Ashingdon and the River Crouch
A walk taking in views across the River Crouch, Ashingdon is a curious mixture
of rural and urban, old and new. This walk takes you through the more rural
areas towards South Fambridge before bringing you back to the more modern
estates of Hockley and Ashingdon. The route takes you through Beckney Wood,
old coppice woodland and through the Plotlands. Early last century, property
developers bought large areas of poor farmland in the southern part of Essex.
They divided the land into small plots to be auctioned, leading to the grid layout
you see today in these Plotland areas. Most of the plots were sold between the
wars to Londoners who built bungalows as holiday homes. During World War II,
many people moved into them permanently to escape the horrors of the Blitz.
When the war ended there was a sprawling mass of poor housing without proper
roads or electricity. Most of the Plotlands were redeveloped when homes were
needed to re-house the growing London population.
Distance: 6.1 miles / 9.8 km
Terrain: Mainly flat, a couple of steeper climbs
Start: Ashingdon Sports Hall car park, Ashingdon Road (GR 865 933)
Map: Explorer 175
Parking: Sports Hall car park
Refreshments: Shops and pub (Victory Inn) on Ashingdon Road
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Start: Turn right out of car park and walk along the pavement, turning
right into Church Road. Follow the road up hill towards the church. At the
church, go into the churchyard and follow the path round to the right-hand
side of the church. From there are some beautiful views across the Roach
and Crouch valley. Follow the concrete path and when it ends, head for
the waymarker by the bushes. As you emerge from the bushes, the path
forks. Take the left-hand fork that goes straight down the hill to Canewdon
Road.
At Canewdon Road, turn left, taking care crossing the road (remember that
when walking on the road, take care to walk facing oncoming traffic). Walk
along the road until you reach Ethelbert Road. Turn right here and enter
the Plotlands. Turn left into Lyndhurst Road and right into Ellesmere
Road. Here the road narrows for approx. 100m before widening again.
Turn left into Arundel Road. Keep straight ahead on this road until you
reach the main road, Fambridge Road. Turn right, heading towards the
hamlet of South Fambridge on the River Crouch.
After passing All Saints church on the right, you will see a fingerpost and
stile on the left. Climb the stile and walk beside the fence on the left. Go
through the gap in the fence and head diagonally across the next field to
another stile. Once across this, turn left onto Fambridge Road again.
As you reach a footpath on the left, you can make a decision to make a
detour to South Fambridge and a view of the Crouch, which can be
excellent for birdwatching. If so, follow the road until you reach South
Fambridge. Keep straight ahead and you will see a bridleway sign. Follow
this track and it will take you to the sea wall and the river.
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Retrace your steps back to the footpath opposite the bench and parish
sign. Go through the wooden gate and follow the grassy track straight
ahead. As the hedge ends on the right by a telegraph pole, you will see a
waymarker. Turn off the track into the field, still walking in the same
direction, towards a mound covered on scrub and a waymark post just
before it. Walk round the right-hand side of the mound. Go through the
gate and over a bridge following the path round to another bridge and gate.
Turn right and follow the ditch line until it goes sharply right. Here, go
straight across the field, heading towards a waymarker and a gate. Keep
going straight ahead with the ditch / hedge on your right, through three
gates. Go through fourth gate, in the hedge on your right, over a bridge
and continue down the path until you meet the road.
At the road, turn right. Once past the nursery and just before the speed
de-restriction signs, turn left on to Clarendon Road, once again entering
into plotlands. At the end of the road, the path narrows. Turn left here,
following the road round to the right. As the road goes left, turn right into
Beckney Woods. Follow the main path, a wide, obvious path straight
ahead just through the trees. The path goes up hill. The path narrows and
levels out at the top and then joins a wider path. Turn left up hill towards
the fenceline. The path stops at Tonbridge Road. Turn left, staying on
Tonbridge Road. At Harrogate Road, go straight ahead, the road narrows.
At Harrogate Drive turn right. On reaching the main road, turn left.
Just past Greensward Lodge, cross the road to a track. Take the righthand fork through the field. Go straight up the hill, keeping parallel with the
track. Go through the gate and over the stile into another field with more
fantastic views. Go straight across this field to another stile. Follow the
path straight ahead under the trees, straight across a track. Keep heading
straight ahead, ignoring the footpath off to the left, until you come to a
road. Follow this until a junction then turn left. At the end of The Chase
turn right and head back towards the car park.