Pleshey - Great Waltham- Chignall Smealy Circular

14th October 2021

Start Point: Holy Trinity Church, Pleshey

Typical Pleshey thatched cottage

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Moat Cottage

The Leather Bottle pub

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Mount House

On leaving the village there is a footpath sign posted to the right; however there is another signpost on the left which goes along the boundary fence of a small sewage plant..... this is The Essex Way path

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Out into open fields. Walthambury Brook is on your left

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By this tree you cross to the other side of Walthambury Brook

Hot and dry!

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The path goes to the left and along the grassy bank by the trees

Turn left at this concrete bridge. The path to the right goes to High Houses

Up to the trees and keep right

At this point, keep right along the foot of the grassy bund

Path comes out onto a road; here you go straight across the road to the
fields on the opposite side of the road (3.22 km into the walk)

The path goes across the road and along the hedge line

Path towards Great Waltham

This path comes out on to the Great Waltham road, opposite Deer Park; turn right here towards that church
(3.98 km into the walk)

SS Mary & Lawrence, Great Waltham
(4.15 km into the walk)

Table tomb with crocketed gables

The Beehive pub, on the corner of Barrack Road. Continuing along the road past the church on the left you arrive at The Stores, a great coffee shop on the corner of South Street. We stopped for Tea and Toasted Tea Cakes before continuing down South Street.

The Stores, on the corner of South Street

South Street

South Street

Great Waltham Village Hall

South Street veers to the right; the path goes alongside the house ahead

The path leads to woods, a short distance ahead

On Pleshey Route 3 I turned 90 degrees right after crossing this bridge: this time I carried on straight ahead

Over a small bridge, and then across a field to the farm

Across the field in the direction of Ball's Farm

The path comes out on to Larks Lane where you turn right

After 100 meters the path goes off to the left over a field

The path goes right just in front of the gates

After turning right follow the tree line

At this point I took the footbridge to the left and carried along the tree line of Border Wood, although the foot bridge to the right takes you through the wood to the same point

Following the tree line instead of going through the wood

At this point I joined the path in the wood

The path in the wood (to the left)

Exiting the wood, the path is high above a lake

After the lake follow the tree line towards Chignall Smealy

I turned slightly to the right and came out on Breeds Road; if I had turned slightly left I would have come out near the Pig & Whistle Restaurant

The Pig & Whistle

Turning right at the T-junction of Breeds Road, the path goes off to the left next to a house called Maple View

Bridleway next to Maple View

After passing a small lake fenced off to the right, the path goes around horse paddocks and eventually comes into the garden of Church House. Passing through this gate, you come out at the side of St Nicholas's Church

St Nicholas's Church, Chignall Smealy

The road in front of the church; the road veers to the left, where as the Bridleway path goes almost directly ahead

Eventually the bridleway comes out onto a road, which is the point where the Fox Road becomes the Mashbury Road

Turn right along the road past Wart Cottages

After passing Bards Hall, ahead are some farm barns. The concrete road back to Pleshey goes off to the left in front of these barns. You can clearly see the church at Pleshey at this point which gives you encouragement that you are near the end!

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Leading to the castle

The castle mound

The moat

The path down to The Street, Pleshey

The path comes out down Pump Lane opposite Vale House (right) and St Michaels Cottage (left)

St Michaels Cottage

Looking back up Pump Lane