• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

CAFE RAILWAY HOTEL 13 DUNMOW GARDENS Linear Walk - Davy Down to West Horndon STATION ROAD FRESHWELL GARDENS N There are 2 alternative start points for this walk. WEST HORNDON STATION SHOPS I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 12 TUNNEL UNDER A Starting from Stifford Bridge. K RAILWAY To get to this start take the 370 bus from Romford to Lakeside alighting at Davy Down bus stop. Then walk back(north) alongL Pilgrim Lane towards the road bridge over the Mardyke. A Alternatively by car there is a car park in the Davy Down. From the car park walk the short distance north along Pilgrim Lane. As the start is on the eastern FIELD HOUSE side of Pilgrim Lane take care crossing this road whichW can be quite busy at times. The walk follows Bridleway 219 which is joined at theE south east side of WEST HORNDON Stifford Bridgge. S STATION A B StartingT from North Stifford village. If getting to the start by car then North StiffordH is well worth considering. This MARDYKE village hasH a beautiful 12th century churchC and a few attractive thatched 11 A S FISHING LAKE cottages. There is alsoM a pub,E the Dog and Partridge and a general store. SLOUGH HOUSE At the time of writing there are no parking restrictions in the village. CHINA LANE MARDYKE Start from FP 131 which is behind the bus stop between St Mary's Church and Belhus Cricket Club. Follow the footpath downhill through the Field of Peace, MOCKS FARM Mardyke Meadows enjoying the great views across the Mardyke valley. BULPHAN CHURCH FEN LANE DUNNINGS LANE 10 1 The walk follows the bridleway with the Mardyke on your left for just over TO BALPHAN CHURCH 4 miles. FEN LANE 9 To your left (north) you will see the Mardyke Valley golf course 8 7 on the far side of the Mardyke and to your right paddocks. STONE HALL FARM HARROW ROAD FP159 anticlockwise around the paddocks After around 500 metres FP 131 crosses the bridleway over a with Judd’s Farm on the right, until you 2 MARDYKE STONE HALL foot bridge across the Mardyke. HARROW ROAD approach Stone Hall farm. 6 FARM GATES If you started the walk at North Stifford this is where you join JUDD’S FARM the walk. 7 The footpath turns right as you 5 approach the metal farm gate of BRIDGE 3 After a further 300 metres the bridleway passes under Med- Stone Hall farm. Walk in the erbridge Road high overhead. direction of Bulphan Church and Keep following bridleway for another 2.5 miles as it after crossing the 4th stile turn left MARDYKE bends to a northerly direction with the Mar- at FP 159. dyke on you left and arable fields on MAR DYKE your right. 4 8 Walk north towards Fen Lane crossing two stiles then the footpath turns right then left and after a 4 Cross the large wooden bridge over a stream short distance there is another stile to cross on your joining the Mardyke and after around half a right. mile a sturdy footbridge on your left crosses GRANGEWATERS WATER SPORTS CENTRE the Mardyke. (Copyright: Malcolm Fish Photography) 9 Almost immediately cross the footbridge over a stream and then turn right and continue walking parallel to 5 You can cross the bridge for a circular route back to Fen Lane. After a short distance the footpath meets Stifford by following FP 136, FP 132 and then FP 131. Fen Lane. However for West Horndon Station continue walking north for around 250 meters then turn sharp right and 10 Carefully cross Fen Lane and then follow FP 7/China Lane after around another 250 meters the footpath in a northerly direction. Pass Slough House to your right meets Harrow Road. and FP 142 to your left. Continue walking north pass the MARDYKE fishing lake on your left and a small car park for fishing club 6 The original footpath 160 members on your right. This short section can get a bit passed the burnt out Fen overgrown as you pass through the hedgerow and over the Restaurant which has been wooden bridge across the Mardyke. closed by high wooden Continue north with arable fields to your right and stream fencing. However turn right ST MARY'S CHURCH MEDEBRIDGE ROAD 11 on Harrow road and the to your left. Where the stream bears left the footpath cuts new footpath on your left is GRANGEWATERS north across the arable field to the eastern side of Field a few yards away. Cross the WATER SPORTS CENTRE House. The footpath continues north for a further few stile and follow the path hundred metres to a tunnel under the C2C Fenchurch St/Southend railway line. HOUSES & BUILDINGS CHERRY TREE & 12 Pass through the tunnel