The Beginnings of the River Crouch
We are used to viewing the River Crouch in all its glory but this walk takes you to
the humble beginnings of the river, the source of the River Crouch!
1. From the car park, take the footpath signed through the churchyard, turn left
through the gate, and walk out the main gates of the cemetery, immediately
turning right along the signposted footpath. At the junction, turn right running
alongside the cemetery. The cemetery was home to the bodies of twenty two
zeppelin airmen who died when their aircraft was shot down over Great Burstead
in the First World War. The bodies were exhumed in the 1960’s and re-buried at
a military cemetery in Staffordshire. As the cemetery ends, the path moves to the
other side of the hedge and continues downhill with a ditch on the right. Keep
ahead at the path junction, continuing downhill to a very small River Crouch.
Cross the bridge over the ditch and the next bridge over the Crouch. Once over
the bridge, turn right following the course of the Crouch.
2 Turn right onto the second bridge, crossing back over the Crouch. Once over
the bridge, walk to the large bridge spanning the fishing lakes and then over a
smaller bridge to an enclosed footpath. This heads back towards the church
beside woods and gardens, which are bursting with birds and other wildlife. The
path then follows the edge of a golf course before going back behind a fence
again. The path continues alongside the gardens back to the road. At the road,
turn left to the main road. Cross over and take the footpath signed to ‘Little
Burstead Church’, which is up a driveway and between fences, this soon comes
back out into the countryside again. The path leads down to the River Crouch
again. Cross the bridge and go straight ahead up the hill and through the crop.
Once at the top of the hill, head for the bridge across the ditch. Then take the
path through the crop which heads up the right-hand side of Broomhills house.
Over the brow of the hill, head to the left of a dead tree, there is a post with
arrows on it. Go straight ahead, across the bridge to the road.
3 Turn right and head towards the church, which dates back to medieval times.
Just after the wooden gates turn right through a gap by a stile and head across
the field going towards the large gap in the hedge by the road. The path then
carries on alongside the road in to Little Burstead. At the road, turn left alongside
the village green and past the phone box. At the road junction, go right, past the
old school building, crossing the road to use the pavement. Turn left up the
footpath by the side of the village hall, signposted to Wiggins Lane and Laindon
Common. The path opens out onto another golf course. Keep the hedge to the
left and go straight ahead. As the wood on the left exits, take car crossing the
fareways to reach the white posts on the other side. Once across, keep the
hedge on the left and cross a bridge. This pond area called The Wilderness is the
source of the River Crouch. Once over the bridge, turn right and walk alongside
the ditch. Cross the bridge on the right (between the red bollards) to the other
side of the hedge and keep walking in the same direction but with the ditch on
the left. Eventually you will reach a get, go through, across the bridge and turn
right down the track in the woodland. At the gap in the fence, go through and stay
on this bridleway through Laindon Common. The bridleway comes out by the
Dukes Head pub.
4 Cross the road and take the path immediately to the left of the pub past the
football club. The path goes behind the changing rooms. The path then winds
through the trees, over a stile and into a field. Keep to the left of the field, the
path heads in a straight line behind houses. The path ends at a hedge, turn left,
past a stile and back to the road. Turn right along the pavement. Cross the road
to take Church Street back to the beginning of the walk at the church. The church
is worthwhile viewing, there are some old artefacts including 14th century wall
paintings and a 12th century Crusader chest.
Distance: 4 ½ miles / 7.5 km / 2 ½ hours
Terrain: Undulating countryside, 1 stile en route
Start: Great Burstead church GR681 922
Map: Explorer 175 Southend-on-Sea and Basildon
Parking: Small car park at Great Burstead church
Refreshments: Dukes Head pub, Little Burstead