Featuring a generally flat landscape, acres of rural countryside and 350 miles of coastline, Essex is one of the most varied walking counties in the country. Take your pick from nature reserves, coastal trails or village walks and relish outstanding coastal views with top coastal wildlife
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As a county, Essex is ideal to explore on foot. Bisected with miles of footpaths and bridleways, there’s scope for every ability, from flat Sunday afternoon strolls to the full-on, 81-mile Essex Way.
If you’d rather ditch the car, you’ll find many trails start and end at train destinations. What’s more, this is one county you’ll never be far from an inviting hostelry or café to refresh and refuel.
With the free Saltmarsh Coast Walking Festival taking place 26 September to 5 October, you’ll have the opportunity to walk with like-minded individuals and explore a lesser-known corner of Essex.
Aside from walking festivals, Essex offers superb walking year-round and a huge choice of places to stay for every budget. The county encompasses a 300-mile stretch of the King Charles III England Coast and there’s a great line-up of walks featured by Visit Essex.
For a short ‘ish, 2.5 mile walk, take the footpath from Wivenhoe station to Colchester You’ll encounter lovely riverside paths, architecturally interesting buildings and plenty of birdlife on the River Colne.
The intriguingly named Walking with Witches trail maps the Stour Estuary between Essex and Suffolk and is inspired by the 17th century East Anglian witch trials. Fortunately, the scenery is a lot brighter than this dark period of English history.
For superb seafood en route, it has to be Magical Mersea – Oyster Beds and Salt Marshes. Spot porpoises and migrating ospreys in spring and red squirrels any time of year, dine on freshly-caught oysters and local vineyard wine.
