Walk 30 : Wivenhoe (round walk)

To Rowhedge by ferry across the River Colne

Length	14 km (8.7 miles), 4 hours 15 minutes. For the whole outing, including trains, sights, meals and ferries, allow at least 9 hours 25 minutes
OS Landranger Map	No.168. Wivenhoe, map reference TM 036 217, is in Essex, 5 km south- east of Colchester.
OS Explorer Map	No.184
Toughness	2 out of 10
Features	This walk is made up of 2 loops, one on the Wivenhoe side of the river Colne, and one on the Rowghedge side. However, there is no bridge - you need to take a ferry. This means the full walk is only possible at weekends and on bank holiday Mondays between Easter and the middle of October, when the ferry at Wivenhoe is working (although you might be lucky enough to thumb a lift across from a boat at other times). You also need to get there at a time to suit the tides (see Saturday Walkers’ Club details below). But it is well worth making the extra effort to fit in this unusual walk. The first half of the walk is 7km, so allow 2 hours for this. Wivenhoe, perhaps because of its proximity to the University of Essex, is a remarkable village bursting with community spirit, with volunteers out there constantly manning the ferry, re-roofing the boat house or washing down the slipways. There are always half a dozen dinghies being made by amateurs in the riverside’s Nottage Maritime Institute. From the church and town, the morning’s walk is along the mudflats of the River Colne past zones of former dereliction (now in the course of regeneration through new housing ), past a £ 14.5 million flood surge barrier, and past sand-extraction works and lakes created in old extraction craters. Returning to Wivenhoe, catch the ferry over to the village of Rowhedge (the each way fare is £ 1-50 per passenger, £ 1-00 for the over 65’s – this is less than the ferry’s upkeep cost, and the ferry relies on donations to keep it going). Rowhedge must be the only village in the UK where swans frequently block the main high street. But having circumvented this fearsome obstacle, you go via the church into a wood controlled by the Ministry of Defence and used on occasions as a firing range. The last part of the return journey is, for me, the highlight of the day: passing the lovely Norman Church of St Andrew in Fingringhoe, with its chequerboard design of banded flint, to the former Fingringhoe Mill and on along the John Brunning Walk – mudflats and saltmarshes beside Roman River, and a haven for heron, redshank, lapwing, sheldruck, kestrels and barn owls.
Shortening the walk	Both in the morning and the afternoon, shorten the walk or retrace your steps as necessary to ensure that you do not miss the ferry. A short cut for the morning walk is given in the walk directions (see the asterisk [*] below. It is also possible to do just the first or just the second half of the walk. The printed ferry timetable (see below) also contains several suggested shorter walks. Buses from Head Street in Rowhedge leave for Colchester every 15 minutes or so.
History	In the fifteenth century, the twelfth Earl of Oxford was Lord of the Manor at Wivenhoe. He and his comrade-in-arms Viscount Beaumont held out in the last castle to surrender to the Lancastrians. They were imprisoned for over a decade. Beaumont later went insane, was looked after by Oxford, and died. Oxford then married Beaumont's young wife Elizabeth. The fine brasses to Elizabeth and Beaumont lie in the chancel of the parish church. In the 1750s, there was a health spa at Wivenhoe, with fashionable folk taking seawater baths at a fee of one guinea for the season. An earthquake on April 22nd 1884 damaged over 200 buildings, with nearly two tons of brickwork crashing through the roof of Wivenhoe Hall. In 1916 the army erected a bridge over the river, which King George V came to inspect, but it was demolished after the war. The Nottage Maritime Institute (tel 01206 823 029) in Wivenhoe was founded in 1896 by Captain Charles Nottage to 'improve navigation skills'. It has information on the area's maritime heritage, and welcomes