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.
Showing posts with label essex. Show all posts
Showing posts with label essex. Show all posts
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 abandonedcrack 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.
This is the text from the AA with some updates and ideas for you to make the walk easier.
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!
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.
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.
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
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.
Saffron Walden: An Early September Day Trip in Which Our Heroes Stand Amazed (Pun Intended)
It was a Saturday in early September and I didn't fancy a walk. I didn't really want to sit around the house either. I am notorious for this. I think it might be one of those few things that, very occasionally, Dave would like to change about me. This truly terrible tendency to get up before 9am and "do things". Most of the time he is OK with it. And even likes it. But sometimes I know he would like to be normal and lie in.
So if we don't lie in and we don't go for a walk what do we do? A drive out somewhere new is the usual agenda. I had always wanted to go to Saffron Walden ever since I heard about the turf maze they have there. I am a sucker for anything iron age or prehistoric or of unknown origin and date. Chalk horses, ring stones, dolmens, runes. Sign me up.
So it was off to Saffron Walden.
Saffron Walden is an historic and picturesque town located on the northern edge of Essex. It has a rich and interesting history and is a veritable repository of Tudor architecture. Its main claim to fame is a turf maze but it had a couple of charming surprises including Bridge End public gardens and the Saffron Walden museum. Saffron Walden is easy to get to by car being just off the M11 south of Cambridge and is only an hour’s journey by train from London. Tudor period houses line the streets and sport elaborate pargetting, the plasterwork embellishment that is representative of that period. It was once a walled town and the rich Essex and Suffolk farmland surrounding it produced the rare and expensive spice saffron. Its name gives away its own history: Saffron Walled In.
As well as the turf maze there are two other sites that should not be missed when visiting Saffron Walden: the town museum and Bridge End Gardens. These three points, along with a multitude of listed buildings made for a very pleasant and interesting itinerary. What made it even better was that it was all free! Although it should be noted that the museum is not always free of charge. It just happened to be an open day on the day we visited.
With gas at the premium it is these days and being on a budget getting in the car for a day out or a drive is not as spontaneous as it used to be. Value for money is what I require. If I have to pay for the gas to get there then what I am going to see has to be worth the price of transportation. Never mind admission.
Saffron Walden was definitely worth it.
The Turf Maze
The turf maze was the main reason why I wanted to go to Saffron Walden. I have known about it for years. It was an odd experience to finally see. It is just… there.
It is stuck at the far side of the village green right beside the road. Other than the small plaque with some basic information there is nothing else that sets it apart form the field. I am not sure what I expected. Perhaps a large field in which the maze was central and set off by further landscaping and gardens. It is also quite small. The path of the maze is a mile long but the area the whole thing takes up, with its circumlocutions, can’t be more than 40 yards in diameter. The fun fair that had set up right beside it for the day didn’t really help either.
Technically a labyrinth, the turf maze is it an incredibly convoluted path that is not a puzzle to be solved, with many dead ends and such, but a metaphor for a spiritual journey. You just get on path and follow it to the centre. Such curiosities were used in the pre-Christian era for pagan ceremonies and rituals. Luckily, its pagan connotations were not held against it in less tolerant times. Perhaps because similar labyrinths were later constructed for Christian purposes. If repeated the requisite number of times, walking the maze often substituted for a pilgrimage to Rome or the Holy Land.
It was put to less dreary use more recently when, apparently, the lads and lasses of the village would play a rather salacious game. A maiden would stand in the centre and the boys would race to complete the mile circuit to win a kiss.
Oh la la
It is, in spite of its rather prosaic situation, very well maintained and respected. Town pride is quite rare in England. Vandalism and littering are endemic and of epidemic proportions in many places. Even rural ones. As a Canadian, for whom landscape and public property are sacrosanct, I have never understood this. For such a feature to have survived to modern times and withstand town expansion is unusual and would seem to indicate that it is inextricably linked to the town’s pride and identity.
It is not a tourist destination. We seemed to be the only looky-lous there. There aren’t any gift shops or souvenirs. The town has totally failed to capitalise on such an unusual and historic feature.
