Essex Walks
Explore the delightful Tudor town of Coggeshall in Essex with these walks that blend heritage, riverside scenery and open landscapes.
Step back in time as you trace the legacy of Thomas Paycocke, taking in The Chapel of St. Nicholas, St Peter ad Vincula Church and the impressive medieval Grange Barn along the way.
There is a little road walking involved, and some stretches can become muddy, especially after wet weather.
From a gentle wander around the town’s historic streets to longer routes that venture west along the Essex Way and return beside the River Blackwater, these walks offer a choice of distance and challenge.
The longest option heads further out into the surrounding fields for those wanting more of a leg stretch, before guiding you back past Paycockes House and Gardens and into the heart of Coggeshall, where welcoming pubs await for a well-earned break.
Download the Essex Walks App to follow these routes with real-time GPS navigation.
Walk information
Take a walk through the Tudor town of Coggeshall. Walk in the footsteps of Thomas Paycocke and visit The Chapel of St. Nicholas, The St Peter ad Vincula Church and the medieval Grange Barn.
There is some road walking on this historic walk, and parts of this route may get muddy.
Based on 4 user ratings
A very popular walk
Real feedback from people who have completed this walk using the Essex Walks app.
First-hand experiences
Lovely walk around Coggeshall! We did the route with a buggy and, overall, found it very manageable. There is one section where the path gets narrower, with stinging nettles along one side, so you need to take a little more care with a buggy. The ground itself was fine for us, although we did it during a very dry summer, so I imagine this section could be trickier after wet weather.Overall, a great walk with a buggy, and useful to know that most of the route is easily manageable - just bear the weather and that narrower section in mind.
Can be a bog-fest. Take wellies! (I wish I did and I had great walking boots)
Walk information
If you have more time, then this second route enjoys everything from the first walk, but also extends it with a long walk out into the countryside to the west of the town.
After visiting the church, abbey, chapel and barn from the first route, you'll then head west along the Essex way for a stretch of walking before looping back and walking back to the town alongside the River Blackwater.
As an added bonus, you'll also pass Paycockes House and Gardens as you come back into the town which you can visit if you wish.
This route can get very muddy after lots of wet weather, so wellies could be essential if this is the case.
Based on 9 user ratings
A very popular walk
Real feedback from people who have completed this walk using the Essex Walks app.
First-hand experiences
Spot on, there areas where will be better to wear trousers.
We did this in early November and it took us 1h 15m. It was a bit wet and muddy in places but mothing too challenging. Nunn’s Bridge is fabulous! Not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies. Might be okay with a buggy in the summer.
Very muddy in winter, take wellies!
Lovely place to look around before heading out in surrounding countryside. ...Some places very muddy, as you’d expect in December.
Some of the routes were overgrown coming back into the village but you can just keep to the path next to the road for the last ten minutes.
Walk information
If you really want to stretch your legs, this longest route is an adventure that takes you much deeper into the countryside surrounding Coggleshall.
You'll still enjoy the historical buildings from the first two routes, but this one has a lot more open countryside to enjoy if you want your walk to be a bit more of a work out.
Based on 2 user ratings
An outstanding walk
Real feedback from people who have completed this walk using the Essex Walks app.
First-hand experiences
Great walk from a lovely village. Nice tea room in village for a coffee or lunch. Highly recommend
The path approaching Nun’s Bridge was flooded and unpassable, so we had to go back to the Essex Way footpath and head back into Coggeshall via this route.
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