visitors from 11am to 4.30pm daily from late April until mid-September (or by arrangement at other times). The flood surge barrier was completed in 1993, and is designed to resist the highest tide likely to be seen in a thousand years. Sluices ensure the tidal flow is unchanged except when the barrier is closed. The north wall of the Church of St Andrew at Fingringhoe dates from 1100. The church originally belonged to a French priory in Mersey, and was dedicated to their St Ouen, who was Archbishop of Rouen. St Ouen has since been corrupted to St Andrew. Items hidden within the church at the time of the Reformation have recently been uncovered, including a Trinity crucifix. Fingringhoe Mill closed in the early 1990s. It was a tidal mill in the sixteenth century, with a wheel underneath, but was converted to steam in the 1800s.
Saturday Walkers Club	Wivenhoe Ferry Trust and possibly its timetable The timing for this walk has to be rather complicated because of the need to fit in with the varying tides on the River Colne. To work out the right train to catch, consult the Wivenhoe Ferry timetable or, if you don’t have a copy, ‘phone the volunteers who run the Wivenhoe Ferry Trust (Doug Myers, Bosun and Vice-Chair , on 01206-824836) or Richard Allerton (Secretary) on 01206-824118 for timetable times within which the tide allows the ferry to operate for the day you wish to go (usually a three and a half hour window, eg: 2-15pm to 5-45 pm). Catch the latest train from London Liverpool Street Station to Wivenhoe that will arrive at least two hours before the official printed timetable start of the ferry operating period (in the example above, by 12-15 pm). This will allow you do the opening, Wivenhoe leg of the walk first before catching the ferry. However, if this would mean catching a train that leaves Liverpool Street before 8-45 am, then catch the latest train that will get to Wivenhoe at least 5 minutes before the start of the ferry operating period, and then catch the ferry straightaway on arrival, and do the second half of the walk first ( the Rowhedge leg, on the far side of the river) and do the Wivenhoe leg later. Allow at least two hours for the Rowhedge leg and leave plenty of time to get back to the ferry before the last crossing back to Wivenhoe. If you miss the ferry back, you could catch a bus or a taxi into Colchester. Some weekends there is no ferry service due to tide times, so on these occasions select another TO walk. To obtain your own copy of the ferry timetable, write to Wivenhoe Ferry Trust, c/o Doug Myers, The Nook, Wivenhoe, CO7 9NH and enclose £ 1-00. The timetable is also available from Wivenhoe Bookshop by credit card (tel. 01206-824050). The train journey takes about 1 hour 9 minutes
Lunch	On the Wivenhoe side The suggested lunch place is the Rose & Crown pub (tel. 01206-826371) on The Quay, serving food midday to 2 pm daily, and from midday to 7 pm at weekends. On the Rowhedge side The suggested lunch place is The Anchor pub (tel. 01206-728382 on the High Street ( 80 metres from the ferry’s jetty ), serving food from midday to 2 pm, and 6-15 pm to 9 pm, Monday to Saturday, and from midday to 8-30 pm on Sunday. The Ye Olde Albion pub (tel. 01206-728972) at Rowhedge Quay does not serve food but welcomes walkers and allows them to eat sandwiches inside or outside – but do please buy a drink. This Free House is a watering hole for lovers of real ale, being CAMRA pub of the year in 2007.
Tea	You have several options for tea back on the Wivenhoe side of the river: The Rose & Crown pub. The Tudor Tea Rooms on the High Street (closed on Sundays). The Greyhound pub (tel. 01206-825573) on the High Street, near the start of the walk, now open on Sundays, and serves “Black Sheep” beer. The Black Buoy pub (tel. 01206-822425) on East Street. The Station pub (tel. 01206-822991) next to Wivenhoe railway station. The Nottage Maritime Institute sometimes serves tea and cakes in the afternoon, up to 5 pm. If you have time for tea on the Rowhedge side, your options are The Anchor pub or Ye Olde Albion pub.

