Backup Only

This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Sunday 4 October 2015

Sunday First Walk - Essex hills & fields

Extra Walk 159a, South Woodham Ferrers Circular
Length: 19.2km (11.4 miles) Toughness: 4/10

10:14 Southend-on-Sea train from Liverpool Street, changing at Wickford (arr 11:03, dep 11:06) and arriving at South Woodham Ferrers at 11:14.

Return trains are at xx:27 (journey time 62 minutes). The trains leave North Fambridge 5 minutes earlier.

This varied and hilly walk, with fine views of the Crouch valley, is an alternative ending to the South Woodham Ferrers to North Fambridge walk. Those with sufficient stamina should find they have enough daylight to complete the full walk (15.9 miles), which continues along a disused railway line and down to the banks of the River Crouch after taking tea in North Fambridge.

If you’re undecided whether to do the full walk or the circular option, buy a Super Off-Peak Day Return to North Fambridge, which costs only 40 pence more than a return to South Woodham Ferrers.

In the walk directions the recommended lunch pub is The Windmill in East Hanningfield, but this has now been relaunched as a bistro pub, The Folly (01245 400315). If you'd like to eat there, please call them as you set off on the walk.

If you prefer a more traditional pub, take a look at The Bell (01245 320443) in Woodham Ferrers, which you'll pass about 40 minutes from the start. That's probably too early for lunch, but you'll pass near it again about a couple of hours later (assuming you don't stop at The Folly) so if you can hold out till then for your lunch, tell The Bell that you'll be coming back for food. They stop serving food about 2:00pm so you can't afford to dawdle if you plan to eat there. To reach the pub as you return through Woodham Ferrers, just keep straight on down the main road instead of turning left after passing the Congregational Church. Retrace your steps to that point afterwards.

You will need to download the Walk Directions.

2 comments:

Karen said...

n=12 w=warm_and_sunny

12 off the train at South Woodham Ferrers. One dropped off before lunch to visit the RHS Garden Hyde Hall. 7 had some lunch at The Folly and found it very good. 4 walked the long version, stopping for some supper and drinks at The Ferry Boat Inn in North Fambridge. Despite the fact that night had already fallen, said 4 took the extension route along the sea wall to the station. It didn't go quite as planned, but spirits remained high and everyone made it back to London in one piece.

The walk has a lot of field crossings and at this time of year, with freshly ploughed fields, would be hard going after rain. Lots of great views over the course of the day.

Directions being updated based on notes taken during the walk.

Ian T said...

I was slightly behind and got a bit confused at the Hawes Wood junction - in fact, I didn’t recognise it as a T junction because it’s more of a cross paths. Going straight on eventually brings you down to the Stowe Marie Road which answered my question “do I detour to the Prince of Wales?”. This road, though, has fast traffic and narrow overgrown verges. Anyone considering detouring to Stowe Marie on their way back to SWF should be prepared to retrace the proper walk back up to the Hawes Wood junction rather than attempt the shorter route along the road. That would be dodgy in a less than sober state. Not that I was in such a state, mind you. But, yes, I did retrace the path back up the hill.