Little Braxted Walk

This walk was only 2.5 miles long and we choose this one as we both had bought new winter walking boots, we thought a short walk would be best to run them in also we needed to get back into walking again as it had been sometime since we had been on one and also it was just after a lot of festive eating. We had a bit of trouble finding the start of the walk as we went to the center of Little Braxted and as the village is really spread out the mill near the church was along way from the main part of the village but eventually we found it.

Details of Walk

• Date of Walk: 28/12/2015

• Distance: 2.31 Miles

• Level of Difficulty: A Fairly Easy Walk

• Starting Point Postcode: CM8 3ET

• Car Park: Lay-by just before bridge room for two cars

• Refreshments: The Green Man in the village

• Photos Taken on Walk

From where we left the car we crossed the road climbed over a stile and turned right following the road from behind a hedge with a fishing lake on our  left which was once a quarry and there is a few of them round here as they were dug out when they built the A12. We then crossed the road at the entrance to the drive down to Coleman's Farm which we went down until there was a fork and this where had to bare left through a gate on to a farm track which took us round the farm passing a really old black boarded barn and then a field on the right with two donkeys and some horses in it.

We carried on following the track ignoring all the turnings to the left and eventually coming to a lake which you could see through the trees and also from the fishermen's platforms along the way until we came to a gate which led out on to a road. We turned right and had to cross over a humped back bridge over the river Blackwater which was only wide enough for one car to cross, we crossed with caution and was quite surprised that the drivers could not wait a minute for us to cross but kept on coming. Just over the bridge we turned right and went through a kissing gate and followed a path in the field beside a fence and decided we were both hungry and we ate our sandwiches we had brought with us. At the end of the field we went through the gate on the right and then turned left through another gate and it was very muddy here and boggy and we definitely christened our boots. From here it was just walking through a boggy field with sheep in the field on the right that took a interest in our dogs like they always do until we went through the last gate bringing us out on to a farm road.

At the end of the road we went through a wooded area to bring us out on to Little Braxted Lane where we turned right heading down towards the Mill. We passed the Victorian buildings of Little Braxted Hall Farm and then St Nicholas church where the original part of the church dates back to the 12th century but over the years there has been several additions and alterations. After leaving the church and passing Little Braxted Hall and going down hill to the Mill following the road passing the mill, here the road is really narrow, and then over the  bridge to see our car in the layby.