The Endless Sea Wall of Essex Estuary: A 14 Mile Circular Walk in East Essex Through Great Stambridge, Canewdon, and Paglesham

These are directions for a 14.5 mile circular walk in south east Essex. It covers the farmland and marshes of the Roch and Crouch estuaries with the majority of the route being sea wall. It passes through the charming village of Canewdon and the mad boat yard at Paglesham. It was quite challenging and not just because of the length. Although it was mostly on the flat (as is most of Essex) the terrain was quite difficult being very muddy field paths, open paddocks, and knobbly sea wall. The idea for the walk originated at the Essex Walks website but I have rewritten the directions based on personal experience and included information that it would have been helpful to have known before we set out.

This weekend David and I thought we would test our stamina. Having done a couple ten milers we wanted to push it a bit and see how we would do at something closer to fifteen. This walk came out to 14.5 miles and it was perhaps just that little bit too much too soon. This was mostly due to the difficulty of the terrain. Flat out on the street it would have been no problem but cross country in very muddy conditions meant we were working twice as hard. It is like walking in sand.
 
The salt marshes and wind swept fields of south east Essex is a bleak landscape but envigorating in its own way. It is remote, rugged, and beautiful.I was struck in particular by how much colour was to be seen on a grey and chilly November day.
 
Parking
The walk starts in the village of Great Stambridge. Free parking is to be had in Ash Tree Court. This is on street parking in a residential area and there is not a lot of it. Please be considerate of the locals. If you plan on being a customer later you could park at the Royal Oak pub which is just across the street.

We parked in Ash Tree Court with no problems.

For your satnav reference the postal code is SS4 2AX.

Ammenities
At the start you have the Royal Oak pub, about 45 minutes in you pass through the village of Canewdon where there are two pubs and a village store, four or five miles from the end you can take a mile detour (1/2 mile there and back) to the pub near the boat yard.

In other words few and far between. Take water and food. Over half the walk is out on the sea wall where there is nothing but sky, sea, and the odd concrete bunker left from the second world war.

Directions
Coming out of Ash Tree Court cross the street and turn right. Walk up the street past the Royal Oak pub to Stewards Elm Farm Lane. Turn left up the lane and go until you get to the silly gates. At the gates turn left onto an footpath that runs along paddocks on your right. You might remember the Royal Oak from our Rochford hike. Indeed some of this route covers the same territory.

Take this path all the way to the end where it opens out on to a field. There used to be a footpath at this point but it no longer exists so instead turn right and walk along the field edge path. The path will turn left to follow the edge of the field and run along side a ditch on your right.

Following the edge of the field you will come to another set of fenced paddocks. Follow the path straight on with the paddocks on your left.

The path will end and you will come to a concrete farm bridge on your right and a farm track on your left. Straight ahead are more paddocks.

Enter the first paddock by going over the stile in the corner of the paddock straight ahead of you. Once in the paddock walk ahead bearing right-ish to a second stile which is in the middle of the fence. Go over this second stile and head in the same direction to a third stile. Go over this stile and exit the paddocks by the gate onto a farm track. If you choose to open the gate instead of climbing over please make sure you shut it behind you. Also be careful navigating the paddock fences and stiles. There is electric fencing.

From the gate turn right and head north down the farm track. This turns into a footpath and there should be more fenced fields on the right. Keep heading in this direction (north) until you reach a gate onto a paved road. This is Apton Hall Road but there isn’t a sign at this point. You may need to navigate some wire fencing in a couple of fields to get to the gate.

Cross the road and take the track directly opposite into a field. You should still be heading north. You will pass several abandoned farm buildings on your right.


After these there will be a farmyard on the right. Turn right into the farmyard. There will be a three story high pile of hay bales straight ahead of you and on your right will be more rather derelict farm buildings. Just before you come to the huge tower of hay bales (just after the last farm building) there will be a path on your left. Turn left onto this field path so you are heading north again with the hedge on your right.

Continue along this field edge straight on into the next field. Head north until you come to a hedge that is at right angles to the path you are on. Turn right to follow the hedge keeping it on your left until you come to a gate which takes you on to a bridleway.

Turn left on the bridleway and follow it until you reach a paved road. This is Lark Hill road but is not sign posted.

Turn left up the road (heading north again) until you come to a sharp left bend. At this sharp left there is a farm road heading straight ahead north. It is sign posted Woodford Meats Farm Shop. Head up this road which takes you up a slight hill. On your right there will be a break in the hedge. Turn right to go through the break out onto a cross field foot path. Head straight across the field to the church.

