Walks And Walking – Essex Walks The Essex Way to Epping Walking Route

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks The Essex Way to Epping Walking Route

After a recent walk in Chipping Ongar I was quite curious to see more of The Essex Way and had read that the final section from Chipping Ongar to Epping was particularly picturesque. The snow had still to melt away so I thought I would get out quickly for my second snowy walk this February.

This walking route starts in Chipping Ongar Sainsbury car park and heads out along The Essex Way through Greensted, across farmland until reaching the open fields of Essex and the ancient Epping Forest woodlands in to Gurnon Bushes Nature Reserve and finally to Epping London Underground Station.

I packed up my usual walking gear for a brisk walk in the Epping Forest area with standard walking clothes, walking trousers, walking boots,  jacket in my rucksack with a few walking essentials, mainly snacks and drinks.

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks The Essex Way to Epping Walking Route – Signposts and Snow!

I got dropped off in Chipping Ongar and walked down the lane by Sainsbury, passed the skate park to the metal bar gate where I then walked straight ahead following the various signposts for The Essex Way. There were plenty of The Essex Way signposts to follow so I knew this would be quite an easy walking route to navigate.

I followed the main pathway to Greensted walking through the paddocks, passed the lake on my right hand side to a garden gate, signposted The Essex Way. I then headed up and around the church turning right at the signpost public footpath to New Barns and following the main track and various signposts straight ahead passing the Church Barn on my right hand side and then down the lane turning left at the footbridge where I continued straight ahead to another footbridge looking out to the fields ahead covered in a blanket of snow.

I continued my walk passed Greensted Wood on my right hand side to the road where I crossed over to find the niext The Essex Way signpost walking across the field with the trees on my left hand side as I climbed slightly uphill turning left at The Essex Way signpost and kissing gate to then walk across the farmland passing through four metal gates to a wooden gate where I then turned right to see some pleasant views of the Essex countryside.

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks The Essex Way to Epping Walking Route – Essex views

I then walked between the trees up the track crossing two footbridges with stiles to another footbridge where I then turned left at the buildings by The Essex Way signposts turning left up the road following it all the way passed the black and white signpost to Epping and the Green Man pub where I then turned right by the signpost and stile by the metal gate to the next still by the tree where the path then turned left and across more open fields and lovely Essex views. I continued straight ahead before going left across the field and through the gap turning left and then straight ahead.

It was here that I had to swap maps and put away my Ordnance Survey Chelmsford and The Rodings 183 and open up the Epping Forest and Lee Valley 174. From here it was effortless walking along The Essex Way in to Ongar Park Wood by the signpost for Gernon Bushes and through Birching Coppice, where I managed to see a couple of female Fallow Deers sheltering in the evergreen trees, before entering Posternland Spring and over the M25 to Gernon Bushes where I also spotted some of the original Essex Way markers nailed to the trees.

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks The Essex Way to Epping Walking Route – Fallow Deer

I then turned left by the signpost and walked over the duck board continuing along turning left at the fork and then left and right up the steps to the cricket pitch and school. I then kept left to a kissing gate and then straight ahead before turning sharp left before the kissing gate at the Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve notice board down the steps and across the duck board turning right across the footbridge and then through a gap in the trees to another gap and the road where I turned right up Coopersale Street.

I then turned left at the next The Essex Way signpost along the Green Lane turning right at the road and then right again by the signpost across the field where I then walked all the way up to an alley that came out by the road. I then turned right with Epping Station right in front of me signalling the end of my walk at just under 8 miles and a good 3 hours of walking.

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks The Essex Way to Epping Walking Route – Original Way Markers

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks Chipping Ongar Walking Route

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks Chipping Ongar Walking Route

This circular walking route in Chipping Ongar starts at the unique Log Church in Greensted and follows the Essex Way before returning back along the Three Forest Way to Ongar Castle Motte and Baileys in Essex.

This walking route is actually really easy to navigate as there are so many signposts, waymarkers and footpath signs it is almost impossible to stray off the route making it a great Essex walk. It’s a very easy going walk mainly on wide grassy paths and well worn tracks with the only slightly muddy parts being walking across the open farmland and fields. It was really windy today so we all had our windproof walking jackets on and I kept to my usual walking bootsand had Tedi strapped in to the child carrier with Mary on map duty as I scribbled walking notes and took a few photographs.

