Fog, mist or low cloud....

White Notley to Coggeshall 6½ miles

The weather was decidedly gloomy for the next leg of the walk and increasingly misty the deeper into Essex I travelled. It was cool but not really cold when I got off the train at White Notley. Note to self: when travelling to this station be at the back of the train. I was in the front carriage and I swear it took me five minutes to walk the length of the platform to the exit. The end of the train wasn’t even visible due to the mist. This leg to Coggeshall included the usual footpaths and bridleways as well as two short stretches alongside busy roads. The John Ray Walk shares this part of the Essex Way, established to commemorate the life of a natural historian and Essex man of the seventeenth century.

By Fambridge Hall, I spotted a couple of pigs enjoying their mudbath, however one of them ruined my shot by getting up. Twenty minutes after leaving the station I found myself back there again, just in time to see the train on its way to Liverpool Street! The mist/fog/ low cloud prevented any views at all on the way to Cressing, where I stopped for some refreshment at the church. I passed the time of day with the man who had come to repair the roof. (Please sign this petition re metal theft). Near Cressing but not on the EW route are Cressing Temple Barns. The Wheat Barn,brick-built, and the Barley Barn, weather-boarded, were built by the Knights Templar in the thirteenth century. Attractions include a walled garden and a tea shop.

Next rest stop was Bradwell Church, another typical low church with a small broach spire. This one also had some medieval wall painting but was firmly locked. The route between Cressing and Bradwell was shrouded in mist and I managed to lose the Way again, just briefly by not paying close attention to waymarks. I don’t think this section is the most scenic though, passing an active gravel pit and a tip. From Bradwell , the Way follows the Blackwater valley for a couple of miles but the river was masked by trees.

Arriving at the Grange Barn in Coggeshall, I decided to call it day and catch the bus back to Braintree. Coggeshall is a village full of in interesting architecture, best saved for a brighter day. The number 70 was nearly ten minutes late and I arrived at the bus station with one minute to catch the train. I missed the train by four minutes and was marooned in Braintree for an hour. Time for a late lunch (ham sandwich, banana and orange juice from Sainsbury) before heading home. Coggeshall marks the halfway point along the Essex Way and I intend to resume the walk next spring when the days are longer.

Some Essex Way facts
Progress along the route 41 miles. Total miles walked 53.5 miles.

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