July 23: St Peters Way (I)

I joined this trail near the middle at Wickham’s Farm, after a long walk from the Crouch Line station at South Woodham Ferrers. I managed only 8 miles of the St Peters Way, but these included some of the finest sites on this trail.

There are some fine views east from Purleigh, and an attractive parish church (unfortunately locked). In Mundon, three miles further east, were two real gems.

St Mary’s church was closed for worship in 1970 and is now under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches. It is currently being restored after damage from subsidence.

Just east of the church is the unforgetable sight of "the Oaks" - a field of around twenty gnarled, pollarded and very dead oaks. Apparently, they perished following the lowering of the water table. The oaks reminded me of Caspar David Friedrich’s stunning painting Abbey in the Oakwood. They are now a favourite haunt of barn owls.

The rest of the walk seemed a bit of an anti-climax after the oaks. I walked further east to the end of Mundon Creek, then headed south 3.5 miles to the station at Althorne for the train back home.

Today: 16 miles (8 on the trail)
Overall total: 34 miles (24 on the trails + 10)