Walking

What a contrast to last February when we had to cancel our walk due to snow – this year we had bright sun and temperatures in the high teens. Naturally this good weather brought out many walkers and 25 of us met at the Fox & Hounds, Tillingham, and two others caught us up shortly after we left making 27 in all. The publican was waiting pen in hand and poised ready to take our lunch orders and then off we went. It’s always nice as a group leader to think your group has gelled and from my perspective it is plain to see this group has, as they talk (non-stop), laugh (almost non-stop) but more importantly, from the social aspect, talk to all of the other group members.

Our route took us west along St Peter’s Way starting by crossing the sports ground, and continuing on paths across farmland that gently climbed 2 kms up to the high point of the walk – only 30m above sea level! Nature well and truly thought spring had arrived and the wonderful songs of the skylarks confirmed this. With all the exertions of the climb, excess garments were removed and we left our high point and turned south still crossing farmland and eventually reached High House Farm. This farm has the most beautiful mule with the largest ears that twisted and turned as it listened to our ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and in an obliging way, posed for photographs. Nearby, in a paddock, grazed a group of donkeys and as we passed they jointly started braying, which caused us to laugh, and them, it seemed, to bray even louder.

A pleasant bridleway took us to more paths and tracks and passing on our right a disused gravel pit, now fishing lake, we crossed the main Asheldham to Tillingham road and crossed yet more farmland. Fortunately for us it was dry underfoot as one large field we had to cross had recently been ploughed and two weeks ago was very muddy indeed.

In the next field we disturbed a brown hare that raced across it to take cover in the hedgerow. Apparently Britain’s hare population has declined by about 80% over the past century, largely due to habitat loss. Now it is facing a deadly rabbit virus called haemorrhagic disease type 2 that has been confirmed in three places in the UK – two in Dorset and the other in Essex; so it made this sighting of a healthy hare all the more pleasing.

A few twists and turns brought us out to Reddings Lane, which we followed north joining a track that passed by several lakes and led back to Tillingham. Chaffinches accompanied us with their song along this stretch and in the distance we could hear the drumming of a woodpecker.

We were all ready for our lunch, which was served quickly and devoured equally quickly.

Diane Caulkett

Flanders & Swann’s song ‘The Hippopotamus’ comes to mind when thinking about this walk and although no one actually wallowed in the mud, Tony gave it his best try on two occasions and none of us returned ‘mud free’.  Up until the previous evening the ground had been hard but overnight rain put an end to that and walking over the fields the mud clogged on our boots making walking quite hard as our feet became larger and heavier.

From The Bell, Purleigh 18 of us set off happily descending south, crossed a slippery stile and traversed the first of the fields.  At first some cleaned their boots thinking there would be no further mud – little did they know!  It was to be a day of views and our first was looking back at Purleigh church on its hilltop position.  From this point we could also see our route and looked to see if any latecomers were trying to catch us up; as expected there were none, as the members of this group are always punctual.

Criss-crossing fields we arrived at Cold Norton and took the delightful footpath up to St Stephen’s church; from where there was another fine view looking back towards Maldon.  Then crossing the road the view changed to that of the River Crouch in the south.  Down and up we went reaching the disused railway line, which we followed to the first road and took that for a short distance before turning onto the footpath crossing the Three Rivers Golf Course.  There were only a few golfers playing so no hazards to deal with.

Passing Stow Maries church (our third church of the day and all quite different in style) we headed in a westerly direction with the longest climb of the day, a climb that is always harder than it looks, – but from the top, once again looking back, some more expansive views.  Through a vineyard and our last muddy field, a short stretch of road and our (almost) last ascent of the day.  The view from this high point is the best on the walk and today’s clear weather made it perfect.  From here you can see Maldon and the River Blackwater, pick out the Bradwell Power Station, look towards the River Crouch and about a kilometre away, our destination – always a welcome sight.

Due to the mud and slow progress over the stiles we were back 20-minutes late and were all ready to eat our lunch, which came promptly and was devoured in no time.

Next Walk: Tuesday, February 26th; ‘Where ‘ere you walk’ – TBA

Diane Caulkett

With our usual walking day falling on Christmas Day it was decided to delay the walk until early January – so we ended the year and begun it all in one go; and what fortune we had as it turned out to be a perfect day that sat between many grey, cold and miserable ones.  It was the same route as last year but we had none of the dramas we experienced then when we had to extract long and painful thorns from the soles of two walkers that involved much pulling with secateurs and pushing with the handle of a penknife to extract them.

Starting at The Cobbins our route took us over fields to the north of Burnham, round the ‘end of the line’ at the Mangapps Railway Museum and eventually up into Southminster.   We disturbed a muntjac deer that galloped frantically away from us keeping cover in the sparse hedge beside us. From Southminster we headed south returning by fields that led to Stoney Hills (we were all surprised and disappointed at the amount of construction going on there)  – and so back to The Cobbins.

Mulled wine and hot food rounded off the morning and so ended 2018 and 2019 began.

Diane Caulkett

On a misty November morning with a chill in the air, eighteen of us met at The Bell, Woodham Walter.  Having efficiently ordered our lunch we were on our way shortly after 10.00

This circular, clockwise walk started heading north through the Wilderness, a small patch of woodland between the village and farmland.  It is a delightful stretch with a stream flowing through it, ferns on its banks and a variety of trees.  The footpath is clearly well-trodden and we quickly passed through and arrived at a road near to Blue Mill.  We turned east and at the tiny Cats pub followed a footpath over farmland.  Here we came upon a skull of, most likely, a muntjac deer as it had horns, but a long tooth of the type used for tearing meat, confused the identification.   I read later that the male deer does have large canines, which they use to fight rivals that enter their territory – mystery solved.