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks – Chipping Ongar Walking Route – The Essex Way

Greensted Log Church is just off the A414 between the M11 and Chelmsford down Blake Hall Road and in to Greensted Road. We parked in the lane by the Log Church and had a quick look around. Then we walked out of the church and turned left by the signpost for The Essex Way to a small garden gate, again signposted The Essex Way with a small pond on our right hand side we walked along the wide grassy path with the lake on our left hand side. At the yellow signpost we walked across fields to a lane and another yellow signpost where we turned left in to Bansons Lane, passed Sainsbury and Budworth Hall turning left up the A128.

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks – Chipping Ongar Walking Route – Log Church Greensted Entrance

We then crossed over and walked up to the next Essex Way footpath sign and turned right in to Love Lane also signposted the Recreational Ground walking through a gate by the footpath signpost to another yellow signpost walking straight ahead turning left and then right by the Essex Way signpost walking down the field edge with the hedgerow on our right hand side.We then turned left at the rusty post signposted Essex Way to walk along the wide grassy path to a road, the A414.

We then turned right at the rusty gate and followed the Essex Way footpath signpost turning left over the stile and up the steps where we then crossed the road to the next Essex Way signpost and down the steps turning right to cross over the next stile and the next road and stile keeping to the left on to the wide grassy path. We then followed the direction of the signpost straight across the open farmland to the next field where we followed the field edge around to the right and in the corner of the small set of trees pushed the branches out of the way to then find a metal gate and our next Essex Way signpost.

We then crossed the footbridge and followed the track by the stream, keeping the stream on our right hand side, as it meandered all the way up crossing several footbridges on the way to the end and a large metal footbridge at Tun-Bridge. We then crossed the footbridge and turned right diagonally across the field to the next signpost and then continued straight ahead keeping left of the field edge as we then started our return journey along the Three Forests Way.

We then crossed a footbridge by the yellow waymarker, across the next field to another yellow waymarker and straight ahead in to woodland by the next yellow waymarker before joining the driveway of the Little Forest Hall. We continued our walk along the lane where we then forked right to walk across the field at the next yellow signpost where we then walked around the trees to the next yellow signpost and the wide grassy path that ran parallel to the lane on our left hand side. We then passed the woodland on our left hand side walking straight across the next open farmland field to cross the stile, the road and the next stile in to a field and through the residential housing turning right at The Forresters Arms.

Walks And Walking – Essex Walks – Chipping Ongar Walking Route – Ongar Village Sign

We then turned left in to Mill Lane and right by the public footpath signpost, through the metal gate and straight ahead where we then turned right over the metal bridge to walk straight ahead by the yellow waymarker to rejoin a very short section of the beginning of the walk by the rusty signpost for St Peters Way and Essex Way. We then continued straight ahead and then followed the wide grassy path between the fields as it turned left to a playground on our right hand side.

We then followed this pathway as it meandered around to the signpost for Ongar Castle Motte and Baileys following the signposts agin for The Essex Way. At the kissing gate and next signpost for The Essex Way we turned right by the telegraph pole down the alley where we then turned left passed St Martins Church, which dates back to 1080, we then turned right up the A128 road and back in to the village of Ongar. We then turned left in to Bansons Lane and back passed Sainsbury and retraced our earlier steps all the way back to the Log Church at Greensted exactly 3 hours later and covering about 7 good miles.

 

About Greensted Log Church Greensted Church, in the small village of Greensted, near Chipping Ongar in Essex, England, is the oldest wooden church in the world, and probably the oldest wooden building in Europe still standing, albeit only in part, since few sections of its original wooden structure remain. The oak palisade walls are often classified as remnants of a palisade church or a kind of early stave church, dated either to the mid-9th or mid-11th century.

About Ongar Castle Motte and Baileys A 12th Century motte and bailey castle occupied until the 16th century. The overgrown motte still stands over 50 feet high and is completely surrounded by a moat, but the stone tower on its summit dating from 1150 has been completely demolished. There are two baileys, one on each side. Nearby is the remains of the moat theat surrounded to town fortifications.

Walks And Walking – Epping Forest Theydon Bois Walking Route

Walks And Walking – Epping Forest Theydon Bois Walking Route

On reflection I should have worn my gaiters today as it rained heavily all day yesterday and it was extremely muddy on this walking route around Theydon Bois farmland and the woodland of Epping Forest. The mud was sticking to the soles of my walking boots making it quite arduous at times and some of the walk was through over grown nettles and brambles so I got stung a few times even through my thick walking trousers. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be hot or cold today so just had a lightweight windproof jacket on with my waterproof jacket in my rucksack just in case.