Travel by Train	Out: Back:
Travel by Car	Start: Wivenhoe Station is near : CO7 9DJ [gmap]
OS Explorer Map	184 : Colchester [Amazon]
Revised	This walk was fully revised in : Aug-08 For the walk map, please see the Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1
Other Suffolk Walks	Bures to Sudbury, Manningtree (round walk), Wakes Colne to Bures,

Walking Instructions 

[Numbers refer to the map]

From the Station to the Ferry

1. [1] Coming off platform 2 at Wivenhoe Station, do not go over the bridge but take the tarmac path on its left-hand side, your direction 115 degrees. In 30 metres you pass the Station pub on the other side of the railway tracks. 45 metres further on turn left, go up steps to an earth car road, with King Georges Field opposite. Here you turn right, your direction 80 degrees, keeping straight on, ignoring ways off.
2. In 70 metres the road becomes tarmac and keep ahead, passing a car park with public WCs on your left. In 60 metres, at the High Street T-junction, with the Greyhound pub opposite, you turn right downhill. In 85 metres you pass the entrance to St Mary’s Church. In a further 50 metres, bend right with the main road for 10 metres, to continue down to the banks of the River Colne

The Walk on the Wivenhoe side of the river

3. Turn left , along The Quay.
4. In 20 metres you pass the Nottage Maritime Institute on your left-hand side and, in a further 10 metres, the Rose & Crown pub.
5. Continue straight on, along a gravel track next to the riverbank, in 50 metres going over a concrete ramp with a wooden jetty on its right. The route ahead through the former Cook’s Shipyard (described in the Book as a semi-derelict zone) is now diverted, permanently - or temp­orarily until the new residential development is completed.
6. Turn left up Bethany Street, and in 30 metres bear left around the Black Buoy pub ahead. In a further 30 metres you reach the junction with East Street, where you turn right down Brook Street. Bear left, then right down Brook Street and pass St. John Road (cul-de-sac) on your right.
7. 20 metres further on, turn right along a footpath, left of the Estate Road, with temporary metal barriers on your right-hand side, and continue along this diverted footpath as it winds through the Bryant Homes development of Cook’s Shipyard. In 200 metres you rejoin the Book’s directions by the Environment Agency’s Colne Barrier Flood Control HQ and the barrier itself.
8. In 30 metres you are back on the riverbank. In 25 metres you pass the Wivenhoe Sailing Club on your left-hand side. A dismantled railway line runs parallel away on your left-hand side. You walk on the gravel and stone surfaced sea wall path, in 50 metres going through a wooden swing gate and barrier.
9. In 100 metres ignore steps down to your left [A] (this is where the walk rejoins the sea wall path towards the end of the "Wivenhoe side" leg of the walk – see below). In a further 50 metres, you pass the sand extraction workings on the other bank.
10. 280 metres past these workings, you go through a wooden kissing gate, some 10 metres past a wooden plank seat on your left, and continue on the sea wall path. In another 280 metres you pass a wrought iron metal bench on your left-hand side. In 270 metres, just as your path is entering trees, ignore a wooden kissing gate to the left [2].
    • If you want a short cut back to town, take this path and in 400 metres you come to a lane T-junction where you go left – see the asterisk [*] below – rejoining the main walk.
11. But continuing with the main walk: the path bears right and you continue ahead, ignoring ways off and in 330 metres you cross a path with a footpath post on your left and continue onwards. In 140 metres you have a choice of either forking right on a path (between 8” wide lichen covered concrete gateposts), your direction 210 degrees, back down to the riverbank, to continue for 200 metres by the riverbank before rejoining the “upper” path, or just stay on the “upper” path.
12. If you have kept on the “upper” path, continue ahead, ignoring ways off, and in 500 metres with the red-brick Alfresford Lodge (marked on the OS map) on your left-hand side, at 50 degrees from you, fork left at a path junction through concrete posts, your direction 120 degrees, to continue with a fence and field on your left-hand side. In 125 metres ignore a grassy way to your left. In a further 240 metres, you pass the remnants of a derelict pier on your right-hand side, with abandoned towers with pulleys which once carried overhead conveyors away to your left.
13. In 100 metres [3] turn left on an earth car road, your direction 50 degrees. Go straight on, as the road surface becomes tarmac , ignoring ways off, gently uphill . In 170 metres you pass sand extraction works to your left-hand side, and then a giant sand extraction crater to your right. 250 metres further uphill, take the signposted public bridleway left, by a house called Broomlands, your direction 295 degrees, on a concrete road . In 80 metres go under a red-and-white height restriction barrier to continue along the concrete road, with a lake away to your right-hand side. In a further 230 metres, 5 metres before a pedestrian sign, fork left, avoiding Alfreston Lodge Road, to go parallel to the quarry road, going through a metal fieldgate in 25 metres.
14. In 190 metres, where your track begins to have hedges on both sides, fork left to continue in the same direction, now with the hedges on your right-hand side. In 150 metres [4] turn right through a wooden swing gate and turn left [*] to rejoin the tarmac lane and continue on towards town, your direction 335 degrees.
15. In 400 metres you go through or around a metal fieldgate – there is a house, Alfresford Grange, to its left-hand side.
16. In 200 metres ignore a private road to the left. In a further 270 metres, you come out on to a main road where you turn left, your direction 305 degrees.
17. In 110 metres [5], opposite the driveway of a house called The Chase, go left through a metal kissing gate, your direction 260 degrees, on a path gently downhill through trees and bushes . In 280 metres go through another metal kissing gate and onwards. In 220 metres go over a stile and turn half right over the disused railway bank and along a grassy path across a water meadow, heading back towards the riverbank.
18. In 225 metres climb up steps ([A], see above) and turn right back along the sea wall path and you need to retrace your steps into town, to the Rose & Crown pub. The ferry is 25 metres beyond the pub.

