Long-Distance Walks

Fancy a challenge? Check out our long-distance routes that are at least 70 miles long. Many routes are waymarked and may cross public or private land and/or follow existing rights of way. For single day walkers trails can be easily divided into sections of roughly 11-12 miles, similar to the lay out of the trail sections below.

Essex Way

The Essex Way is the county’s most important long-distance path, stretching from Epping to Harwich over a distance of 81 miles and passes through six county districts: Epping Forest, Chelmsford, Uttlesford, Braintree, Colchester and Tendring. It is a chance to explore the contrasting geo-features of Essex from town to tree-scape and city to sea.

The trail is a flat diagonal journey between mid-west and north-east Essex and switches between the urban areas of Chelmsford and Coggeshall to the wilder, river valleys of the Colne and Stour. There are no steep climbs, and the gentle slopes down into the river valleys and by the coast are unforgettable. Wildlife, insects and flowers are spring and summer highlights, but the occasional wooded areas along the way provide good shelter for winter adventures.

Saffron Trail

The entire Saffron Trail stretches 70 miles in total from Saffron Walden to Southend, passing through five county districts: Uttlesford, Chelmsford, Rochford, Castle Point and Southend. The trail is a diagonal journey between north-west and south-east Essex. The terrain flutters between agricultural and urban, but is constantly interrupted by rivers, seashore, woodland, historic buildings and monuments. There are no steep climbs, but the southern views are sometimes breath taking. Birds and animals are year-round highlights. Fauna, flowers and insects dominate the senses in spring and summer.

Rambler David Hitchman developed the route in 2000 to complement the Essex Way, which dissects Essex in the opposite direction horizontally from Epping in the east, to Harwich, in the north-east. Mr Hitchman was Southend-based and intended the trail to be walked from south to north, but it makes no difference how it is navigated.

The Saffron Trail is a chance to explore everything that’s best about Essex: river valleys, tree lined hill margins and water-banks; from the still, crystal waters of the Chelmer, to the tidal rush of the Crouch and Thames.

Number of results: 15

Chelmer & Blackwater Canal Walk

Address

The Lock House, Heybridge Basin, CM9 4RY

Telephone
+44 (0)7712 079764

Heybridge Basin

This waterway runs through a largely unspoilt part of rural Essex and connects the county town of Chelmsford with the tidal estuary of the River Blackwater at Heybridge Basin. It is 13.8 miles (22.1 km) long and has 13 locks.
Type: Walk
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 14
Essex Way Stage 1 - Epping Tube Station to Fyfield

Address

Station Approach, Epping, Essex, CM16 4HW

Epping

A moderately easy 12 mile walk on the Essex Way. The trail starts from Epping Tube Station, Epping Forest, and finishes at Fyfield village, also in Epping Forest District. Highlights include dense woodland walks, paddling about the River Roding,…
Type: Walk
Grade: Moderate

Duration: 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 12
Essex Way Stage 2 - Fyfield to Pleshey

Address

Ongar Road, Fyfield, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0RB

Ongar

A moderately easy 13 mile walk along the Essex Way. Stage 2 of the trail starts from Fyfield village and finishes at Pleshey. The walk is dominated by sacred places that are marked today by four churches, each with a very different story. Look out…
Type: Walk
Grade: Easy to Moderate

Duration: 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 13
Essex Way Stage 3 - Pleshey to Terling

Address

The Street, Pleshey, Essex, CM3 1HG

Pleshey

A moderately easy 14-mile walk along the Essex Way. The walk starts from Pleshey and finishes at Terling and is shaped almost entirely by the River Ter, and its river valley. The highlights are the Witches Stone, the Windmill at Flack Green and…
Type: Walk
Grade: Easy to Moderate

Duration: 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 14
Essex Way Stage 4 - Terling to Coggeshall

Address

Owls Hill, Terling, Essex, CM3 2PW

Terling

A moderately easy 12-mile walk along the Essex Way. The walk starts from Terling and finishes at Coggeshall, by the River Blackwater. The highlight is the River Blackwater as it enters Coggeshall. There’s a wooden seat beside the river and road. A…
Type: Walk
Grade: Easy to Moderate

Duration: 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 12
Essex Way Stage 5 - Coggeshall to West Bergholt

Address

Abbey Lane, Coggeshall, Essex, CO6 1RD

Coggeshall

A moderately easy 13-mile walk along the Essex Way, starts at Coggeshall and finishes at West Bergholt, Colchester. This fifth section of path is most scenic around the River Colne. The highlights are the wild poppies around Teybrook Farm, the…
Type: Walk
Grade: Easy to Moderate

