Ford End - Hartford End - Leez Priory Circular

Tony Brotherton

You need to log in as a member of Walkingworld to access the details for this walk and have an active subscription. Please join, or log in above if you are already a member.

Ford End - Hartford End - Leez Priory - Littley Green - Ford End

Tuck into a delicious slice of rural Essex with this interesting walk of gentle undulations and visit (by 'prior' arrangement) a priory - and a brewery!

England - East England - Essex - Countryside

Features

Birds, Butterflies, Church, Flowers, Great Views, Hills or Fells, Lake/Loch, Pub, River, Toilets, Wildlife

5/19/2012 - Debbie Seton

A really lovely walk, although with quite a lot of road walking, as other comments observe. I chose it on purpose today as there has been so much rain over the last month or so and we wanted to be sure of some good going! The weather today was very pleasant, warmish with a breeze, although rather grey skies. The scent of hawthorn blossom on the breeze was just heavenly. Saw a hare around point 12 and, speaking of point 12, where the instructions say: "Rejoin track, then bear right to walk uphill with long, straight hedge on left and reach minor road at 'butterfly' signpost", I think it would be clearer if they said something like: "Rejoin track, ignore the first right turn (which is not a signposted footpath) and take the 2nd right to walk uphill with long, straight hedge on left and reach minor road at 'butterfly' signpost". We took the first turn right and whilst it didn't really matter since it came out at the same road, it confused us for a bit (not hard to do!). I think the highlight of the walk was watching all the bird life throughout - particularly two groups of swallows we came across who entertained us with some incredible high speed aeronautics!

5/4/2010 - Ian Bysouth

Good walk, but please note: Footpath at point 5, as it goes over river at former mill house has collapsed! Alternative route on notice pinned to post. However, it's possible to continue straight after going through gate and continue with river on left going past a sign saying private fishing. Possibly not actual footpath but well trodden and good alternative coming out on the opposite side of the river to the brewery parallel to original road mentioned in point 5. Just turn left when road reached, walk past old brewery on left and then right in to road as per point 6. Also shortened walk by not going to priory but, where track joins road at point 7 turn right and follow road to 'T' junction. Turn right again and follow road to Littley Green and pub , as per point 13. As mentioned good walk and a good way to spend a couple of hours on a windy afternoon in May.

6/28/2009 - Walkingworld Administrator

David and Jeni are absolutely correct. There is approximately 5.2kms of road walking compared to 4.5kms of footpaths on this route.

6/23/2009 - David Pereira and Jeni Chester

Off road ramblers, Very nice start, through trees and then fields. when coming to the mill check arrows on gate,you turn directly left through white gate, with restrictive signs, on the return it reads private no fishing but the no fishing is overgrown, intentionally, we think as we met a women that does not like walkers going past her house, even when the brewery was active. we walked half way around the lake at point 11. the pub was in just the right location from leaving the lake. A nice interesting walk, more on-road than off-road.

11/13/2008 - Walkingworld Administrator

This walk was updated November 2008, thanks to Adrian Perkins.

4/23/2007 - Michael Woodward

22/4/2007 Beautiful walk through Essex countryside. Good clear directions and no problems encountered. Pub with garden (OK for dogs), after a couple of hours walking, for a good pint and lunch. Most enjoyable day.