Wandering around Warley
- Parks and Pavements
- Nov 14, 2018
- 8 min read
I've always been a bit of a map geek, so when I got an opportunity to trial the premium features of the latest OS Maps iPhone app I jumped at the chance. Rather than buying one paper (or digital) map at a time the subscription provides you with digital maps of the entire UK at both Landranger and Explorer scale, for you to plot routes, annotate and follow. The user interface is simple on both desktop and phone, and in no time at all I'd scoured the local area for footpaths and bridleways that I could explore - saving several routes to my new account. And with the preparation completed, it was soon time to venture outside...
The sun was shining, and the weather was expected to be kind all day, so after dropping the kids off at school I changed into my running gear and drove across town to Harold Wood Park, stopping briefly to pick up some lunch/snack supplies en-route. I had planned a long trail run and wanted to ensure that I'd have plenty of energy for the duration. After parking up I put my trusty backpack and trail shoes on (this was likely to be too slippy for my street shoes), strapped my phone to my arm, popped in my earphones and started my GPS watch. It was all go! How apt then that ELO's 'Discovery' should be playing in my ears as I made my first steps into the unknown.
Heading away from the car park I passed the public tennis courts along a lovely tree-lined path bursting with autumn shades of gold and red. Turning left I passed the kids' playground and made my way across the wooden bridge that links the park with Pages Wood - a Forestry Commission site which forms part of the Thames Chase group of public spaces. Following a brief climb I headed east towards Hall Lane and from here I was able to run gently uphill - following the electricity pylons to my exit point. I'd not run with a backpack for years but it was surprisingly comfortable, and only needed minor strap adjustments to get the hip belt sitting where it should. I was grateful that the contents were pretty light and after a while I forgot that I was wearing it.
After leaving the wood I carefully crossed a couple of roads to reach Tylers Common. A week ago I had made this particular crossing in reverse without issue, but today I was totally stumped for where to go, and wandered back and forth trying to spot the path. On screen it was clearly marked at the very corner of the land, but this was no longer the case, and I eventually found the correct point a short way up the hill. Once I was back on track I cut diagonally across the common towards a pedestrian bridge which spans the M25. As a last-minute decision I chose to veer off and explore the footpath through Jermains Wood, although it was nothing special if I'm honest. I also realised at this point that I would be checking my phone's map fairly regularly, and I'd need to conserve power if I wanted it to last for the entire journey. So, the music was switched off.
At the far side of the bridge I took the gated footpath which connects to Dark Lane. Initially passing through woodland it soon opened into lush, green fields used for farm grazing. The surface was damp and uneven, but I enjoyed heading uphill to the highest point of the run, at 105 metres above sea level. Sadly, the view back towards London was obscured by the trees below, so I never quite got the panoramic photo that I had imagined I would get from this vantage point. As the path leveled out again it also narrowed and as a runner it was difficult to stay in the well-trodden rut. It was here that I took my first tumble of the day. Placing my right leg slightly wide I slipped on the dew-soaked grassy bank and landed with a 'plonk' on my side. Apart from a wet hand and leg (and dented pride) I was perfectly fine so picked myself up and continued with extra caution along the lane to Warley Place.
As a local I've driven past it many times, but never stopped to explore it. Today I decided to incorporate it into my little expedition. Currently owned and maintained by Essex Wildlife Trust Warley Place is a 25 acre nature reserve on the site of the house (no longer standing) and gardens of coveted RHS horticulturalist Ellen Ann Willmott (1858-1934). I slowed to a gentle jog as I followed the numbered posts around the site and read the information about its Edwardian past, imagining how stunning it must have looked in its heyday. It was a lovely quiet place, and the view from the house down to the boating lake must have been quite impressive back then. Today, only partial bits of the exterior walls, greenhouses and conservatory remain but there is an artificial 'alpine ravine' that Mrs Willmott had built which is still standing. Apparently the site is awash with colour in the spring so I'll have to schedule a return trip next year and see for myself.
From the village square I headed west to Beredens Lane, and continued downhill until I reached a footpath on my left. Crossing a stile I had a clear view downhill to the cars and trucks speeding along the motorway and decided that this would make a good place to stop and eat lunch. Sitting on the grass with the sun on my face I felt calm and relaxed, watching the world zoom by below me. Ten lovely minutes later I was back on my feet and following the footpath around the edge of the forest to Hole Farm. And from here it was a straight line to Great Warley Street (B186).
