Rochford 8 Miler: A Circular Walk in Essex Farmland and Estuary

We did this eight mile circular walk last Saturday. It takes in the town of Rochford in south east Essex county as well as the surrounding farms and a good piece of the Roach estuary.

It was a very rewarding walk. About 1/3 to a 1/2 is along the estuary of the Roach river and a great variety of water fowl and raptors were to be seen including cranes, ducks, and kestrals. There were several interesting sites including a modern abandoned crack den mill, a marina, and old farms.

It is on the flat but the terrain is a bit difficult with most of the walk being on field paths and river side tracks.

The route was found at the AA website which is a great resource for walks all over the country but it was somewhat out of date. I have included the original directions from that site below and added some updates and recommendations.

Parking

We came from the direction of London and parked in the car park recommended by the AA. Indeed there are few other options.

If you are using sat nav follow it to the begining of West Street but then when it would tell you bear left ignore it or it will take you to the EXIT of the parking lot which has a barrier and West Street turns into a one way (going the wrong way) at that point.

Instead, bear right to follow Bradley Way. At the roundabout take a left onto South Street and then take a left on to Locks Hill.This will take you to the entrance of the car park.

It is pay and display but it only goes to 1pm on a Saturday and is free on Sunday. It was about 1.50 for two hours.

There are free toilets in the parking lot as well but no drinking water. If you want water make sure you fill up at home.

A diagram of the route to the parking lot from google maps

This is the text from the AA with some updates and ideas for you to make the walk easier.

From the car park walk north between houses into Market Square and turn right into South Street, passing the police station on your left.

At the parking lot exit take a right and walk up Back Lane. At the end of Back Lane turn right

By the Horse and Groom pub, turn left into Watts Lane following the Roach Valley Way through industrial installations and keeping the River Roach on your left for a mile (1.6km).

This part is pretty aaccurate. There is a sign post by the pub. SD was a little bit disappointed at first because of the industrialness and litter. I was more appalled at the litter. Being Canadian, littering is as close as you can get to blasphemy. I simply don't understand the disrespect most English people have for their land.

In the end though we thought that even this added interest to the walk. The industrial area, not the garbage. There was a very odd place with lots of cars on shelves!

Follow the path over the bridge, with Stambridge Mill straight ahead. Follow the concrete path around the mill until you reach Mill Lane.

Mill Lane is not sign posted but basically if you fallow the path you end up at road and that road is mill lane. To your right you will see the locked gates of the mill.

Turn left, and after 50yds (46m), turn right on to the cross-field path to the footbridge over the fishing lake. Go through the kissing gate and on to the gravel path.

SD remarked that it was a very anti social kissing gate! It was a bit rusty and prison-y.

Maintain direction through trees and across the meadow, where on your right you can see Broomhills house, the former home of John Harriot the founder of the Thames River Police.

Can't say that it is particularly impressive or worth seeing but it is useful as a landmark.

Follow the waymark through the kissing gate and join the river bank path. With the river mudflats and salt marsh on your right, continue ahead along the grassy sea wall. Look left to see the distinctive Saxon tower of the church at Great Stambridge.

At this point SD and I had a debate regarding the value, artistic or otherwise, of Saxon architecture. What it looks like is they have forgotten to put the spire up for the day. Again not so impressive but as a landmark it served us well later.

Continue around the peninsula of Bartonhall Creek, a popular feasting ground of mudflats for migrating birds.

This is quite a long piece of the walk and it is quite exposed and windy. We were thinking that we had gone to far and had missed the finger post (see below). It was about half way along this river section that SD spied a map case hanging on an old farm gate. It contained top secret army orders and a compass! Score! OK I made up that bit about the secret army stuff but it was something from some kind of scouting exercise.

As you reach the north western tip, walk left down the embankment to the fingerpost, leaving the Roach Valley Way, and turn left towards Great Stambridge to pass a number of old Essex barns converted into modern housing.

I was tempted here by the abundance of crab apples. I never go anywhere with out a bag for foraging. But they were not quite public domain being on someone's front lawn.

Maintain direction along the field-edge path towards houses and after ½ mile (800m) the path passes Ash Tree Court and emerges on the Stambridge Road.

We went a wee bit wrong here and took the paved lane for a few yards but soon corrected ourselves. Looking at the map you could take this lane and you would end up att pretty much the same spot.

Turn right into Great Stambridge past the Royal Oak pub and notice the array of attractive Victorian villas and the post office.

The Royal Oak looked quite posh but we were only half way and didn't want to stop

Just before the post office, turn left into Stewards Elm Farm Lane and follow the waymark over the footbridge. Maintain direction between a series of paddocks until you reach the kissing gate and turn left to follow the field-edge path keeping Ragstone Lodge and the Rectory on your left. Continue on the cross-field path following the waymarks right, left, then half right past houses on your right, until you meet Stambridge Road.

Just before the big wrought iron gates there is a path to the left. We could not figure out what sort of estate the gates belonged too. SD guessed school and I guessed squire but it was definitely something to do with horses.

After following the paddock path to the end where it comes out to a field we went a bit wrong. There is no kissing gate or way mark. So follow the paddock path to where it comes out at a field and turn left, go two steps and then turn left again. Follow the edge of the field all the way around. You will be doubling back a bit here with the paddock path you just came up on your left before you turn right to follow the field.

The rest of the AA directions were ok here. It helps that you can see the road which means you can't go too wrong. This is where the church tower helped us to find our bearings. When you come out on to Stambridge Road the Cherry Tree is on your right.

Turn right at the Cherry Tree public house and after about 200yds (183m), turn left into Mill Lane, then right on to the cross-field path to join Rocheway past the houses into East Street and pass the New Ship Inn on your right. Turn left into South Street and return to the car park.

We didn't call in at the Cherry Tree but got distracted by an old orchard. Slim pickings unfortuately and all we got was a few sweet chestnuts. SD never used to be a forager but on this walk he was more on the look out than even I was and was very quick to spot an apple tree or two.

From the Cherry Tree the rest was pretty straight forward and there was some good Victorian suburban architecture to be seen.

Other Recommendations

The Royal Oak and Cherry Tree looked like good places to stop if you wanted to break up your walk, have lunch, or really need to pee.

Rochford itself was rather disappointing. For a Saturday the place was like a ghost town. There were no open restaurants and the pubs in town were either deralict or just rough. There were not many shops either. Not one charity shop which does not dispose me to think on a place favourably.

You will need sturdy shoes especially if there has been rain recently. The estuary section was quite exposed and windy so dress in layers.

At 9-10 miles including our detour after the paddocks it took us about three and a half hours.

It was more rugged than pretty and the salt marshes are very much worth seeing.