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26 May 2012
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Walks


Cream coloured pub with red-brick building behind.
The Compasses at Littley Green

A country walk in mid in Essex

Littley Green is a tiny hamlet about six miles from Chelmsford, Great Dunmow and Braintree. It is in fact in the north east of Great Waltham parish and far away from the ratrace. No shop, no church, but a great pub, from which we start.

Littley Park and Howe Street

Distance: 5 miles
In brief: Littley Green is a tiny hamlet about six miles from Chelmsford, Great Dunmow and Braintree. This walk allows you to discover the countryside around it.

Start: Start at the Compasses pub. Turn off the A130/A131 onto the B1008 and take first right to Howe Street. Where the A130 goes over the road turn right to drive under the A130 then immediately left. Littley Green is a mile down this road.

Contact details:
address: Littley Green

Parking: There is parking at The Compasses but please ask the landlord first.


Single track road with fields either side

Leave the Compasses Inn and turn right. Turn right again at a road signposted to Hartford End, and walk for 600 yards towards a group of houses and farm buildings. There are fine wide views to the left over the Chelmer Valley.

Turn sharp left with the road and follow it as it drops downhill towards the River Chelmer. Just before reaching a crossing road you go into Uttlesford district. The industrial buildings ahead are Ridleys Brewery at Hartford End.

Red-brick mill with trees and grass in front.
Mill House

Turn left for a few yards and then at a concrete footpath sign turn right. Walking past the brewery, follow the long drive to the mill house. This is the home of the Ridley family.

Follow the drive over the river, past the front of the house and continue through a wooden gate.

Turn left, and follow a path over a bridge, crossing the secondary stream. On your left is a small metal gate with a sign saying 'private waters no fishing' on it, go through and follow the path cut up the field round the wood (The Gorse).

Field with trees on left-hand side

When the wood ends, turn right up a field edge and follow the path south with the wood on your right. At the end of the wood continue over a field to a crossing track. From here look back to the tranquil view of Littleypark across the valley.

Turn right and left to walk on a field edge with the hedge on your left. When the hedge ends continue across a field for 450 yards, aiming well to the left of a modern-looking house. You reach a gap in the hedge ahead by a footpath sign. This is Stumps Cross where two roads, a path, and a lane meet.

Mud track with trees either side
Dunmow Lane

Cross over the busy road and take the green lane (Dunmow Lane) to the left, running in seclusion for 1.25 miles.

When you reach nearly to the end of the lane, at Walthambury, turn left at a white topped foothpath sign and you will see a tall white topped marker post on the ridge ahead.

Walk across the field towards the post and continue with a ditch on your right to a second marker post. From here walk downhill aiming for a white building; The Green Man at Howe Street.

Cross a stile into a small hilly pasture and then another stile out to the road. (If you want to avoid walking across the field you can join the main road from Dunmow Lane and turning left follow the road keeping the field to your left).

Hill House
Hill House

On leaving the field turn left on the road for 40 yards and then right at a concrete footpath sign. Go down the track and cross a stile by a gate and a farm bridge over a rough field, soon crossing two stiles on your right.

Head uphill (east) with a hedge on your left to come to a road. This is Essex Regiment Way. Cross the road and soon come to a very fine building; Hill House. Turn left along the road, passing Barley Hill and Well House Farm.

Wooden bench with bird baths either side

After less then 0.5 mile come to Frogshall Cottage. A footpath sign points down a track to the left and you follow it, turning right along the field edge with the river on your left. 20 yards before the hedge turns to your right, drop down to the left over a bridge and stile. Continue past a pond on your left to cross a stile then a bridge and stile.

Wooden bridge over small river

Near a bridge over the river there are three stiles. Cross the one to the right down steps to a sunken lane. Turn right and climb up to the green at Butlers, another fine old house. At a byway sign turn left along the road. Less than 250 yards further on you come back to Littley Green and The Compasses Inn is just through the village.

last updated: 13/09/05
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