Length: 23.7 km (14.7 mi) or 17.5 km/10.9 mi
Ascent/Descent: 240 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ¼ hours (both: full walk)
Toughness: 4 out of 10 or 3 out of 10
A slightly longer, more westerly route (25.7 km/16.0 mi) takes you over Essex’ highest point itself.
Take the 09.57 Cambridge North train from Liverpool Street (Hackney Downs 10.03, Tottenham Hale [Victoria Line] 10.10), arriving Audley End at 11.00.
Return trains: at xx.10 and xx.47. Buy an Audley End return.
This is a relaxing walk in the quiet chalky uplands of north-west Essex, on the borders of Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, very much off the beaten track, and with gently rolling hills, plenty of woods and copses as well as some pretty villages. Right from the start the walk takes you past picturesque thatched cottages with ample examples of pargeting, a decorative medieval plastering technique, and on through some farmland to the early lunch stop in Arkesden, one of the prettiest villages in Essex with one of the best pubs and loveliest churches.
The route then gently ascends to Chrishall, the dedicated lunch stop on the full walk, along field boundaries and green lanes. Chrishall village is close to Essex’ highest point and the approach offers fine views into the Hertfordshire plain and back down the wide ‘winding valley’ that gives Wendens Ambo its name. After lunch you follow the Icknield Way to Elmdon, with views north out across the Cambridgeshire plain to Cambridge, then alongside a high hedge with views off to your right into the winding valley back to Wendens Ambo.
Lunch: The Axe & Compasses in Arkesden (4.9 km/3.0 mi, food from 12.00) for the short walk or The Red Cow in Chrishall (13.1 km/8.2 mi, food to 15.30).
Tea: The Bell Inn, 10 minutes from the station.
For walk directions, map, height profile, photos
and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.116
1 comment:
n=4, which is in fact a massive upturn in numbers compared to previous Sunday postings of this walk. Under w=grey skies we walked all day, until the clouds eventually broke up to reveal blue skies, but that was while we were waiting for the return train at Audley End station. Then, after an hour on the train, at Liverpool Street, it was all hands to the zippers of the waterproof jacket: three seasons in a day!
The walk: an orgy of greens, with loads of cereal fields swaying in the breeze, and lots of people out and about everywhere. The church in Arkesden was visited, one keen walker chose the extended version and was cajoled by the walk author into 'volunteering' to check the text for that stretch, while he text-checked the main walk (all for one and one for all). Two then turned right to follow the shortcut, and walk author and keen walker reunited in Chrishall.
The Red Lion has indeed turned plans into reality: the formerly half-fallen down historic barn next to the pub has been turned into a top-notch rooms annexe, a large outdoor area had been Covid-secure designed and the menu looked (and was) more appetising than ever. Chrishall had its annual Scarecrow Festival on today, so we had already admired some of the scarecrows en route and could then watch the punters walk past with their scoring sheets.
All that investment by The Red Lion of course means only bad news for the ex-Elmdon Dial, which by now should have been back as The Maltings. But it isn't. Money must have run out at some point during the eternal refurb, as plenty of new double glazing windows are in place, but many other important bits are obviously still missing. What a shame.
Us two just about missed the 18.10, so the (faster) 18.47 it then was, which meant we could roast a little in that short window of sunshine.
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