Climbing gently over farmland heading south we should have had good views behind us across the Chelmer & Blackwater valley but the mist, that continued to hang low, prevented that.

We paused at the point where on the map it reads “Woodham Walter Hall” (remains of).  We were actually standing on a flat-topped mound and the remains have long gone but we discussed where the building could have been, were we standing on it?  One member suggested that the area around the mound could have been a moat and in fact the British Listed Building website indicates that there was a moat of a roughly square plan and encloses a mound to the southeast of where the building once stood.  It mentions also fishponds that date back to the 13^th century that lie on the eastern side.  Archaeological research is necessary so perhaps a project for the future for our Archaeology Group.

After a few twist and turns we entered Thrift Wood where grey squirrels had a feast of chestnuts and acorns and where we walked shuffling the fallen autumn leaves as we went.

We had made good time so rather than arrive back early at the pub we made a detour passing beside two reservoirs and going through another small wood before regaining the footpath crossing the Warren Golf Course.  Friendly golfers waited whilst we crossed and as we did so the sun found its way through the mist, which cheered us all, and the thought of our lunches waiting for us gave us a bounce in our step as we made the final descent.

NOTE: No walk in December but there will be a walk in early January 2019 in addition to our usual one. Watch this space.

Diane Caulkett

Twenty-one of us enjoyed the warm, sunny, autumnal weather.  From the Prince of Wales we left via the back entrance where preparations were in progress for this coming weekend’s Halloween festivities.  A marquee was being erected and a small bonfire topped with a wooden clinker built boat, complete with mast and dressed with flags, was waiting to be lit.

The footpath from here leads to a field recently harrowed, as many on this walk had been, and with an indistinct path we made our way steeply up and over.  We were fortunate it was dry as this, and the other fields would have caused slow going.  The high point afforded extensive views over the River Crouch at South Woodham Ferrers, down river and across to the buildings in Southend-on-Sea.  We were spot on with the footpath and joined the extension of it as it went steeply downhill on grass, losing all the height we had gained, and then climbed gently through a vineyard to the corner of Hawes Wood which we walked beside, leaving it on our right.

A short stretch along a quiet road took us past Edwins Hall and through the paddocks of Edwins Hall Farm.  We were slightly delayed by a broken style but all made it across – interesting to see the variety of methods that were used by different people in tackling it.

Another harrowed field to cross and again without a clearly marked footpath, but it was easy and we descended to a gap in the hedge and then took a diagonal to the corner of the field.  This corner lies adjacent to the Bell at North Woodham.  We turned north and east following beside more paddocks and then made our way across land interspersed with trees and many tracks that criss-crossed, making navigation difficult.  In fact those trailing in the group had to call for help but were pleased with themselves for picking up signs of broken grass and claimed they had used that as tracking skills and so find us.  Previously I had made an arrow out of sticks, as the turn off one of the paths was not clear so from then on those in the lead left arrows for the ones behind – all in good fun and nobody got lost!

Diane Caulkett

The U3A states that ‘members, through sharing their knowledge, skills and experience, learn from each other’; today we learnt a skill that was unknown to all of us except one. It is particularly useful for those with shorter legs and involves crossing stiles with a high step up. Demonstrated to perfection one sits on the step with their back to the direction of travel, then firstly one pushes their bottom through squeezing under the lowest bar and then doubled up wiggles the body backwards and lastly brings the legs through. No one else adopted this method much preferring the conventional up and over, but it did cause some amusement.

The second thing we learnt was about the ghost of Graces Walk. This walk is a wide stretch of bridleway that leads up to Great Graces, a 16th-century house. The story goes that in the 17th century Lady Alice Mildmay drowned herself, supposedly because of her husband’s cruelty, and is said to haunt Graces Walk from the house to Sandon Brook – the stretch that we walked; (sightings have been recorded and seem to be always when horses are present).

Leaving the Generals Arms, Little Baddow we strode down the lane leading beside the sports ground and later fine houses on our left, and on the right a private school where youngsters played. It is a pleasant series of footpaths that gently descend and leads to a fine view west over Chelmsford. Across pasture, through a farm and across fields of short lucerne we dropped almost to the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation. Instead of continuing on to it we turned sharply and climbed to Little Baddow Church where we had a pause in the warm autumnal sunshine. Opposite the church stands Little Baddow Hall, a fine half-timbered house. Combining the old with the new, a model of a cow, green, black and white in colour stands in the garden. The plums that fruit in the orchards behind the Hall, have now been harvested, A short way on paddocks contained horses and in the far corner of one were several miniature Shetland ponies: tiny, no larger than a Labrador dog.

After the recent rain the ford in Hurrells Lane was deep but a raised walkway saved us from getting wet feet. Opposite the walkway is a water meadow, which we walked beside and shortly came to Graces Walk. After all the descending we now had to pay for that pleasure with the rest of the walk gradually climbing. After a stretch of road we turned onto Lingwood Common and then turned north climbing through Ling Wood, a delightful wood that eventually led to Riffhams, another fine house of red brick.

A little jaunt through another stretch of woodland brought us out onto the sports field and so back to the pub where we were promptly served, our lunches devoured, and the happy band left for home.

Next Walk – Tuesday 23rd October, 10.00 a.m., Prince of Wales at Stow Maries, CM3 6SA (note: although the pub does not open until 10.00 I would appreciate you all being there at that time and ready to order lunch; we can be away as soon as possible).

Diane Caulkett