The Essey Way path through Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve Theydon Bois Walking Route

At the Theydon Bois tube station I walked over the railway footbridge to take me to the opposite side of the main station entrance where there was a footpath sign post taking me immediately left to walk alongside the railway tracks to a kissing gate and signpost for the Epping Forest Countrycare Country Walk (EFCCW).

Turning left to walk along the field edge to another signpost to another field where I kept to the fields edge to find a small footbridge on the fields edge. I then maintained my direction to cross the field uphill to a signpost that seemed to be pointing the wrong way… into the ferns. Looking to my right hand side I saw the entrance to the tunnel underneath the M11 motorway and the view of the All Saints Church in Theydon Garnon in the back drop, which is where I was heading. Walking downhill to the underpass I found a signpost leaning against the inside of the tunnel marked the EFCCW and continued to the other side to a stile that entered Garnish Hall farm buildings with a well preserved pond and landscaped gardens where the concrete path then bent left and then right uphill where I continued straight on past the church to a T-junction with the All Saints Church Theydon Garnon sign on my right enclosed by the hedge.

I then turned left down Coppersale Lane crossing over the road at Hobbs Cross to a gravel track in front of me which then bent left on to The Roman Road which led me under the M25, passed Barbers Wood on my left and straight up to North House and taking in the ruins of Hill Hall on my right through the gaps in the hedgerow.It was here that I started to notice deer tracks in and out of the woodland to the farmland.

Upon reaching the road I turned left by the telephone and post box to walk uphill to a signpost on my left on the bend of the road which led down a concrete path around Beachet Wood through an open gate to cross a meadow keeping to the edge of the woods on my right.Here the deer tracks became more obvious to spot so I dipped in to the wood to have a quick look for some fallow deer. After less than two minutes I spotted two female deers but the wood was very dense and the photos I took were quite blurred. I was also a little stuck for time so couldn’t afford to track them further to hopefully find the heard.Maybe next time!

Rejoining the pathway by the side of the wood I then reached a stile, and another, before reaching a wooden footbridge continuing straight on to a wooden footbridge and signpost to the road and crossing straight over to follow the road sign for Toot Hill and Ongar on the right. I then passed Mount Farm on my right before turning left at Mountwood Lane following the blue signpost sign to North Weald passing a cottage on my left I then entered Mount Wood on  the EFCCW path to a signpost marked with various walking routes.I then turned left to cross a log blocking the path to now join The Essex Way (TEW) which is a track I will now be continuing to follow for a few miles.

TEW then took me through Birching Coppice to cross over the M25 and into the Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve where a small Muntjac Deer crossed my path. Walking straight ahead I reached a signpost taking me left on TEW across duck board to another TEW signpost before turning right up a few steps to a cricket pitch where I turned left to reach a kissing gate where I turned left to stay in Gernon Bushes and then down some wide steps where signs for TEW were pinned to duck board on the ground.

Turning right at the next TEW signpost to cross a small wooden bridge and then straight on by the fields edge and through another field and signpost to a signpost then cutting left across the field to a small gap in the hedge to a signpost across a field of freshly sheared sheep to another field that then emerged by the road where I turned right to walk passed the Thydon Oak pub on my right to a gravel driveway on my left. Following TEW signpost on to Steward’s Green Land I walked down to cross a road where I then left TEW to join the driveway up to the Epping Forest Golf Course turning right at the stile at the top of the road by the cottage. I then walked down through the course along a gravel path that then turned in to a grassy path down to a signpost where I turned right to follow the edge of the course running alongside the roar of the M25 passed an electricity pylon to a stile.

I then walked down the overgrown concrete path to turn left under the M25 emerging the other side to turn left and then right at the signpost to cross fields to a wooden footbridge where I turned left on to a wasteland under development to a signpost and metal bridge to rejoin the pathway from the beginning of the walk. I then crossed the railway footbridge to return to the car some 13 miles and just under 4 hours later…. muddy, tired but satisfied.