and then FARM BUILDINGS HONEYSUCKLE COTTAGES MARDYKE NORTH STIFFORD turn left into Freshwell Gardens, right MEDEBRIDGE ROAD TREES/HEDGES into Witham Gardens and left into FARMLAND GOLF COURSE Chafford Gardens which has a few DAVY DOWN PUMPING STATION FOOTPATH shops and a Post Office. GRASSLAND STIFFORD BRIDGE 3 UNDER A MARDYKE ROAD SHRUB BRIDLEWAY 219 From Chafford Gardens turn left 13 GOLF COURSE MARDYKE 2 into Station Road and follow this to 1 - - - - - ROUTE STIFFORD HILL West Horndon Station. Station I I I I I I RAILWAY BACK LANE FROM NORTH STIFFORD & COTTAGES IN Road has a café, restaurant and B NORTH STIFFORD CHURCH NORTH STIFFORD DAVY DOWN 370 BUS STOP Pub/Hotel. Thames Chase Trust Chase Thames rocketmail.com @ 3 v 2 1 pa Email: 07940570194 Mobile: Vine A P by Artwork & Design A H S C Mardyke Valley. Mardyke E Charity no. 1115627. Company No. 5687558 No. Company 1115627. no. Charity S E W Web site: www.thameschase.org.uk site: Web of the landscape of the the of landscape the of M A E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] E-mail: A give clues to the nature nature the to clues give L K H Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NS RM14 Upminster Lane, Pike Farm, Fen Farm, etc. etc. Farm, Fen Farm, T 01708 642970 or call at The Thames Chase Forest Centre, Centre, Forest Chase Thames The at call or 642970 01708 Lane, Puddle Dock Dock Puddle Lane, For more information and to make bookings please ring ring please bookings make to and information more For Lane, Stifford Clays, Fen Fen Clays, Stifford Lane, such as Ford Place, Ship Ship Place, Ford as such /Thame Chase /Thame (path that crosses a stream) and other place names names place other and stream) a crosses that (path and IPhone and late as 1760. The name ‘Stifford’ is Anglo Saxon stig ford ford stig Saxon Anglo is ‘Stifford’ name The 1760. as late App for Android Android for App was said to be tidal up to and beyond Stifford Bridge as as Bridge Stifford beyond and to up tidal be to said was The Mardyke has and still is subject to flooding and and flooding to subject is still and has Mardyke The hours hours 3-4 (approx) Thames Chase Walks are sponsored by by sponsored are Walks Chase Thames grazing pastures. grazing that drainage channels were dug to drain the land for for land the drain to dug were channels drainage that 7 miles miles 7 at the ticket machine. ticket the at (approx) (approx) and grain to the Thames. Some records also indicate indicate also records Some Thames. the to grain and A fixed daily donation to Thames Chase Trust payable payable Trust Chase Thames to donation daily fixed A nineteenth centuries facilitating transportation of crops crops of transportation facilitating centuries nineteenth West Horndon Station Horndon West Car parking Car navigable as far as Bulphan as late as the eighteenth and and eighteenth the as late as Bulphan as far as navigable for agriculture. It is also thought that the Mardyke was was Mardyke the that thought also is It agriculture. for Davy Down to Down Davy Site: Daily; 8.30am - to dusk. to - 8.30am Daily; Site: woodland was gradually cleared to be used extensively extensively used be to cleared gradually was woodland 10am - 4pm each day. each 4pm - 10am Destination walk from: walk Destination Bulphan. Following the draining of the lake, the wet wet the lake, the of draining the Following Bulphan. Stifford, Orsett, North and South Ockendon and and Ockendon South and North Orsett, Stifford, November to Late March; Late to November fens and the settlements of Aveley, North and South South and North Aveley, of settlements the and fens 10am - 5pm every day. every 5pm - 10am Walk D2 D2 Walk influenced the development of land use through the the through use land of development the influenced Visitor Centre: Late March to October; to March Late Centre: Visitor The Mardyke and its changing course has greatly greatly has course changing its and Mardyke The Opening Hours Opening fen and the fen slowly covered with wet woodland. wet with covered slowly fen the and fen drained leaving the flat fen areas of Orsett and Bulphan Bulphan and Orsett of areas fen flat the leaving drained Forest Centre. Forest Chase waters lake the time Over Stifford. at ridge chalk pick up a leaflet at the the at leaflet a up pick until it found an outlet along the northern edge of the the of edge northern the along outlet an found it until to interest all ages - - ages all interest to chalk outcrop it initially formed a lake.

Load more

  2

Copy Link