Laindon Circular walk

Essex Hills, wooded Nature Reserves and panoramic Thames Valley Views

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sun, 06-Nov-22 Sunday Walk - Woods and rolling fieldscapes in Essex: Laindon Circular 4 lots of rain with some breaks and even a little sunshine
Sun, 03-Nov-19 Sunday Walk: Leaf Peeping in Leafy Laindon 7 initially perfect bright blue autumnal skies
Sun, 02-Sep-18 Sunday walk: Essex woods and fields 11 beautiful late summer sunshine
Wed, 18-May-16 Midweek Day Walk - Laindon circular
Sat, 07-Nov-15 Saturday Third Walk - Fully Revised: Wooded Hills, Nature Reserves and panoramic Thames Valley Views 9 warm and damp until lunch then a brighter afternoon
Wed, 30-Sep-15 Midweek day walk -Laindon Circular 13 sunny with a breeze
Sun, 23-Feb-14 Laindon Circular 4
Sun, 30-Dec-12 Laindon Circular
Sat, 03-Dec-11 Laindon Circular
Fri, 22-Apr-11 Laindon Circular

Length: 20.9 km (13.0 mi)

Ascent/Descent: 336m
Net Walking Time: 4 ¾ hours
Toughness: 5/10
[shorter versions possible, see below]
Take the 09.50 Laindon train from London Fenchurch Street (Limehouse 09.55, West Ham 10.00, Barking 10.05, Upminster 10.14), arrives Laindon 10.22.
Return trains : on xx.28 or xx.58.
This is an energetic and varied figure-of-eight walk through some tranquil, hilly parts of Essex, mostly through woods, both ancient and modern, and through flower-rich meadows and some farmland, which are all parts of Langdon Hills Country Park and the neighbouring Langdon Nature Reserve (which itself consists of five separate reserves). The hills form a crescent shaped ridge running West-to-East, giving panoramic views over the Thames Estuary from many points: out to Canvey Island and Fobbing Marshes in the East, across to Kent and to London’s Skyline in the West.

The lunch destination Horndon-on-the-Hill is a conservation area and features several noteworthy buildings as well as a multi award-winning pub. On the return you walk through more beautiful, undulating woods and then through the Dunton Plotlands part of the Nature Reserve, an interesting area formerly full of bungalows and chalets for Londoners, now with a brand-new large visitor centre and café.

This walk contains some arable field crossings around lunch (about 1,000m in total), where it is also afflicted by some road noise from the nearby A13 for a while.

Walk Options :
A couple of shortcuts cut out 2.4 km (1.5 mi) and 2.6 km (1.6 mi) respectively.
Cutting out the outer loop to Horndon-on-the-Hill reduces the walk by 5.5 km.
Lunch : The Bell Inn (food all day) or The Swan Inn in Horndon-on-the-Hill (10.4 km/6.4 mi).
Tea : Langdon Visitor Centre in Dunton Plotlands (café open to 16.00, 3.1 km from the end of the full walk).
For summary, map, height profile, some photos, walk directions and gpx/kml files click here . T=swc.114
  • Sun, 06-Nov-22

    An all-male Gang of 4 convened for this drencher of a walk.

    The rain was heavy and consistent until noon, but we were all appropriately dressed for the occasion, so no moaning. Then a dry period erupted, most of which though we spent at the lunch pub, after which we had rain again! At a quarter past three though, it stopped for good, just as we were nearing the stretch where you get panoramic views of London's skyline. Perfect timing. A little later we were even bathed in sunshine, for about 10 minutes or so. Oh, the luxury!

    The rest was overcast, so all in: lots of rain with some breaks and even a little sunshine .

    1 cut out the bottom part of the figure of 8, 1 other walked the pm shortcut, 2 all of the route. Lunch at The Bell was as good as ever (they had one small table left in the bar area, which is exactly what we needed). The arable field crossings were of the ploughed-London-Clay variety so, as the boots had just returned to some semi-presentable state at the time, we skirted the last field before lunch. Else: lots of slippery stiles and very slippery footbridges (I tried leaf-skating, it works), one stretch of very overgrown footpath (I will send a mail to the Essex r-o-w Officer) and some very fine conversations along the way.

    A very good day out. It definitely blew away any cobwebs there might have been...

    Oh: plenty of fascinating mushrooms.

  • Mon, 07-Nov-22

    Yes, it was a very good day out. Must be something wrong with me as I enjoyed the rain.

    Also, great to see the Essex hills, 40 metres above sea level.