Joining the main road I turned left and immediately noticed the beautiful timbered entrance to the church of St Mary the Virgin - one of just three Art Nouveaux churches in the country, built in 1902. After snapping a picture of the gate I spent a few minutes talking to a lovely gentleman about the church and the local area, and he said I was very welcome to go in and look around - which I did. A short while later it was time to leave, and crossing the road I picked up the next footpath almost directly opposite. Running through another grassy farm field, I soon reached a stile and afterwards a narrow wooden bridge. Hidden in constant shadow its boards were incredibly slippery and before I realised what had happened I found myself on my backside once again. Ouch! Somewhat stunned, I got up slowly and took it a little easier to the end of the path at Bird's Lane.
Following the road south I kept an eye out for my next off-road escape, and after a few hundred metres I spotted the sign pointing left. Initially it ran through woodland but soon opened up into a sloping grass field, rutted with deep tractor tyre imprints. These made progress slow as it was too risky to rush off for fear of landing badly and potentially injuring an ankle or knee. Using the OS Maps app to spot exactly where in the field I was located I joined another footpath back to Warley Street, although I did wonder whether I was in the right place. It felt as though I was walking straight through a fenced-off section of farmland, but as it turned out, I wasn't. Judging by the state of the roadside signage I'd say that not many people use this path and it was simply left to deteriorate and be reclaimed by nature.
When I reached the main road I crossed over and headed down Codham Hall Lane to a 'T' junction, and a bridleway that ran around the edge of the adjoining fields. The surface was wide, flat and gravelly so it was good going, and navigating was straightforward. At this point I had committed to crossing junction 29 of the M25 and soon I was winding my way through Cobham Hall Woods. The route then emerged onto a road which led past a business park and felt very much as though I was heading toward private property, and a total dead end. There was no pavement so I was running on the road and keeping a close eye out for any posts or signage that would prove I had a right to be there! Thankfully, I spotted a well-worn bridleway badge on the wooden fence so with reassurance I continued over the A127 bridge and started to head down the ramp on the other side. Here it felt that I was heading into an industrial wasteland where pedestrians were not a common sight. The bridleway was fenced off and overgrown with thorns and other weeds, which made the going a little awkward. Then came the worst bit.
From my position in the shadow of the dual carriageway I could see a looping access road and beyond that, a large metal gate. As I crossed the road a massive HGV passed by and made me wonder whether I was mad to attempt this bit of the route on foot! To my great relief I made it to the gate in one piece and once safely on the other side, away from the trucks, I was alone once more with a quiet pathway leading off into the distance. Several minutes later I turned right and passed under the M25 via a graffiti'd concrete tunnel that felt like a dreary and lifeless location - complete with dumped rubbish and the remains of a burnt-out moped. As I continued along the edge of the adjoining farm fields I kept a nervous eye over my shoulder and decided that I wouldn't be returning to this particular place anytime soon. Heading north past Franks Wood I joined up with a local marked trail called the Upminster Circular Walk and followed it through dense woodland to Front Lane. From here the footpath passed down an alley behind people's houses (not very scenic), but then it was just a short and squelchy run through Pot Kiln Wood and across a dirt farmer's field to the quaint cottages on Bird Lane. I sensed that the end was now close.
Originally I had intended to take a footpath across a field to the A127 then cross the dual carriageway to continue up another footpath on the opposite side. However, as I reached the stile I was greeted by a very large, very friendly horse who changed my mind. The path itself wasn't well marked on the ground and I didn't fancy trying to negotiate the field with the horse for company, so I decided to stay on the lane until it reached the road bridge. My legs were feeling heavy by now, and I was mindful of the clock ticking down to the afternoon school run, so I re-entered Pages Wood and took the shortest path back to the bridge that I had crossed several hours before. This last bit was a real slog. I was aiming to pass the half-marathon mark for the day's run and I hadn't run such a distance for many months. Crossing the bridge into Harold Wood Park I headed uphill for one final loop of the park - a nod to the training I did there many years ago for a local event that first got me into running. And as I ran the final few metres back to my car the distance on my watch rolled over to 14 miles. Success! I'd had a great day with some brilliant exploring, and it had certainly given me the hunger to find more running routes 'off the beaten track'.
The online map of the route can be viewed here.
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