It is one of those situations where I really need to be in charge. There would at least be a penny mangle if I had anything to do with anything.
The Museum
The museum was a hidden and unexpected gem. The lady at the tourist bureau recommended it and we thought it would be just a tiny room with a few bits a pieces on the wall about the town and one or two relics presented as evidence for the town’s historical status.
It was hooge. For a town of that size it was amazingly comprehensive.
Contained in a large Victorian edifice it is not just a repository for the history of Saffron Walden and its surrounds but it is also a full blown Natural and World History museum. It kept us occupied for a good couple of hours!
When did educational start to equal fun? For that was the very moment that I got old. You would think that would be a moment worthy of remembrance. But I don't remember. Sigh.
We learned tons of great stuff. I was especially interested in the unusual plasterwork (pargetting) on all the Tudor buildings in the town. I could have SWORN I had never seen such a thing before but after, on the drive home down exactly the same road as the drive in, I saw it every where. There was a very good display on the history and technique of this architectural feature.
They also had fossils and such in a natural history section. Dave stood in horrified and fascinated awe of the zillion year old fossil of HORSETAIL. His garden, and most gardens in Derbyshire, is plagued by this indestructible prehistoric weed. If cockroaches are going to be the only thing to survive a nuclear/ecological disaster then the only thing they will have to eat is horsetail. Oh and each other. I suppose a cockroach would eat another cockroach?
The example on display, like all other living things of the olde-zoic era, was truly comedy sized. We discussed this. This seemingly inexplicable disappearance of all things comedy sized since the last ice age. As if natural selection lost its sense of humour.
The comedy sized horsetail was definitely not funny. At least Dave didn't think so. The great great grandmother of his nemesis. I think the word Bastard actually came out when he saw it.
As well as all the usual stuffed birds and hedgehogs demonstrating the history and biodiversity of the hedgerow (ubiquitous in small local English museums) there was a large room filled with all sorts of paraphernalia from what one would now call Aboriginal Cultures o’ the World. There were even some examples of Salish bead work which was good to see.
But the best thing about the museum? It was free. But only on that particular day for some reason. I don't remember what the admission prices were. Because I did not need to know. It was free. YAY.
We did splurge a little and spend 40p at their book sale. We are now totally armed for any dinner party situation with Emily Post's tips. There were like 50 of these little tomes for sale. 20p each. How could you NOT?
Bridge End Gardens
The morning had actually been rather grey and chilly which is why we probably spent so much time in the museum.
But coming out of the musty academic dark we found a glorious afternoon of September sun. It was time for beer and a look at the tourist bureau map.
The tourist bureau lady recommended Bridge End gardens and they were free and there was a hedge maze. So after beer we tooled up for a stroll down the main street and got a bit lost trying to find the entrance.
Bridge End Gardens is another hidden gem. They could be mistaken for a conventional example of Victorian landscape architecture but if you pay attention you will find they have a bit of a sense of humour. What at first appears symmetrical is just that little bit off balance. A kind of proto-surrealism come to to life.
There is a smallish hedge maze as well. This one is a true maze that you have to navigate and solve. We had no trouble finding our way out but I think that was mostly luck. We met a few poor souls who had been wandering amongst the hedges for quite some time.
In the spring and height of summer it would be a paradise but even in the early autumn with the roses finished and beds mostly bare this was a charming and tranquil pleasure. There are many sculptures and topiaries and a fountains. There is also a viewing platform, the view from which makes the climb more than worth while.
Recommendations
We had a very pleasant afternoon in Saffron Walden and it delivered much more than I expected. As a value for money outing in the English countryside it was quite a success. Not at all touristy but full of character and interest.
If you go on a Saturday the market will be on which added some hustle and bustle to this picturesque Tudor relic.Otherwise it was rather quiet.
The only criticism I would have is that there was a distinct lack of good beer. The pubs are few and run of the mill. Not a one serving real ale. I had to settle for a Greene King IPA. Sheesh!