Stargazer
Stargazer
SWC 114: Laindon Circular T=swc.114

Distance: 12.9 miles or 20.8 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty: 6 out of 10

Train: 9:41 Shoeburyness train from London Fenchurch St. Station (West Ham 9:57 and Barking 10:03) , arriving Laindon at 10:22. Return trains are at 27 and 57 minutes past the hour. Buy a day return to Laindon.

This is an energetic walk through the “hilly” part of Essex, mostly through woods and a nature reserve with nice views across the Thames valley….One of the previous walk reports intriguingly described it as “pregnant with autumnal possibilities…” Hard to resist at this time of year, especially with the short train travel……More information about the walk can be found here.

The recommended lunch stop is the well-regarded Bell Inn (01375 642 463) in Horndon-on-the-Hill (a conservation area about 6 miles/10 km into the walk). Tea is usually at the Langdon Visitor Center, but it appears to currently be under renovation….I am sure we will find something, somewhere…..

Enjoy the walk!
  • Thu, 31-Oct-19

    No Circle or District line trains to Tower Hill (for Fenchurch Street) this weekend

  • David
    Sat, 02-Nov-19

    For those in South London with access to the DLR, Tower Gateway is a stone's throw from Fenchurch Street.

  • Sat, 02-Nov-19

    It is also not that far from Bank and Aldgate

  • Sat, 02-Nov-19

    Or as I've just found out, Jubilee Line to West Ham.

  • Heidi
    Sat, 02-Nov-19

    The most recent comment on this walk from someone who did the walk in June said the middle section was impassible, as did some previous comments, due to nettles and brambles. Is this something to worry about/ take seriously?

  • Sun, 03-Nov-19

    Five familiar faces and one newcomer assembled at Laindon Station for the usual formalities and set off under initially perfect bright blue autumnal skies . The route is actually quite hilly and explores a number of wooded nature reserves -- all showing some nice autumn color. The morning was particularly nice with the sunshine through the trees in the light woods....On the approach to Horndon-on-the-Hill, we caught-up with another familiar face having taken an earlier train....making for 7 in total. Some dined at the Bell and others had sandwiches, but all regrouped for the afternoon stretch, again through some nice wooded countryside with views back to London -- though, the weather had become a bit misty by then...

    It is a very enjoyable walk at this time of year with nice woods and some rolling hills -- all fields/path passible (though some a little overgrown) -- the only draw back being the close approach to the A13 just before lunch....

Chris L
Chris L
Extra Walk 114 – Laindon Circular
Length: 20.8km (12.9 miles) Toughness: 6/10

10:25 Shoeburyness train from Fenchurch Street (West Ham 10:35) arriving at Laindon at 10:58.

Return trains are at xx:11 and xx:41 (journey time 39 mins).

This is a pleasant easy walk through the Essex countryside with some gentle climbs after lunch. Much of the route traverses a delightful area of partly-wooded upland with some fine views, though you have to cross a section of typical Essex large, and possibly muddy, arable fields before and after lunch. Some sections of path may be overgrown (see the walk’s Comments page) so long trousers could be advisable.

Two short cuts are available which together reduce the length of the walk to 9.8 miles.

The recommended lunchtime pub, The Bell Inn in Horndon on the Hill (01375 642463), has been praised by earlier walkers. Tea stops in Laindon have not yet been researched, so if you find a nice tea place, please post a report on this walk’s Feedback page.

More information can be found on the Laindon Circular Walk page, and the walk directions can be downloaded here.

T=swc.114
  • Anonymous
    Sat, 01-Sep-18

    anyone going on this one please?

  • Fiona
    Sat, 01-Sep-18

    I am going

  • Anonymous
    Mon, 03-Sep-18

    9 off the train, 1 by car, plus a late entrant by the following train. So 11 in beautiful late summer sunshine . Lovely views out over the estuary and back into the great Wen on the morning trek, a little less than perfect due to the heat haze. Everyone opted for the Bell, perhaps dissuaded by the ads outside the Swan for Ladies night, and Cockney night! The Bell was very busy, but all were served outside with excellent quality food at reasonable prices, though the same couldn’t be said for the lime and soda at £2.65.

    Most opted for the afternoon extension and reached the Plotlands with its excellent cafe before its summer closing time of 5pm. Tea, coffee, ice cream and superb home made cakes were served by the mostly senior citizen volunteers. These lovely people have been forbidden by Health and Safety from refilling water bottles, and don’t try the loos, as they are all converted to hot water only. All they could do was to sell plastic bottles of water, adding to the woes of planet Earth. A marvellous walk over hills and through woods in an atmosphere pregnant with autumnal possibilities.

