Thorpe-le-Soken
1 From the car park turn right along the main road then right along New Town Road, which is also a footpath. Continue straight ahead into fields. You will pass playing fields and then go back on to a gravel track. Where the track turns right, keep ahead across the field and continue in the same direction towards the road. Turn left at the road and just past the houses turn right towards Landermere along Walton Road. Just past New Hall Farm turn left along a lane, also a footpath. This passes Landermere Hall, a Grade II listed beautiful historic building in quite a bleak landscape and continues to the sea wall at Landermere Creek. Turn left at the cottages and out on to the sea wall past the old King’s Head pub, where you can spot all manner of wading birds at low tide as well as views of the port of Harwich.
2 You leave the sea wall at Beaumont Quay and Quay Farm. At the farmyard, continue ahead past the phone boxes on your left down a track towards Lower Barns. Continue past the farm buildings, keeping ahead where the track turns right, on to a long field edge path. At the end of the path cross the bridge and stile in to a field heading for another stile on the far side. Cross the next field, heading diagonally left towards the trees and the corner of the field. Once across continue up the hill with the trees on your right. Towards the top of the hill, turn left on to a track across the brow of the hill with beautiful views to your left. Once across the field turn right then left over a bridge, under oak trees and out on to a field edge path. Go straight on at the cross roads of paths, across the bridge past paddocks to the road.
3 Cross the road towards a bench on the other side and take the path across the bridge. At the bottom of the field turn left across a bridge and then follow the edge of the field round to the left towards the house. As you approach the house, turn right at the yellow arrow through a gap in the trees. This leads into a garden, carry on with the trees on your left towards a shed. Go down the left hand side of the shed, over a stile and down the drive to the road. Turn right and after approximately 100m turn left onto a footpath opposite the white bungalow. Follow the field edge beside a ditch until you come to a junction with another path. Turn left then left again following the field edge. Just before the field edge turns sharp right keep an eye out for a waymark arrow on your left under some trees. The path leaves the field edge and heads cross field towards a track which leads to the right hand side of the hedge. Go down this path which runs beside Beaumont Hall. Keep ahead at the path junction then follow the path round to the right. If you look back you can just catch a tantalising glimpse of the hall. The hall dates from c1675 but there are internal features that seem to suggest it was merely refitted around that date and it could be even earlier. Go round the gate and continue straight on. Keep following the track downhill.
4 Near the bottom of the hill turn right across a bridge and then head south west across the field towards a yellow waymark arrow under the trees. Continue a short way along the field edge before turning left across the next field. Continue straight on turning right at the end of the next field through a kissing gate then left through another onto a lovely tree-lined path before it emerges on to Thorpe Green. This is one of the examples of open access in Essex, which is mainly restricted to common land in this county. Turn left and at the junction with the B1033 take the footpath on the right on the opposite side of the road by the conifer hedge. Cross the bridge and turn left then right following the edge of the field. Follow the path round to the left then turn left across a bridge and immediately right alongside a ditch. Keep ahead across the bridge walking alongside a garden and emerging opposite a large Georgian red brick building, Comarques. This was once the home of the writer Arnold Bennett. Turn left down the drive towards the gates. Just to the left of the metal gates is a wooden gate in the shrubbery which leads out on to the road. Turn right and head back in to the village.
Distance: 7 miles / 11.2 km / 3 ½ hours
Terrain: A little road walking at the beginning, 2 stiles en route at GR188 251 and GR188 249
Start / parking: Parking available opposite Bell Inn on B1033 in Thorpe-le-Soken
Map: OS Explorer 184 Colchester
Refreshments: Cafes and shops in Thorpe-le-Soken