Viewranger File Here
On Monday the 13th of September 2021 I drove for just under an hour to Tolleshunt D'Arcy and parked up in a small layby just past St Nicholas Church on Church Street.
The name Tolleshunt originates from the Anglo-Saxon Tolleshunta which means Toll's spring. Toll was an Anglo-Saxon chief who settled in large areas of forest, establishing clearings where water was readily available.
William the Conqueror gave the manor to Ralph Peverell for services rendered during the Conquest. The latter part of the village name altered as female heirs changed the name to that of their husbands. It became known as Tolleshunt Tregoz, Tolleshunt Valoines and Tolleshunt de Boys. John D'Arcy married a daughter of the De Boys family. By this match the estate came to the D'Arcy family in the 15th century. It remained in the family until the death of Thomas D'Arcy in 1593.
During that period, D'Arcy Hall, an early 16th-century building, was built as the family home and still remains. The interior is made from wood panelling bearing Anthony D'Arcy's initials and the date 1540. The bridge on the moat dates from the Elizabethan period as does the dovecote in the grounds. The russet D'Arcy Spice apple originated from the gardens in 1840. In the centre of the village is a Maypole which is a listed monument, and is one of the only genuine Maypoles remaining in the country. The base is now protected by a wooden cage.
I planned to see the maypole at the end of the walk back into the village, but the route I uploaded to the GPS didn't take me pass sadly.
I walk from the car up a short way to Beckingham Road where I turn right and up a bit to Festival gardens and onto a footpath at the end over farm fields.
I pass a pretty pond on Hill Farm as I walk across fields full of Pheasants that suddenly burst out of the hedgerows into the air.
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| Cornflowers line the footpath. |
I continue walking across farmland with not a lot to see apart from the flocks of Pheasants running down the path and bursting skywards from the long grass and flowers.
I walk out onto Tudwick Road turn right and walk a 100m before taking another footpath on my right.
I walk across Tucketts Farm and past a few haystacks.
As I approach Oxley Green Farm, a water tower comes into view.
This large concrete water tower situated to the south of Tiptree forms part of the water supply network in the area. It is at 50m above sea level and is home to a pair of breeding kestrels.
I leave the farm and join Oxley Hill in Oxley Green and I turn right and walk on down the road.
I turn left onto a footpath on my left and pass a sign 'WILKIN & SONS LTD PRIVATE CARAVAN SITE'. No sign of any caravans here. Wilkin & Sons Ltd is of course the famous jam makers up the road in Tiptree.
I walk through a small wooded area, the shade is appreciated.
I exit onto Blind Land in Tolleshunt Knights, cross a bridge over a dismantled railway and turn right at the top into Rectory Road.
From 1904 to 1951 the village was served by a small station on the Kelvedon and Tollesbury Light Railway.
TNotables residents of Tolleshunt Knights include the Cottee Family who have inhabited the small village and it’s neighbouring village, Tiptree, for over 400 years. They finally decided to settle in the village after leaving the Kingdom of France, they later decided to Anglicise their surname to the more English sounding Cottee from the French Lescot
I reach St John The Baptist Monastery here in Tolleshunt Knights. There were signs saying Monastery closed. I assume due to the Covid pandemic.
But not knowing if I'll ever walk this way again, I decided to walk in and look at the outside. It'd be shame to miss it. Apparently in normal times, they welcome visitors and are happy to show you around.
Archimandrite Sophrony
The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist is a monastic community for both men and women, directly under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. It is located in Tolleshunt Knights, near Maldon, Essex, in England, and is the oldest Orthodox religious community in the UK.
The religious community was founded in 1958 by Elder Sophrony, under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Anthony, Metropolitan of Sourozh and ruling Russian bishop in England, with six monastics from a number of nations; soon after, in 1965, the Monastery moved under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The community consists of men and women living the monastic tradition of a Christ-centred prayer life. Currently, there are just under 40 monastics in the community, the majority of whom are nuns, with a smaller number of monks.
When founding the monastery, Elder Sophrony wanted to be sure that his community would not just have outward conformity, but have its focus on inner asceticism. The typikon of the monastery, consisting of repetition of the Jesus Prayer for approximately 4 hours per day and Divine Liturgy three or four times per week, found inspiration in Elder Sophrony's experience in the Athonite desert, and precedent in Athonite skete practise, St Nicodemus and St Paisius Velichkovsky.
Also, another distinctive part of this monastery is that it is a double monastery; that is, the community has both monks and nuns. This is rare, but is not unheard of, in Orthodox monasticism.
A nun walked towards me saying "You shouldn't be here, there are signs outside". I apologise and leave.
I continue on down Rectory Road before taking a footpath on my left and across Manifold Wick Farm.
I exit out and turn right onto Barnhall Road.
Its a mile of this busy road now, not pleasant and I'm hopping on and off the verge frequently to let cars pass.
I cross the Colchester Road and down another thankfully quieter road into Salcott-Cum-Virley.
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| The Old Post Office in Salcott-Cum-Virley. |
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| Memory Tree in front of The Old School House. |
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| The Parish Church of St Mary Salcott. |
Salcott is recorded in 1317 as being a market town with paved streets. Its people felt they should have a Rector of their own. so in 1372 a request for this was made to the Bishop of London - Essex was then in that Diocese. A commission was set up, depositions were made by local inhabitants but no change appears to have been made - Salcott remaining a chapel to Great Wigborough until the 19th. century. About 1480 a Chantry was founded in the Church by John Baron with a Chantry Priest to sing Mass and administer the Sacraments, but this was all dissolved circa 1550 in the reign of Edward VI. The plate was confiscated and the chantry lands were given to John Raynforth who also stole the Church bells. It is stated that at that time there were 140 'Houseling people' (communicants).
I walk on to the end of the road and take a footpath over March Farm to the Marshes at Salcott Creek.
I follow the footpath along the marsh and mudflats.
After a while I take a path on my right across Old Marsh Hall Farm.
This then joins the Marshes at Old Hall Creek.
After more walking along the creek, I take a path away from the Saltmarshes and across farmland.
I continue across more farmland and then alongside a house with a lovely lake in its garden.
I walk up a the road a short way before taking another path across fields.
I walk out onto Tollesbury Road and back into Tollesbury D'Arcy.
I reach the junction below, if you turn right here onto South Street, you'll find the pub ,the Maypole and D'Arcy House. Hindsight is a beautiful thing! Oh well I continue back onto Church Street.
I now reach St Nicholas Church in Tolleshunt D'Arcy.
Parish Church of St. Nicholas stands in the village. The walls are of rubble with dressings of limestone or clunch; the roofs are covered with tiles and slates. The lower part of the West Tower has an early 14th-century window and may be of this date but it with the nave was remodelled or rebuilt late in the 14th century. Early in the 15th century the Chancel was rebuilt and later in the same century the North Chapel and South Porch were added. Early in the 16th century the North Vestry was added. The church was restored in the 19th century when the vestry was reduced in size by rebuilding the E. wall further West.
I am now back at the car at just under 11.5 miles, ready for the drive home.
