crouch eastwards towards the North Sea atop the sea wall. Wide open and scenic countryside, mudflats, creeks, rich bird life, sailing boats and marinas.

South Woodham Ferrers to North Fambridge

Varied walk out of the Crouch valley through undulating parts of Essex with a serene riverside finish, passing RHS Garden Hyde Hall, some woods and vineyards.

Southend Pier

Gentle stroll out into the Thames Estuary along the world's longest pleasure pier

The Broomway warning notice The Broomway is a tidal byway out to Foulness Island over Maplin Sands at the mouth of the Thames estuary. The route is so called because it used to be marked by branches of Broom placed at regular intervals on the route. However these have long since gone and the path is now unmarked. The path is dangerous because the tide comes in as fast as you can run and there are quick sands and mud in places if you stray off the route. Foulness Island itself is part of a firing range and most of it is "out of bounds" to the public with the exception of the south east corner of the island, which has a couple of villages and farms. The only road to the island can only be used by MOD permit holders, so the only way for the public to reach the island is by boat or by walking the Broomway.

The Broomway is a tidal byway out to Foulness Island over Maplin Sands at the mouth of the Thames estuary. The route is so called because it used to be marked by branches of Broom placed at regular intervals on the route. However these have long since gone and the path is now unmarked. The path is dangerous because the tide comes in as fast as you can run and there are quick sands and mud in places if you stray off the route. Foulness Island itself is part of a firing range and most of it is "out of bounds" to the public with the exception of the south east corner of the island, which has a couple of villages and farms. The only road to the island can only be used by MOD permit holders, so the only way for the public to reach the island is by boat or by walking the Broomway.

May-14 • JonCombe on Flickr

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Region	#	Walk	Km	Effort	Ht. gain	Description	London
Essex	258	Benfleet Circular via Canvey Island	23.2	2	75	Varied walk around a unique island in the Thames Estuary: mudflats, creeks, river traffic, sandy beaches, seawall murals, grassy marshland, oil terminals & refineries	FS LS Str
Essex	268	Benfleet Circular via Leigh on Sea	15.2	4	225	Hadleigh Castle, Leigh on Sea, and Benfleet Creek	FS LS Str
Essex	8	Bures to Sudbury	16.6	3	200	The Stour Valley Way, Gainsborough country and historic Sudbury.	LS
Essex	52	Clacton-on-Sea to Walton-on-the-Naze	11.5	1	75	A short North Sea coastal walk between 2 seaside resorts	LS Str
Essex	276	Epping to Ingatestone via Chipping Ongar	26.9	4	250	The Essex Way and the St. Peter's Way through mildly undulating landscape with plenty of woodlands and historical buildings.
Essex	130	Great Chesterford to Newport	17.5	3	175	Through rolling hills and river valleys to the historic market town of Saffron Walden and one of Britain's finest stately homes.	LS
Essex	14	Hadleigh Castle Country Park	5.9	1	25	Essex Coastline, a ruined castle with a view, and 2 Tree Island	FS LS Str
Essex	158	Ingatestone to Battlesbridge	24.8	4	250	The Wid Valley and the Wid itself, Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Reserve and the Crouch Valley via a mix of woods and fields.	LS Str
Essex	216	Kelvedon Circular	23.2	4	175	Gentle Essex walk through the quiet Blackwater Valley to historic Coggeshall, with 300 listed buildings, for lunch.	LS Str
Essex	114	Laindon Circular	20.9	5	325	Essex Hills, wooded Nature Reserves and panoramic Thames Valley Views	FS LS Str
Essex	355	Leigh-on-Sea to Shoeburyness via Southend-on-Sea	12.5	1	25	Gentle coast path with quiet, residential, and seaside resort sections, and the world's longest leisure pier.	FS
Essex	39	Manningtree Circular	17.3	4	150	River Stour - Constable country	LS Str
Essex	162	North Fambridge to Burnham-on-Crouch	20.9	2	100	Follow the tidal River Crouch eastwards towards the North Sea atop the sea wall. Wide open and scenic countryside, mudflats, creeks, rich bird life, sailing boats and marinas.	LS
Essex	159	South Woodham Ferrers to North Fambridge	25.7	5	275	Varied walk out of the Crouch valley through undulating parts of Essex with a serene riverside finish, passing RHS Garden Hyde Hall, some woods and vineyards.	LS
Essex	45	Southend Pier	5.6	1	25	Gentle stroll out into the Thames Estuary along the world's longest pleasure pier	FS LS
Essex	166	The Broomway and Foulness Island	16.0	3	25	Fabled tidal road off the coast off Essex across Maplin Sands to Foulness Island.
Essex	409	Theydon Bois to Epping	15.5	3	225	An Essex walk with a heritage railway station within easy reach of London
Essex	357	Tilbury to East Tilbury via the 2 Forts Way	13.0	2	25	The 2 Forts Way along the Thames Estuary coast path, passing Tilbury and Coalhouse Artillery Forts	FS
Essex	46	Wakes Colne to Bures	17.7	5	150	The Colne Valley, thatched cottages, brooks, farms, woods and undulating hills	LS
Essex	98	Walton-on-the-Naze Circular	12.2	2	75	Coastal walk from a faded grandeur Victorian seaside resort with pier to a fast eroding, fossil rich headland and a sand spit. Return along the beach or salt marsh sea wall.	LS
Essex	116	Wendens Ambo Circular	23.7	4	225	North West Essex hills and pretty villages	LS
Essex	157	Wickford to Battlesbridge	21.0	3	200	Grassy fields, quiet lanes, a smattering of woods, Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Reserve and the tidal River Crouch.	LS Str
Essex	30	Wivenhoe Circular	14.8	2	150	2 circular walks on either side of the Colne estuary. check ferry times in advance	LS Str
Essex	247	Wivenhoe to West Mersea or Clacton-on-Sea	18.6	2	50	Tidal river Colne to Brightlingsea. Then short ferry for coast walk to Clacton (long) or West Mersea (bus)	LS Str

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