Discover a different Essex with a Cicerone Guidebook

Description

With ancient forests, an abundance of green lanes, acres of rolling downland and 350 miles of coastline, much of it home to important bird reserves, Essex has more to offer than many walkers realise.

Essex may not be high on many walkers hit lists. In fact it probably doesn't feature at all. But to overlook this corner of England is to overlook some fantastic and varied walking.

From the saltmarsh to the chalk uplands and east London’s Epping Forest to Constable’s Dedham Vale, this guidebook shows just how much variety there is to be had in this most misunderstood of counties.

Waymarking in Essex is generally good. You'll get especially used to the distinctive concrete posts that show where many paths leave road; unique to the county of Essex, these are now over 50 years old and are weathering in a surprisingly beautiful way.

This guidebook describes 25 coastal and inland day walks covering the whole of the historic country of Essex, stretching from the Lea Valley in the west and the Thames in the south over to the North Sea and up to the River Stour in the north. Also included is a description of the Essex Way which crosses the county in 11 stages from Manor Park, on the fringes of London, to the port of Harwich - a distance of 96 miles.

• 22 circular and 3 linear day walks, from 4 to 18 miles
• the 11-stage Essex Way route across the county from Manor Park on the outskirts of London to Harwich on the coast
• notes on 9 other long-distance routes in Essex
• illustrated with OS mapping and colour photographs

• Seasons
  all four seasons can be enjoyed by the walker in Essex; with its mostly clay soils, it's a good idea to wear boots after prolonged rain
• Centres
  Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Saffron Walden, Southend; easy access also from neighbouring counties (including Kent by the Dartford crossing) and east and north London
• Difficulty
  walks are suitable for all abilities; ascents are mostly short and rarely steep; some longer walks of up to 18 miles are included for those seeking more challenge.
• Must See
  the coast - unspoilt and barely known away from the famous resorts; an internationally-important refuge for bird life; green lanes - Essex has more than any county save Dorset; wood and forest - Epping, Hatfield, Hainault and many others.

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