Sep 11: The Essex Way (I)

I made a late start today, so I didn’t expect to get very far. I took the Central Line to Epping and headed off for my first encounter with the Essex Way.

This was fairly pleasant walk, passing a small nature reserve at Gernon Bushes Wood and then an attractive stretch of woodland, in which I spotted a brilliant elderly fly agaric (Amanita muscaria). Just past Toot Hill I met a playful German Shepherd Dog called Ben.


The highlight of the day was the superb church at Greensted-Juxta-Ongar, with timbers dating back to the 10th century. It is the only surviving timber Saxon church in Britain. Two of the Tolpuddle Martyrs were married here.

Had a stroll around Ongar, only to discover there wasn’t much in the way of public transport to get me back to London. After a look at the former tube station, now the home of the restored line to North Weald, and a shot of strong black coffee, I darted back the way I came. It got quite dark just short of Epping, and I almost got lost trying out a few hare-brained shortcuts.

Today: 16.5 (7.6 on the trail)
Overall total: 92 miles