Sunday Walk - Gentle Essex walk through the quiet Blackwater Valley to historic Coggeshall, with 300 listed buildings, for lunch: Kelvedon Circular

Length: 23.2 km (14.4 mi) [much shorter options available] 

Ascent/Descent: 154m 

Net Walking Time: 5 hours 

Toughness: 4 out of 10

 

Take the 10.08 Ipswich train from Liverpool Street (10.15 Stratford), arrives Kelvedon 10.59.  

Return trains: xx.41.

 

This walk is centred on the gentle landscape of the Blackwater Valley, close to Constable Country, and includes some very tranquil and scenic stretches along the river itself, interspersed with long stretches along country lanes, green lanes or field boundaries with wide and extensive views across the rolling Essex countryside of fields and woods.

A pre-lunch north westerly loop explores the valley cut by Robin’s Brook, leading to Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum, with its atmospheric early lunch stop in a converted barn.

There are a several other recommended lunch stops in Coggeshall itself.

Coggeshall is one of Britain’s most historic market towns. It has 300 listed buildings, amongst the ones passed on the walk are Britain’s oldest barn and one its finest medieval buildings, built on the remnants of a 12th century abbey, an impressive carved timber-framed Wool Merchant’s house as well as a couple of photogenic watermills and an outsized church.

Walk Options: 

On Sundays, just bus line X20 to Marks Tey and Colchester links Coggeshall to a train station (further from London than Kelvedon but on the same line).

Two shortcuts - cutting out all or parts of an outer loop just before lunch - reduce the length of the walk by 6.9 km and 84m ascent/descent or by 3.9 km and 49m ascent/descent respectively. They are rated 2/10 and 3/10 respectively.

A scenic extension in Coggeshall leads west from Grange Barn along the Essex Way, across the Blackwater over the listed Nunn’s Bridge and back along the wooded valley, closely following the river. This adds 2.5 km.

Lunch:  

Mrs Salisbury's Famous Tea Rooms Bouchier's Barn, Marks Hall (11.1 km (6.9 mi) into the walk in a beautifully restored 15^th Century barn, which was moved to its current spot timber by timber from a site close by. Cooked food served 12.00-14.30. 

Plenty of options in Coggeshall (see the webpage or the pdf). 

Tea: The Bell Inn, The Sun Inn, The Tavern on the River, or Kelvedon King Fish Bar.

 

For summary, map, height profile, photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.216 #2026-06-14T10:08