The Walk on the Rowhedge Side of the river

19. Take the ferry to Rowhedge. From the jetty turn left across a green to The Anchor pub, the suggested lunch place this side of the river. Ye Olde Albion pub is another 100 metres further down the High Street.
20. To continue the walk : opposite the Anchor pub, turn uphill on Church Street. In 120 metres you bear left into the churchyard of the Church of St. Lawrence.
21. In 45 metres you pass the church on your left-hand side and in 25 metres you go on out of the church gates on the other side, to continue on, along Church Hill, your direction 265 degrees. In 50 metres, at a road crossing, with house No.17 on your left-hand side, go left, due south, on Taylors Road.
22. In 70 metres you come to a T-junction [6] where you go right, on Parkfield Street , your direction 265 degrees. In 50 metres you go through a metal swing gate on a signposted public footpath, straight on, with a sports field and a line of trees (“each a living memorial to those in the village who died in the war”) on your right.
23. In 200 metres go through a metal barrier into the wood and onwards, ignoring ways off.
24. In 60 metres, having swung left with the path, ignore a path down to the left and bear right. In another 60 metres, at the start of a wooden fence and houses to your right-hand side, ignore the narrow path down to the left and steps down to the right. Then in 50 metres, by a footpath post, ignore a path to the right and fork left, your initial direction 230 degrees.
25. In 75 metres you come to a concrete road, with a public footpath signposted right, but you go straight across, your direction 230 degrees. In 12 metres you pass between two concrete bollards and bear left .
26. In a further 65 metres by a footpath post fork right (where going left would lead to a burial ground in 35 metres), your direction 260 degrees. There is a large and rather lovely lake down off to your right-hand side.
27. In 150 metres you come to a tarmac road [7], which you cross, and pass through a wooden kissing gate and into Ministry of Defence land. You nevertheless continue on, following the public footpath sign, your direction 295 degrees initially . In 30 metres the path bears left and in a further 70 metres ignore a signposted fork to the right and keep on the main path, your direction 240 degrees.
28. In 220 metres you come to a path crossing where you go straight on, along a more minor path, marked by a (possibly overgrown) low post on the left with yellow paint on top, your direction 260 degrees initially, soon swinging left then right.
29. In 60 metres at a clearing you ignore the way your path seems to be going right, to carry straight on. Bear right with your main path 35 metres later, your direction 325 degrees. Keeping straight on, in 50 metres you come to a car-wide earth track and path junction where you go left on this track, your direction 265 degrees.
30. In 30 metres you cross a car-wide track to continue more or less straight on (slightly to your left), your direction 230 degrees and with a fence on your left-hand side.
31. Ignore all ways off to stay on the main way. In 100 metres ignore a stile on your left and in a further 40 metres ignore a track to the left, to keep straight on. In a further 400 metres, having ignored several ways off, ignore a grassy car-wide fork left to keep on your main track. In 145 metres you cross a path (by a sign warning of the Military Firing Range) to keep on the main track. In 200 metres you pass a heavy metal fieldgate, to go out through bollards on to a lay-by of the B1025 [8], where you go left, in 25 metres joining the B road. Continue ahead along the left-hand verge of the road and in 200 metres you cross over Roman River to go immediately left on Haye Lane, signposted Nature Reserve, your direction 120 degrees.