If you are looking for a place to shop or dine then this is probably not going to meet great expectations. There were one or two charity shops and a couple gift boutiques but the rest was common high street fare.
If you are looking for a pleasant and interesting morning or afternoon out then I would definitely recommend seeing Saffron Walden and its many hidden gems.
For more pictures of Saffron Waldon please visit the FLICKR photo set
So if we don't lie in and we don't go for a walk what do we do? A drive out somewhere new is the usual agenda. I had always wanted to go to Saffron Walden ever since I heard about the turf maze they have there. I am a sucker for anything iron age or prehistoric or of unknown origin and date. Chalk horses, ring stones, dolmens, runes. Sign me up.
So it was off to Saffron Walden.
Saffron Walden is an historic and picturesque town located on the northern edge of Essex. It has a rich and interesting history and is a veritable repository of Tudor architecture. Its main claim to fame is a turf maze but it had a couple of charming surprises including Bridge End public gardens and the Saffron Walden museum. Saffron Walden is easy to get to by car being just off the M11 south of Cambridge and is only an hour’s journey by train from London. Tudor period houses line the streets and sport elaborate pargetting, the plasterwork embellishment that is representative of that period. It was once a walled town and the rich Essex and Suffolk farmland surrounding it produced the rare and expensive spice saffron. Its name gives away its own history: Saffron Walled In.
As well as the turf maze there are two other sites that should not be missed when visiting Saffron Walden: the town museum and Bridge End Gardens. These three points, along with a multitude of listed buildings made for a very pleasant and interesting itinerary. What made it even better was that it was all free! Although it should be noted that the museum is not always free of charge. It just happened to be an open day on the day we visited.
With gas at the premium it is these days and being on a budget getting in the car for a day out or a drive is not as spontaneous as it used to be. Value for money is what I require. If I have to pay for the gas to get there then what I am going to see has to be worth the price of transportation. Never mind admission.
Saffron Walden was definitely worth it.
The Turf Maze
The turf maze was the main reason why I wanted to go to Saffron Walden. I have known about it for years. It was an odd experience to finally see. It is just… there.
It is stuck at the far side of the village green right beside the road. Other than the small plaque with some basic information there is nothing else that sets it apart form the field. I am not sure what I expected. Perhaps a large field in which the maze was central and set off by further landscaping and gardens. It is also quite small. The path of the maze is a mile long but the area the whole thing takes up, with its circumlocutions, can’t be more than 40 yards in diameter. The fun fair that had set up right beside it for the day didn’t really help either.
Technically a labyrinth, the turf maze is it an incredibly convoluted path that is not a puzzle to be solved, with many dead ends and such, but a metaphor for a spiritual journey. You just get on path and follow it to the centre. Such curiosities were used in the pre-Christian era for pagan ceremonies and rituals. Luckily, its pagan connotations were not held against it in less tolerant times. Perhaps because similar labyrinths were later constructed for Christian purposes. If repeated the requisite number of times, walking the maze often substituted for a pilgrimage to Rome or the Holy Land.
It was put to less dreary use more recently when, apparently, the lads and lasses of the village would play a rather salacious game. A maiden would stand in the centre and the boys would race to complete the mile circuit to win a kiss.
Oh la la
It is, in spite of its rather prosaic situation, very well maintained and respected. Town pride is quite rare in England. Vandalism and littering are endemic and of epidemic proportions in many places. Even rural ones. As a Canadian, for whom landscape and public property are sacrosanct, I have never understood this. For such a feature to have survived to modern times and withstand town expansion is unusual and would seem to indicate that it is inextricably linked to the town’s pride and identity.
It is not a tourist destination. We seemed to be the only looky-lous there. There aren’t any gift shops or souvenirs. The town has totally failed to capitalise on such an unusual and historic feature.
It is one of those situations where I really need to be in charge. There would at least be a penny mangle if I had anything to do with anything.
The Museum
The museum was a hidden and unexpected gem. The lady at the tourist bureau recommended it and we thought it would be just a tiny room with a few bits a pieces on the wall about the town and one or two relics presented as evidence for the town’s historical status.
