St. Peter's Way Stage 3.
Mundon to St. Peter's Chapel, Bradwell-on-Sea

15.36 miles - 6 hours 40 minutes

23rd August 2012

 

I continued the walk where I left off last time, at Mundon village, 3 miles east of Maldon.The path heads off to the east along a small road, West Chase, and approaches Mundon Hall and St. Mary's Church. The latter is a unique Grade I listed timber framed church built within the remains of the moat of Mundon Hall likely on Saxon and Norman foundations.

 

St. Mary's Church, Mundon

 

The St. Peter's Way path continues at the rear of the church, through a swinging gate and out into fields by the remains of the moat of Mundon Hall and the Petrified Forest of oaks.

 

Leaving the Church, towards the moat and the petrified forest of oaks.

The Moat

The petrified forest of oaks viewed over the moat

 

 

Heading across the corn fields towards Maylandsea

A last look across to the intriguing petrified oaks

Into yet another corn field. The way is pretty well marked, although you sometimes have to
head off straight ahead even if it looks like a field with no path.

You eventually reach the edge of Mundon Creek. The way forward is not so clear here, and
it is key to skirt around the creek along the sea bund towards the Sailing Club, with the houses on your right.

Approaching Maylandsea Sailing Club

In Maylandsea, the path continues past then Sailing Club until you reach North Drive, where you turn right. It then goes off to the left towards Nipsell's Farm.

The path goes off to the left towards Nipsell's Farm

Horses at Nipsell's Farm

 

The path skirts around the Sewage Works, and eventually comes out at a creek with a small bridge across. Your natural inclination tells you to turn right along the edge of the field, but the path is indicated to the left and you walk along a bund or sea defence along the side of Mayland Creek, passing over several stiles. You eventually reach a point where a stile in the forward direction leads to the caravan park, but the trail goes off to the right towards Hill's Farm and Steeple.

 

The sea defences alongside Mayland Creek

Passing through Hill's Farm

St. Lawrence & All Saints Church at Steeple. The bench in front of the church is a
convenient resting place for lunch!

 

The Sun & Anchor pub in Steeple. The path continues along the Maldon Road towards St. Lawrence for half a mile or so, and this is not so pleasant as it is a very busy road. You pass Batt's Road on the right, and then Poplars Farm, but you have to continue further along this busy road until the road swings to the left and you see a small lay-by with the entrance to West Newlands Farm on the right. It is a great relief to get off the Maldon Road and back into open countryside.

 

The entrance to West Newlands Farm. The path goes off to the left of the bushes and is sign posted.

From this point the path goes parallel to the Maldon Road on slightly higher ground giving good views across the countryside, until it eventually drops down past the recreation ground and school into Tillingham. The path comes out directly opposite Tillingham Church.

 

 

 

Approaching Tillingham.

St. Nicholas's Church, Tillingham

 

 

The Fox & Hounds pub, Tillingham

If, like me, you are relying on the Essex County Council guide map, the way to go is not so clear here. If you walk in front of the Fox & Hounds pub, Marsh Road goes off to the east down the side of the pub and you come to a cul-de-sac of bungalows. You can carry on down this road and, after turning left, you will be re-united with the proper path. But the correct access to the path across the fields is through the churchyard and out the back; if you have come as far as the cul-de-sac of bungalows you can cut through them to the rear of the churchyard to pick up the path again.

 

Access St. Peter's Way from the rear of the churchyard. From this point you have
about 5 miles to go to St. Peter's Chapel.

The path crosses fields and eventually picks up a small asphalt road until it comes to farm buildings. Here the path follows a gravel road towards Weatherwick, and on to the coast. At one point it is not clear exactly where the path goes, but the distances across the fields are huge and if you go to the right you will be miles off course. You need to head towards the white farm house, and there are kissing gates as the path passes this house. Another long straight asphalt road leads directly to the coastline. Here you can see St. Peter's Chapel in the distance, and can walk along the slightly higher path on the sea defences. Whilst the Chapel is in sight and does not look to be so far away, it is still a long walk along these sea defences and is an effort for tired legs!

 

St. Peter's Chapel

Inside the Chapel

At the top of the crucifix is the hand of God the father. The nails in the
hands and feet of Christ are clearly visible. To the left is an image
of St Peter holding a key, and to the right St Paul holding a sword.
As on a traditional rood crucifix, the Blessed Virgin Mary
and St. John are depicted on either iside of Jesus.

Ikon painted by Efrem Carrasco
Published by Mettingham Orthodox Trust (www.mettingham.org.uk)

Saint Cedd In the 7th Century Christianity spread to Great Britain from Ireland. Columba set up a small monastery at Iona in Scotland, and from there an emissary was sent to Northumberland to establish a monastery at Lindisfarne. Cedd and his three brothers were sent to school there and were eventually ordained as priests. Cedd's first mission was to the Midlands, then called Mercia, and following the success of this mission he was sent down the east coast from Lindisfarne at the request of King Sigbert, king of the East Saxons. In 653 AD he landed at Bradwell-on-Sea next to the ruins of an abandoned Roman fort (Othona). Using the stones from this fort he built a church. The church was located at the entrance of the old fort, and became known as St-Peter-on-the Wall. Cedd was consecrated as the Bishop of the East Saxons in the following year. Cedd's greatest claim to fame lay not with this chapel but with his participation in the very important Synod of Whitby in 664 AD. Because he was a man of great integrity and was fluent in both Irish and Latin he was summoned to be an interpreter at this Synod. At this meeting differences between Celtic Christians (working from Ioan in Scotland) and the Continental Christians (working from Canterbury) were resolved, establishing the pattern of church-life which has survived in England to this day. The same year Cedd withdrew to another of the monasteries he founded, at Lastingham in the Yorkshire moors, and died of the plague.

 

From the Chapel a small road goes off in a south-westerly direction towards Bradwell-on-Sea, where a Stephenson's bus service is available back to Maldon. There is a small carpark about a quarter of a mile from the Chapel for pick-ups.