Walk Report

West Essex Circular, Saturday 20th November 2010
20 walkers, 19 miles - leader Lonica Vanclay
20 of us set off at 9.30 - thick but high grey clouds in the sky. This being Essex wide open spaces, low ridges and sweeping vistas of fields with scattered trees lay ahead - certainly that had been the case when I did the recce three weeks ago. However just an hour into the walk and through the first of many pretty small villages with thatch cottages the fog rolled in - and for the remainder of the walk we could seldom see more than a 100 yards ahead. Trees at very close quarters when we walked through a small copse - otherwise fields and mud - it could have been anywhere! Fortunately the pub was very welcoming - a 17th-century farm cottage now a very cosy pub - tasty food - and the pub owner even brought us a bowl of chips to share. He promised that if we came back in the summer he'd show us the 17th-century stained glass sundial in the church. And I have to say - I think I will have to do the very same walk again in the summer so at least we can see what we should have seen.

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