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i Ro W t Church M d a ee R a Str This walk was established to commemorate the life of John Ray, born in Braintree and a pioneer in English natural history. It is a 9 mile linear walk joining Witham and Braintree stations, making it ideal to use the train to complete. Further information at: https://www.essexhighways.org/uploads/files/john_ray_walk.pdf

Planning Your Walk

• Approximately 9 miles, allow 4 hours. • Café at Cressing Temple (check opening times). • Pubs available at Braintree, Black Notley, White Notley, Silver End and Witham but none are directly on the route. • Few seats available on the route apart from in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul.

Directions

1. Exit Witham railway station onto Albert 8. Follow the public footpath to Temple Lane, Road, turning right. At the bottom of the Silver End. Turn left along Temple Lane, road you will see Cut Throat Lane to the skirting behind the Visitor Centre and Café right, and a John Ray (JR) sign. Cross the at Cressing Temple. The footpath emerges pedestrian crossing over the railway. The on the B1018 Witham Road (busy). Cross Cut Throat Lane allotments are on the the road and the footpath picks up in right. Turn right at the end of the path, front. Cross the railway. (The footpath may waymarked JR. be ploughed, as when we walked). 2. At the end of the path take the first left 9. Turn right at the end of the footpath and alongside the hedge, also waymarked over the footbridge. Follow the footpath to (ignore the path immediately by the Station Road, White Notley, then turn right. railway). (White Notley railway station is further 3. Cross the field and take the path at the along the road; out of sight). far right side, following some pipes at the 12. Turn left onto Essex Way at a sign edge. Turn left after the pipes and climb for “Fambridge Hall”. The JR walk is up to the field. signposted to the left after passing the 4. Go to the left hand corner of the field. Exit Hall, then there is another left turn, also by number 46 Holly Walk (you can’t see a signposted. street sign here). 5. At the end of Holly Walk turn right. Pass shops on the right (ignoring a path to the right before the shops). 6. Cross the road into Flemming Way. Make a slight right passing number 27 Evans Way. Keep the new houses (Brown Close then Driver Way) on your left. On your right there is a playground then a field. 7. Turn right into Rectory Lane, designated a Quiet Road. At the end cross Rickstones John Ray Church Road and pick up the public footpath.

Page 2 of 3 13. Arrive at fork. Take the left path (not 21. Go straight across the field. There is a signposted). Keep left and cross a JR signpost two thirds of the way over. footbridge with a stile. Follow the path Turn right onto the bridleway. After through willows with trees in protective approximately 50 yards there is a JR sign. casings. You are aiming for another Turn left (NOTE –doing this walk in reverse footbridge, signposted John Ray. Cross it might be difficult to spot the marker over towards Pennett’s Farm. Turn left, post for the walk, a third of the way up the keeping the farm to your right. slope. Walking along the bridleway it is 14. Turn right at the end of the road. Turn left next to the third tree on the left.) into Pole Lane (no pavements but a quiet 22. Go straight along the path, passing a road). farm to your left. There is a wooden bridge 15. Take the second public footpath on your with a JR sign. Follow the path across the right, signposted JR way. Go straight on field. Come to a JR sign and pick up the passing another JR sign. Keep left of the footpath to the left, running alongside hedge and round a large field to the the A120. hill brow. 23. Take the bridge over the A120. The path 16. Turn right – there is a JR sign but paths continues alongside until it enters a go in two directions so direction is not housing estate, at 51 Gatekeeper Close. clear. Follow the hedge and go straight on From here, you will not see any signs for through a gap in the hedge, where there the JR walk until you reach the station. is a JR sign. 24. Turn right on Gatekeeper Close and follow 17. At the end of the field the path passes the the road around. At number 19, take the edge of housing. It is signposted and goes path to its right hand side. This takes you between trees and a fence alongside the to Hoppit Mead, turn right at the end of housing. Arrive at Rose Walk. Go straight the path. Walk to the end. Alternatively ahead, you will see a JR waymark sign. take the path across the nature reserve. Turn left onto Rifle Hill, which becomes 18. Follow the path through an empty gate, Notley Road but you cannot see the signposted John Ray. name. You will see a sign for Hillside 19. Go straight down the field, down steps Gardens opposite. and over a bridge then go up steps. 25. Take a righthand path to join the Flitch Follow the path to the right of the Way (not signposted) directly after you church and through the churchyard. It is pass under a footbridge. signposted on entry and again for a right turn (N.B. benches in the churchyard if you 26. Turn left when you join the Flitch Way, and need a rest). Exit the churchyard opposite follow to the end. The station is immediately the side you entered and turn right along ahead of you. a private road. N.B: If starting at Braintree Station there are 20. At the end turn left on to Church Road. signs from the station car park to both the There are no pavements and the road John Ray walk and the Flitch Way. Take the can be busy. Turn left when Church Road Flitch Way and turn right just before you get meets Buck Hill. Turn right at the green to a footbridge. Go down the slope and signpost saying “Public Footpath to Notley turn left at the bottom to join Notley Road. Road and London Road” with a JR sign on Turn right into Hoppit Mead. Either take the the post. NOTE –John Ray’s birthplace is a path across or walk around to number 21 at few yards further along Buck Hill. the end. Take the path to its right 21 leading to Gatekeeper Close. You will find the start of the JR walk with a sign to the right of 51 Gatekeeper Close (ignore the path to its left).

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