It was hooge. For a town of that size it was amazingly comprehensive.
Contained in a large Victorian edifice it is not just a repository for the history of Saffron Walden and its surrounds but it is also a full blown Natural and World History museum. It kept us occupied for a good couple of hours!
When did educational start to equal fun? For that was the very moment that I got old. You would think that would be a moment worthy of remembrance. But I don't remember. Sigh.
We learned tons of great stuff. I was especially interested in the unusual plasterwork (pargetting) on all the Tudor buildings in the town. I could have SWORN I had never seen such a thing before but after, on the drive home down exactly the same road as the drive in, I saw it every where. There was a very good display on the history and technique of this architectural feature.
They also had fossils and such in a natural history section. Dave stood in horrified and fascinated awe of the zillion year old fossil of HORSETAIL. His garden, and most gardens in Derbyshire, is plagued by this indestructible prehistoric weed. If cockroaches are going to be the only thing to survive a nuclear/ecological disaster then the only thing they will have to eat is horsetail. Oh and each other. I suppose a cockroach would eat another cockroach?
The example on display, like all other living things of the olde-zoic era, was truly comedy sized. We discussed this. This seemingly inexplicable disappearance of all things comedy sized since the last ice age. As if natural selection lost its sense of humour.
The comedy sized horsetail was definitely not funny. At least Dave didn't think so. The great great grandmother of his nemesis. I think the word Bastard actually came out when he saw it.
As well as all the usual stuffed birds and hedgehogs demonstrating the history and biodiversity of the hedgerow (ubiquitous in small local English museums) there was a large room filled with all sorts of paraphernalia from what one would now call Aboriginal Cultures o’ the World. There were even some examples of Salish bead work which was good to see.
But the best thing about the museum? It was free. But only on that particular day for some reason. I don't remember what the admission prices were. Because I did not need to know. It was free. YAY.
We did splurge a little and spend 40p at their book sale. We are now totally armed for any dinner party situation with Emily Post's tips. There were like 50 of these little tomes for sale. 20p each. How could you NOT?
Bridge End Gardens
The morning had actually been rather grey and chilly which is why we probably spent so much time in the museum.
But coming out of the musty academic dark we found a glorious afternoon of September sun. It was time for beer and a look at the tourist bureau map.
The tourist bureau lady recommended Bridge End gardens and they were free and there was a hedge maze. So after beer we tooled up for a stroll down the main street and got a bit lost trying to find the entrance.
Bridge End Gardens is another hidden gem. They could be mistaken for a conventional example of Victorian landscape architecture but if you pay attention you will find they have a bit of a sense of humour. What at first appears symmetrical is just that little bit off balance. A kind of proto-surrealism come to to life.
There is a smallish hedge maze as well. This one is a true maze that you have to navigate and solve. We had no trouble finding our way out but I think that was mostly luck. We met a few poor souls who had been wandering amongst the hedges for quite some time.
In the spring and height of summer it would be a paradise but even in the early autumn with the roses finished and beds mostly bare this was a charming and tranquil pleasure. There are many sculptures and topiaries and a fountains. There is also a viewing platform, the view from which makes the climb more than worth while.
Recommendations
We had a very pleasant afternoon in Saffron Walden and it delivered much more than I expected. As a value for money outing in the English countryside it was quite a success. Not at all touristy but full of character and interest.
If you go on a Saturday the market will be on which added some hustle and bustle to this picturesque Tudor relic.Otherwise it was rather quiet.
The only criticism I would have is that there was a distinct lack of good beer. The pubs are few and run of the mill. Not a one serving real ale. I had to settle for a Greene King IPA. Sheesh!
If you are looking for a place to shop or dine then this is probably not going to meet great expectations. There were one or two charity shops and a couple gift boutiques but the rest was common high street fare.
If you are looking for a pleasant and interesting morning or afternoon out then I would definitely recommend seeing Saffron Walden and its many hidden gems.
For more pictures of Saffron Waldon please visit the FLICKR photo set
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