Finchingfield Walk

Today we were going to do the Brightlingsea walk but we were delayed leaving as Neil came round with Jake his dog and we went for a walk over the fields with him and Steve, so we needed to pick a nearer and shorter walk so we choose this one. As you can see by the date of the walk this was Boxing day and the weather was good with blue skies and just a little wind which was a little keen.

Details of Walk

• Date of Walk: 26/12/2016

• Distance: 3.78 Miles

• Starting Point Postcode: CM7 4JX

• Car Park:Stephen Marshall Ave Car Park or on the green

• Refreshments: The Fox or Bosworth Tea Shop

• Photos Taken on Walk

Finchingfield is regarded by many as being the most beautiful village in Essex and I can see why but there are a lot more villages in Essex that I would say are as good. The walk started from the car park but we parked on the green and then walked to the car park to find the beginning of the walk. If you were starting from the car park you would have turned left on to a concrete path to the right of a garden hedge which led to the main footpath which comes from the right behind some houses. We turned left here and just double checked with some people coming towards us that we were in Wincey chase. Wincey Chase is about a mile long and near the end widens into a green lane, we followed this and ignoring any footpath signs till we descended down to a footpath sign and road near Beslyns cottage.

From here we turned right heading away from the farm buildings on to a little used road where you could have views over to Hawkspur Green and Little Sampford if the hedge had not been so high. When the road started to become a pebble track we turned right at a public bridle path and had to wait for a couple of horses coming towards us to pass and as Rudy is not that good with them.

Once they had passed we carried on our way on a narrow track for some reason Rudy went running way ahead of us and then finally coming back and he done this two times which I did record. The track then opens up to become a track known as Tom's Lane which eventually comes out on to a road. For the first time I used the app on my phone called Viewranger which records the route we took plus distance, average speed, time, and altitudes and then when I get back I can just add this map to the web site.

Right back to the walk, when we reached the road we turned left and crossed the road and walked up to the Spinney Lodge and the footpath runs down the side of this which can be a muddy and is tree lined on both sides. We both said that this would be a great walk in the Autumn and said we would have do it again in the Autumn. We eventually came out of the tree lined track to a footpath junction where we carried start on past a camping site and then passed Darielay Farm and we bared right round the farm house till we came to the road opposite Spains Hall where we turned right.

We decided it was about time to have our picnic here at the gate to the hall unfortunately there was no where to sit just lean up against the fence. So after having ham rolls sausage rolls and a banana we headed along the road through Mill End to Duck End for about half a mile. Ignoring the first footpath sign and just over a small stream we turned right at a black footpath sign over a very high stile into a meadow. We walked through the meadow with Finchingfield church and the windmill in front of us and there was a couple of horses grazing in the meadow so the dogs had to have their leads on. After crossing a bridge with a small stream running underneath we ended up coming out on a road in Finchingfield opposite the windmill.

We turned right here and walked back into the village and stopped by the pond to see the ducks which Rudy thought would be good to play with and kept going into the pond. After crossing over the very small one lane bridge and passing The Fox pub up to to the green where the car was parked. After completing the walk and getting home I realized that we had missed out walking up to St John Baptist church, who is a Silly Billy so yes we will have to do this walk again in the Autumn and make sure we go up to the church and take photos which I will add them to this walk.