Duration: 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 13
Essex Way Stage 6 - West Bergholt to Mistley Heath

Address

Chapel Road, West Bergholt, Colchester, Essex, CO6 3JB

Colchester

A moderately easy 12.5 mile walk on the Essex Way. The path starts at West Bergholt, Colchester, and finishes at Mistley Heath. This path is most impressive along the Stour riverside on the pre-amble into Dedham Vale. The path forms an important…
Type: Walk
Grade: Easy to Moderate

Duration: 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 12.5
Essex Way Stage 7 - Mistley Heath to Harwich

Address

The Heath, Mistley, Mistley Heath, Manningtree, Essex, CO11 2QH

Mistley Heath, Manningtree

A moderately easy 13 mile walk on the Essex Way. It starts from Mistely Heath, and ends in Harwich, at the Harwich Tower. A chance to feel beach and sand under feet for the first time since leaving Epping Forest tube station and the outskirts of…
Type: Walk
Grade: Easy to Moderate

Duration: 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 13
Saffron Trail Stage 1– Saffron Walden to Henham

Address

Church Path, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1JP

tourism@essex.gov.uk

Saffron Walden

An easy 10 mile walk along the Essex’s Saffron Trail between Saffron Walden and Henham Church. Raptors, songbirds, deer, wildflowers, historic churches, and food and drink along the way. The route is very uneven and sometimes muddy in places as most…
Type: Walk

Duration: 8h - 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 10
Saffron Trail Stage 2 – Henham to Great Dunmow

Address

St Mary's Church, Henham, Bishop's Stortford, CM22 6DP

tourism@essex.gov.uk

Bishop's Stortford

A moderately easy 9 mile walk along the Essex’s Saffron Trail between Henham and Great Dunmow. See a wild flower meadow at Broadwater, the redundant church at Chickney, and the giant jumping fish at Dunmow’s Doctor’s Pond in Great Dunmow. The route…
Type: Walk
Grade: Moderate

Duration: 8h - 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 9
Saffron Trail Stage 3 – Great Dunmow to Great Waltham

Address

Great Dunmow, Essex

tourism@essex.gov.uk

Great Dunmow

An easy 10-mile walk along the Essex’s Saffron Trail between Great Dunmow nor Great Waltham. See the fish ponds and water channels around Leez Priory, hunting merlins and kestrels and wild cherry trees. The route is very uneven and sometimes muddy…
Type: Walk

Duration: 8h - 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 10
Saffron Trail Stage 4 – Great Waltham to Chelmer Village

Address

The Village, Great Waltham, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 1AR

tourism@essex.gov.uk

Chelmsford

An easy 9-mile walk along the Essex’s Saffron Trail between Great Waltham and Chelmsford. Enjoy the fabulous river walk in and out of Chelmsford City, look for roach, and bream in the rivers Can and Chelmer, and perhaps launch a packraft. The route…
Type: Walk

Duration: 8h - 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 9
Saffron Trail Stage 5 – Chelmer Village to Battlesbridge

Address

Ramshaw Drive, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6US

tourism@essex.gov.uk

Chelmsford

A moderately easy 11.5-mile walk along the Essex’s Saffron Trail between Chelmsford and Battlesbridge. Climb Danbury Mount, look for giant pike in the Chelmer, and listen for hunting peregrines in the river valley in memory of JA Baker. The route is…
Type: Walk

Duration: 8h - 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 11.5
Saffron Trail Stage 6 – Battlesbridge to Belfairs, Hadleigh

Address

Hawk Hill, Battlesbridge, Wickford, Essex, SS11 7RN

tourism@essex.gov.uk

Wickford

A moderately easy 11.5-mile walk along the Essex’s Saffron Trail between Chelmsford and Battlesbridge. Climb Danbury Mount, look for giant pike in the Chelmer, and listen for hunting peregrines in the river valley in memory of JA Baker. The route is…
Type: Walk

Duration: 8h - 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 12.5
Saffron Trail Stage 7 – Belfairs Wood, Hadleigh to Southend Pier

Address

Poors Lane, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2LA

tourism@essex.gov.uk

Benfleet

An easy 8-mile walk along the Essex’s Saffron Trail between Hadleigh and Southend. Look for seals, walk around an Olympic mountain biking track, find oysters at low tide. The route is very uneven and sometimes muddy in places as most is off road.
Type: Walk

Duration: 8h - 1d
Distance:

Routes

Length of route (miles) - 8