Walks And Walking – Epping Forest Theydon Bois Walking Route

Walks And Walking – Epping Forest Theydon Bois Walking Route

On reflection I should have worn my gaiters today as it rained heavily all day yesterday and it was extremely muddy on this walking route around Theydon Bois farmland and the woodland of Epping Forest. The mud was sticking to the soles of my walking boots making it quite arduous at times and some of the walk was through over grown nettles and brambles so I got stung a few times even through my thick walking trousers. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be hot or cold today so just had a lightweight windproof jacket on with my waterproof jacket in my rucksack just in case.

The Essey Way path through Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve Theydon Bois Walking Route

At the Theydon Bois tube station I walked over the railway footbridge to take me to the opposite side of the main station entrance where there was a footpath sign post taking me immediately left to walk alongside the railway tracks to a kissing gate and signpost for the Epping Forest Countrycare Country Walk (EFCCW).

Turning left to walk along the field edge to another signpost to another field where I kept to the fields edge to find a small footbridge on the fields edge. I then maintained my direction to cross the field uphill to a signpost that seemed to be pointing the wrong way… into the ferns. Looking to my right hand side I saw the entrance to the tunnel underneath the M11 motorway and the view of the All Saints Church in Theydon Garnon in the back drop, which is where I was heading. Walking downhill to the underpass I found a signpost leaning against the inside of the tunnel marked the EFCCW and continued to the other side to a stile that entered Garnish Hall farm buildings with a well preserved pond and landscaped gardens where the concrete path then bent left and then right uphill where I continued straight on past the church to a T-junction with the All Saints Church Theydon Garnon sign on my right enclosed by the hedge.

I then turned left down Coppersale Lane crossing over the road at Hobbs Cross to a gravel track in front of me which then bent left on to The Roman Road which led me under the M25, passed Barbers Wood on my left and straight up to North House and taking in the ruins of Hill Hall on my right through the gaps in the hedgerow.It was here that I started to notice deer tracks in and out of the woodland to the farmland.

Upon reaching the road I turned left by the telephone and post box to walk uphill to a signpost on my left on the bend of the road which led down a concrete path around Beachet Wood through an open gate to cross a meadow keeping to the edge of the woods on my right.Here the deer tracks became more obvious to spot so I dipped in to the wood to have a quick look for some fallow deer. After less than two minutes I spotted two female deers but the wood was very dense and the photos I took were quite blurred. I was also a little stuck for time so couldn’t afford to track them further to hopefully find the heard.Maybe next time!

Rejoining the pathway by the side of the wood I then reached a stile, and another, before reaching a wooden footbridge continuing straight on to a wooden footbridge and signpost to the road and crossing straight over to follow the road sign for Toot Hill and Ongar on the right. I then passed Mount Farm on my right before turning left at Mountwood Lane following the blue signpost sign to North Weald passing a cottage on my left I then entered Mount Wood on  the EFCCW path to a signpost marked with various walking routes.I then turned left to cross a log blocking the path to now join The Essex Way (TEW) which is a track I will now be continuing to follow for a few miles.

TEW then took me through Birching Coppice to cross over the M25 and into the Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve where a small Muntjac Deer crossed my path. Walking straight ahead I reached a signpost taking me left on TEW across duck board to another TEW signpost before turning right up a few steps to a cricket pitch where I turned left to reach a kissing gate where I turned left to stay in Gernon Bushes and then down some wide steps where signs for TEW were pinned to duck board on the ground.

Turning right at the next TEW signpost to cross a small wooden bridge and then straight on by the fields edge and through another field and signpost to a signpost then cutting left across the field to a small gap in the hedge to a signpost across a field of freshly sheared sheep to another field that then emerged by the road where I turned right to walk passed the Thydon Oak pub on my right to a gravel driveway on my left. Following TEW signpost on to Steward’s Green Land I walked down to cross a road where I then left TEW to join the driveway up to the Epping Forest Golf Course turning right at the stile at the top of the road by the cottage. I then walked down through the course along a gravel path that then turned in to a grassy path down to a signpost where I turned right to follow the edge of the course running alongside the roar of the M25 passed an electricity pylon to a stile.

I then walked down the overgrown concrete path to turn left under the M25 emerging the other side to turn left and then right at the signpost to cross fields to a wooden footbridge where I turned left on to a wasteland under development to a signpost and metal bridge to rejoin the pathway from the beginning of the walk. I then crossed the railway footbridge to return to the car some 13 miles and just under 4 hours later…. muddy, tired but satisfied.