Felsted: Approx. 3 ½ miles or 5.6 km
This short walk round the village of Felsted takes in some beautiful old cottages and the delightful village centre, which is dominated by the buildings of Felsted School, which was established in 1564.
Distance: 3 ½ miles / 5.6 km or 1 ½ / 2 hours
Terrain: Mainly flat, no stiles
Start: Free car park, village centre, Braintree Road GR 676 204
Map: OS Explorer 183 Chelmsford and the Rodings and 195 Braintree and Saffron Walden
Parking: Free car park, village centre
Refreshments: Pubs and restaurants in Felsted
Tourist Information Centre: Witham Tourist Information Centre, Town Hall, 61 Newland Street, Witham, Essex, CM8 2FE, Tel: 01376 502674
Places to visit: Felsted Vineyard, Crix Green. Details of opening times contact 01245 361504
1 / Start: From the free car park cross the road to a gravel track opposite that runs between two houses. Go past the allotments on your right and through a metal field gate. Keep on the left and follow the path with the hawthorn hedge on your right. The path then runs next to a field. At the telegraph pole, go straight ahead through the hedge and over the bridge. At the waymark post, turn left to the road.2 / At the road, cross over, turn left and then right into Bakers Lane. Keep straight ahead at the junctions with other byways and driveways. The byway eventually opens up onto a field edge. Keep ahead towards the farm buildings at Potash Farm’s 15th century farm buildings, now a B&B, eventually joining a track leading to the road at Cobbler’s Green. At the road, turn left. After Brook Cottage you will come to a brook with footpaths coming off either side of the road.
3 / Turn left onto a farm track following the brook, keeping it on your left. Keep going straight ahead, past the footpath crossroads, until you reach the end of the field. Turn left, cross the brook and continue with trees on your right. Keep straight ahead at the next crossroads, following the tree line to a wood. At the wood, turn left and follow the edge of the woods round to the right, ignoring the path straight ahead through the crop. The path ends at a T-junction just past the woods. Turn left on the path going through the crop. At the hedge on the other side of the field, turn left. At the next T-junction, turn right towards houses. You will come out onto Jollyboys Lane North, opposite the playing fields.
4 / Turn left under the tunnel of trees. At the next waymark post, turn right, heading towards the playing fields. At the next waymark post turn left walking along the edge of the pitch. At the fence, turn right walking along the field edge. Keep to the field edge, letting the yellow footpath arrows guide you to an enclosed path back to the road. Cross over the road and turn left, passing Felsted School, the Chequers pub and the Almshouses. Turn right into Stebbing Road. As the road turns to the right, cross over the road and follow the fingerpost. Follow the tarmac path and turn left by the tennis courts and just before the statue. At the end of the beech hedge, turn left and follow the path the Bury Farm. At the farm, head for the track between the barn and the concrete buildings. Follow this track round until it forks. Turn left to head back to the car park.