Greensted / Ongar to Willingale and back
Maps - OS Landranger 167
13.25 miles
Start at Greensted Church OS TL 539030 nr Chipping Ongar.
Park near Greensted Church ( www.greenstedchurch.com ) and take time to visit the oldest wooden church in the world. Follow the Essex Way East, just South of the Church. The gate marked "Essex Way" is where the driveway (marked "private residences") turns North. Follow the North edge of 2 fields before passing through a gate to cross a driveway. Pass through a wooded strip then continue along the South edge of another field . Continue East to enter Chipping Ongar with Sainsbury's on your right. As you reach Budworth Hall on your riight, turn right onto the main road and cross at the zebra crossing to continue South down the High Street. Turn left where you see the blue sign for "St Martin's Church circa 1080" (entry in British History Online). Go round the church keeping it on your left.
Cross the minor road and go through the gate opposite. Follow the path South and downhill past a vinyard towards a housing estate (Marsden Ash). Go through another gate, across a concrete bridge over Cripsey Brook, turn left (East) and cross the field with the brook on your left. Go over the stile in the hedge and cross another field to a bridge over the River Roding. After the bridge turn half right (East) to cross the field to a gate onto a minor road.
Turn left to go up the road. Keep to the left side of the road until the amenity site after the s-bends. Cross here and continue along the road facing on-coming traffic. Soon there is a well hidden path on the right which you turn down. It is not well trodden so a stick for the undergrowth is handy! The path turns sharp left at a deep ditch then emerges onto a field. Continue with the hedge on your right. Ignore the bridge on your right and continue along St Peter's Way. At a line of trees turn left along a tarmac track. At the t-juntion turn right towards Paslow Hall.
At the concrete barnyard go straight ahead towards the gates, but then go right and left around the barn. After the barn turn left through a gate onto the driveway where you turn right. At the minor road turn right and after a short distance go left across a bridge and through a gate cross a paddock keeping the hedge on your right. Go through another gate and across a bridge to a field where you continue North with the hedge on your right. Then exit at the stile by the fallen trunk.
Cross the A414 and go up the drive to Chevers Hall. At a fork in the drive go right by a gate pass round a barn. Continue North across the fields towards Norton Mandeville. At the bottom of the valley cross the stream via a bridge. Do not cross the stile on your right, continue North with the hedge on your right towards the church. Cross the stile and pass All Saint's Church to exit onto a minor road. Cross this road and go down a private road / bridleway which goes West before turning North. At the t-juntion turn right and at the fork go straight ahead. On reaching a concrete track turn left, then turn right (East) along the tarmac road.
As the road starts to dip down, turn left at the second path which will take you slightly North of East to skirt the woods you can see ahead. Although the map shows this path as continueing in a straight line, it actually jinxes right then left where it meets a concrete track. The path meets a track where you turn right then left beside a wood. At the minor road turn right for Willingale. At the junction in Willingale turn left for Roxwell. Rejoin the Essex way between the two churches on the left.
Walk straight through the churchyard onto the fields beyond. Follow the path with the hedge on your left initially, then cross a bridge turn right and continue with the hedge on your right. At the end of the field turn left along the hedge then right across a bridge. Go straight across the field to the hedge opposite. Turn left then right around the end of the hedge and follow a fence. Again turn left then right across a bridge to exit onto a minor road.
Turn left and left again at the junction.Where the road turn s sharp left, cross and join a path on the right heading a little West of South. At the field walk about 50 yards straight ahead then turn right (West) to a gap in the hedge opposite, maybe a hundred yards away. At the gap is a small marker opinting a little South of West. Cross the field on a bearing of 260 degrees. This will bring you to the corner of some mown grass after a couple of hundred yards. There will be a house to the left and a telegraph pole to the right. Cross the grass and exit onto a minor road where you turn left.
As the road swings round to the right a bridlepath on the left takes you Southwest. Initially it is a wooded walk then you exit out onto a field where you turn left. After a while leaves the field and becomes a wooded bridleway again. This finally exits onto a minor road in Cannon's Green where you turn left. As the road peters out it becomes a bridleway heading Southwest and downhill. At a junction of paths turn left through a wide gap in the hedge then right to a bridge. Cross the River Roding by this bridge and turn left, keeping the river on your left.The path winds beside the river, crossing a number of bridges. Mostly these are obvious, but some are partially hidden. Eventually the path veers West away from the river, briefly at first then more determinedly towards the A414.
Cross the minor road (old A414) then the major road (A414 care, fast road). A path leads down some steps and over a stile, then crosses a field to skirt a wood on your left. The path is broad with a wood on the left and a hedge on the right. The wood ends first then the hedge, at the end of the hedge the path bears right (Southwest) across a field, until you reach another path where you turn right towards Chipping Ongar. As you reach the first house there is a broad grassy track to the left. Follow this track, after you pass a playground it turns right then left again. Soon there is a gate on the right. Take the permissive path to Ongar Castle. At the gate on the left pass through to reach the site of the castle (not much to see). Walk past the library and you will see Sainsbury's on the other side of the road. Follow the Essex Way back to Greensted Church.