Coming off the field go towards the church and through the church gate. Walk past the church, through the churchyard, and out the gate on the opposite side. This takes you past the village lock up and on to Canewdon High Street. Walk through Canewdon village and continue straight along the paved road until you come to a sign for New Hall on the left.

After passing New Hall look out for a footpath on your left. Turn left on to this footpath. The sign is over grown but there are few other options. If you find you have gone five minutes past New Hall and haven’t seen it you have probably gone too far.

On this path you will pass some gates to a fishing lake on your right. Continue on the path with the lake on your right until the lake ends. Turn right at the end of the lake (the path naturally ends here) to walk behind the lake (still on your right).

Once again you will get to the end of the lake on your right. On your left will be open fields and farms. Where the lake ends look diagonally left across the field and you will see a footbridge. Head diagonally across the field to the footbridge and cross it.

You will now be on a field edge path. Walk straight ahead on the edge of this field until you get to the opposite side. Turn left and walk down the field edge until you come to another foot bridge. Head East-ish across the fields towards the farm buildings across the valley and keep crossing the foot bridges until you come to a farm track.

Cross the farm track and head diagonally right towards the line of trees just ahead. At the trees turn right to follow the line until you get to the farm. The trees should be on your left.

At the farm you will see a set of paddocks ahead and sort of on the left. Go through the kissing gate and follow the path between the paddocks and exit through the kissing gate straight ahead of you. From this gate you will see a large farm gate that exits onto a paved road. Go over the stile and on to the road. This is Creaksea Ferry Road and is not sign posted at this point.

At the road turn left. Follow the road as it winds a bit and you will come out of farmland and into estuary and salt marsh. At a sharp left bend there will be a footbridge on your right (or it could be straight ahead depending on how you look at it). Cross this bridge which takes you onto the Roach Valley Way.

Follow the path through the marshes. From the footbridge it will go straight ahead and then turn right. The path ends at a wood fence. The start of the sea wall will be fairly obvious from here.

At the wood fence turn left onto the sea wall path. It isn’t really a wall. It is more of a levee or dyke the top of which you can walk along.

Stay on this levee/wall path for one million miles. Seriously. There isn't anything else. It goes on For.Ev.Er.

After a million miles you will come to a boat yard. Can’t miss it. You will think you are never going to get there but keep walking.

At the boat yard continue straight ahead or You can divert here for a walk to the Plough and Sail which is about a mile round trip.

Sea wall sea wall sea wall

Go past the lake-y bit where you will see geese and stuff.

Sea wall sea wall sea wall

Eventually you will come to a rather obvious little wood. Go past the wood following the path and keeping the wood on your right. Where the sea wall path becomes un-walkable continue straight to a white shell lane. Turn left onto this lane and follow it west until you get to a farm (Barton Hall also not sign posted)

Turn right up by the farm (so the buildings are on your left and the fields are on your right until you get to a paved track.

Turn left on to the track and follow it, passing a line of evergreens on your right, until you see a way maker on your left pointing to the sea wall and a fingerpost on your right. The paved road goes straight ahead. Follow the road!

You will go past some houses. At the point where the road bears markedly left there will be an old barn in front of you and a grassy track. Take the track straight ahead keeping the old barn on your right. Follow this track to the field at which point there will be a field edge path going straight ahead. You will be able to see Great Stambridge where you started by now. Take the field edge path straight ahead and you will emerge beside Ash Tree Court.

Thoughts and Recommendations

I love our walks. It is fantastic to get outside all day and get all that fresh air and sun light. Especially at this time of year! But I have to be honest here and say this was not one of our more enjoy able outings.

In fact, it was down right unpleasant at times. Not only was the ground poor but the weather very unpleasant. Heavy grey cloud and mist. Freezing wind. It didn’t actually rain but the ground was sodden any where we were not on actual road.

We were also lucky to make it back to the car before it was completely dark. So eager were we to try our strength that we totally forgot about the shortening days. Something that will make longer walks difficult until around February.

As always this was a learning experience. We learned our current limits but I also learned that I could push that limit if I had to. I didn’t want to be out there on the sea wall, or anywhere for that matter, in the pitch dark so when I would have liked to have stopped or slowed down I kept the pace.

So I also learned another valuable lesson in planning. Knowing your daylight hours are important. Check when sunset will be on the day you are planning a long hike and build in some contingency for side tracks, misdirections, pit stops, and photo opportunities.

I think David and I will try this one again in late spring or in the summer. It would be gorgeous to be out on the sea wall in the sun and have a picnic.