32. In 400 metres, towards the top of the hill, [9] with Woodside Cottages on your right , you need to go left on a gravel car lane, signposted Byway, your direction 80 degrees, in 30 metres passing the entrance to Haye Cottage on your right.
33. In 320 metres you pass Haye Farm on your left-hand side; and, in 750 metres, West House Farm (both marked on the OS map).
34. In 80 metres at a triangular green with a sign in its middle for Fingringhoe , fork left, your direction 75 degrees, coming to the main road [10] in 35 metres, where you go left, your direction 45 degrees.
35. In 25 metres you pick up a path parallel to (and to the right of) the road, to continue on.
36. In 150 metres you rejoin the main road to go onwards. In 120 metres you pass the Whalebone pub on your left-hand side, to keep straight on to the Church of St Andrew’s, Fingringhoe.
37. In 100 metres take the public footpath signposted to your left, your direction 350 degrees, down the private drive of Mill House. In 125 metres you walk down the right-hand side of Roman River Mill, on the tarmac road. At the end of its garden, on the right-hand side, go down steps and over a stile, to go downwards on to the John Brunning Walk, your direction 10 degrees, on a grassy path between wire fences.
38. In 60 metres go over a stile onto a wooden footbridge with two handrails, by Roman River. In 60 metres swing left with the path and in a further 50 metres, ignore the stile to the left, to keep right on the John Brunning Way, following its arrows and keeping beside the river.
39. Ignore ways off. In 200 metres, with a footpath post on your right, ignore the path ahead and bear right down to the river, your direction 120 degrees. In a further 200 metres go over a bridge with metal handrails. In 130 metres ignore a signposted fork to the left.
40. In 70 metres [11] go up three steps ahead (by a sign saying “Danger. Proceed with caution”). Bear right and in 60 metres at a T-junction, with a warehouse directly ahead, turn right, then bear left with the path. In 275 metres you are now back beside the River Colne, and your right of way is straight along the riverbank. After 100 metres you proceed along the edge of a concrete wharf, with warehouses to your left. In 160 metres , at the end of the wharf, you see a half-hidden public footpath sign on your right, behind a raised metal water tank. Go down three steps and continue on, with the river immediately on your right-hand side, your direction 280 degrees initially.
41. In 85 metres, by the entrance to ( what was ) Northern Wood Terminals Ltd, go right on their driveway, your direction 335 degrees, and proceed down the road ahead, in 150 metres passing Ye Olde Albion pub on your left, then on to the ferry in Rowhedge. Take this ferry back to Wivenhoe.

From the Ferry back to the Station

42. At the quay in Wivenhoe, if you wish to stop for tea, head for one of the recommended places, then make your way back to Wivenhoe railway station, initially reversing your outward route back to the High Street, then turning left on Station Road, in 225 metres, passing The Station pub on your left-hand side, with Wivenhoe Station on your right. The nearside platform is the one for trains back to London.