Blackmore Circular Walk

On Saturday the 20th May 2017, I had  a spare hour or so before I had to pick my son up from a birthday party. So I headed down to Blackmore (one of my favourite Essex Villages) for a quick walk with my dog Ben.

I parked up in Blackmore and headed out crossing Ingatestone Road onto a footpath that is part of St Peters Way ( a long distance path).

The village was recorded in the Domesday Book as 'Phingaria' which was a Latinised form of its original Anglo-Saxon name, Fingreth, meaning 'the stream of the people of Fin'. It is thought that the name Blackmore was introduced in the Middle Ages as a reference to 'Black Marsh' or 'Black Swamp'.

The Priory Church of St Laurence church marks the site of a former Augustinian Priory, dissolved during the reign of Henry VIII in 1525. The church is the original building (but without the chancel, which was destroyed at the time of dissolution) and is now the parish church. It has one of the last remaining all-wooden steeples in England. The site still shows signs of the original moat. The village itself is believed to have migrated to a location closer to the chapel of the Priory from around Fingrith Hall during the mediaeval period.

Jericho Priory, on the site adjacent to the church and still within the moated area, was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier 16th-century building which was believed to be the country retreat of Henry VIII and where, in 1520, his 'natural son', Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond, was born.

Other old buildings in the village include the 15th- 16th-century Bull Inn, a traditional Essex timber-framed house, and Fingreth Hall, in the north of the parish, where Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer during the Elizabethan era lived.

I missed the signs for St Peters Way and wandered off the path and ended up at Howletts Hall.

Howletts Hall has been a family farm since 1870 .

Set in 500 acres of beautiful farm and woodland. It is a place of natural beauty and wildlife. You can taste the thought, care and respect of nature in our top quality venison and game. 

Established in 2000 by Peter Maclure, and born through his passion for Venison & Game, Howlett Hall has established a reputation for supplying wild game, much of it provided through Peter's own skills as a marksman, game stalker and butcher. 

So Ben and I wandered back onto the path and back up to passing a beautiful property called Stoney Lodge near Bell Grove and Beggars Hill.

Stoney Lodge

Stoney Lodge

Just before Beggars Hill after exiting the posh white gates at the above property we turn right into the woods at Bell Grove.

Ladder up to a hide used for shooting.

We exit onto Blackmore Road and walk up the road for a while before taking another footpath.

We turn right onto a footpath that will lead us back to Blackmore.

The sun was shining down on a meadow of lovely buttercups as the sky grew more menacing grey as rain was looming before long.

The path leading to Blackmore

Again we cross Ingatestone Road as we leave the path and back into Blackmore.

The village is surrounded by countryside and has been named Essex best kept village of the year, for 1982, 1984, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2003, and Essex Village of the Year 1997. The village green has a small pond at its eastern end. To the east of the village itself is a cottage which was built in 1345.

My Strava app recorded 5.1 miles, We hop back into the car just as the rain started to pour down. A well timed walk I'd say.

Hanningfield Reservoir to Ramsden Heath (With a stop off in Stock) 11th April 2016

I left home and drove to Hanningfield Reservoir and parked in the car park by the Essex Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre.  
The reservoir is one of the premier fisheries in the UK providing some of the best reservoir trout fishing by either bank or boat.
 The reservoir is the 11th largest reservoir in England with an area of 3.5 square kilometres (880 acres). The reservoir was formed by W. & C. French in 1957 at a cost of about £6m, by flooding an area of South Hanningfield covering the ancient hamlet of Peasdown.
 Giffords Farm and Fremnells Manor were also flooded. Contrary to popular belief, no buildings survive under the water, however an earth removal machine was left 'in situ' and concreted over prior to filling. The reservoir was built in an area formerly known as Sandon Valley, and large parts of the reservoir and surrounding countryside have been developed as a nature reserve.

The Wind in the Willows Sculpture & Brass Rubbing Trail features stunning, large-scale wooden sculptures of characters from Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved book The Wind in the Willows, first published in 1908. All the favourite characters are there: Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger – as well as two dastardly Weasels.
The trail follows paths through the stunning woodland of the Trust nature reserve, with fantastic views of the reservoir (which is owned by Essex & Suffolk Water). People can purchase trail guides in the Trust’s visitor centre and then embark in Mole’s footsteps, into the ‘Wild Wood’, to seek out the sculptures. Beside each sculpture is a brass rubbing, from which people can fill in images of the characters on spaces in the guide, by using the crayons provided.
The Trail opened to the public on Saturday 28 March, before an official opening event later this year. It is the latest is a series of The Wind in the Willows-themed activities and events at Essex Wildlife Trust Hanningfield Reservoir. Last year, The Wind in the Willows Wildlife Garden, which features Ratty’s Boat and Toad’s Caravan, opened.

I popped into two hides but didnt see much other than Pochards,Tufted duck,Mallards,Greylag Geese and Canadian Geese.

I continue along the path passing the delightful Wind In The Willows characters. I loved that book when I was a child.

I head of over to the Fishing Lodge and the boats.

The wood is awash with Bluebells, nothing screams spring to me like a Bluebell wood,Daffodils and playful lambs. (No lambs today though).

Carrion Crow

Greylag Goose

I reach the fishing lodge. Here there was a tackle shop and restaurant. Had a quick peek at the menu, was tempted with a jacket potato but at £5 I gave it a miss, bit hard up this month!

I head back up through the woods.

I stop at a bench to have a cup of tea and an apple and take in the sights and listen to the beautiful bird song filling the wood. I heard Great Tits,Blue tits,Robins and blackbirds amongst others.

I reach the car park and I head out onto Hawkswood Road outside and head up the road past the reservoir.

As I pass I see Mute swan and a Black swan that appeared to have paired off. I saw mallards,tufted duck ,pollards and a crested Grebe.

I pass Crowsheath Fishery. The lakes are set in 110 acres of picturesque farmland, woodland and rolling countryside with an abundance of wildlife. There are three lakes at Crowsheath, the main carp and pike lake stocking carp up to 42lbs with 7 known 30′s and plenty of 20′s. With loads of pike up to lower mid twenties for a great bit of winter sport. There is a catfish lake holding the UK’s largest mandarin catfish which has tipped the scales at 72lbs previously with other catfish up to 92 pound. There is also a coarse and carp lake and is perfect for a spot of float fishing or carpers who just want a bend in their rod.

After a bit of road walking I turn right onto a footpath and through a wooded area.

Now a reach a serious piece of mud, that even my mate Dave Harris would be proud of. A sign warns of Deep Sludge and a risk of sinking!

I carefully negotiate a path around and I am on my way out into farmland.

I cross Downham Road and take a footpath opposite and across more farmland and into another wood. I emerge out onto a road and pass the sign for Ramsden Heath. I take another footpath a short way down that goes straight through someones driveway.

I emerge onto a road and take a footpath across more farmland pass a small lake before rejoining Hawkswood Road and walking back pass the reservoir and to my car.

I drive up to Stock for a quick look about before driving home. Thought I remember there being more here. But I have confused that with Ingatestone that I will pass through later on my way home.

The origins of the village are uncertain and are subject to debate. Archaeological finds suggest that during the Iron Age period there was a settlement on the site. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not mention Stock. Formerly half of the village was in the parish of Buttsbury and the parish had within its boundaries a hamlet which was a detached part of Orsett. Both of these anomalies have now been resolved.

A small walk of 6 miles but lovely to get out in this fine Spring weather.