Mike A
Mike A

Laindon Circular

A gentle walk through the Essex countryside with lunch at Hordon-on-the-Hill

Book 3* Walk 114

* online only

Length : The full walk is 21 km or 13 miles - with both short cuts 15 km or 9½ miles.

Toughness : 4/5/6 out of 10 ( 2 shortcuts / 1 shortcut / the full monty )

Getting there : Catch the 10:19 am train from London Fenchurch Street to Laindon

Calling stations are:
  • Limehouse 10:23
  • West Ham 10:28
  • Barking 10:33
  • Upminster 10:41


Meeting point : Laindon Station at 10:49

Tickets : Buy a Cheap Day Return to Laindon

Brief Description

The RMT strike on Southern Railways is going ahead, seriously disrupting services between London and Brighton. Hence this had led to the cancellation of the Hassocks to Upper Beeding walk that I posted for this day. (This may be slightly fortuitous as the weather forecast in that neck of the woods is for heavy showers.)
So, in its place, here's a fairly easy walk not too far from the metropolitan sprawl in an apparently surprisingly scenic part of Essex with a gastro Pub as one lunch option.
The walk has been thoroughly revised and updated by our ever enthusiastic Thomas and it now includes two additional sections extending the walk about 6 km. You may omit both extensions, roughly following the original route or alternatively just one or the other.
Full details of the walk are here and a Kindle/PDF download here

Suggested Lunch stops

The Bell Inn High Road, Horndon-on-the-Hill, SS17 8LD. t: 01375 642463 (The "Gastro" Pub)
The Swan 121 High Road, Horndon-on-the-Hill, SS17 8LD. t: 01375 640617

Possible Tea stops

Langdon Visitor Centre Dunton Plotlands, Lower Dunton Road, Basildon, SS16 6EB. t: 01268 419103 (If you're not doing the afternoon short-cut)
The Four Seasons Victoria Road, Laindon SS15 6AW

Map

OS Explorer : 175

Return train times

Four trains an hour return from Laindon to Fenchurch Street, journey time is about 30 minutes
  • Anonymous
    Tue, 17-May-16

    Thanks AD, who is going on this walk ?

  • Tue, 17-May-16

    Shoreham is wetter than Laindon tomorrow anyway. Sadly a bit of a mission for me to get to Essex but have a good time.

  • Marion
    Wed, 18-May-16

    i'm working today so not going and the weather forecast is really no better although Essex is classified in met terms as arid! Never seems that way when I lived there for 26years unless around the Beth Chatto garden.


SWC Walk 114 – Laindon Circular
Length: 20.8 km (12.9 mi) [shortcuts possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 370 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ¾ hours
Toughness: 6 out of 10
First posting of this new version of a former map-lead walk, which has now been enlarged and fully written up. We will take the opportunity to check the walk directions.

Take the 09.30 Shoeburyness train from Fenchurch Street (5 mins walk from Tower Hill or Aldgate tubes, 10 mins from Bank or L'pool Street) , arriving Laindon at 09.59
On route the train calls: West Ham at 09.38 (DLR, Jubilee, H’smith & City and District Lines), Barking at 09.43 (Overground, H’smith & City and District Lines) and Upminster at 09.51 (District Line). Return trains : XX.05, XX.19, XX.35 and XX.49 hours (34-37 minutes journey time)
This is an energetic and varied figure-of-eight walk through some tranquil, hilly parts of Essex, mostly through woods, both ancient and modern, and through flower-rich meadows and some farmland, which are all parts of Langdon Hills Country Park and the neighbouring Langdon Nature Reserve (which itself consists of five separate reserves). The hills form a crescent shaped ridge running West-to-East, giving panoramic views over the Thames Estuary from many points: out to Canvey Island and Fobbing Marshes in the East, across to Kent and to London’s Skyline in the West. The lunch destination Horndon-on-the-Hill is a conservation area and features several noteworthy buildings as well as a multi-award winning pub. On the return you walk through more beautiful, undulating woods and through the Dunton Plotlands part of the Nature Reserve, an interesting area formerly full of bungalows and chalets for Londoners.

The recommended lunch pub is the award-winning The Bell Inn (10.4 km/6.5 mi), an alternative is the Swan Inn next door. The bar area at The Bell Inn operates on a first-come-first-serve basis, so fast walkers should have no problem finding a place there. But to be sure of seats for the slow and medium paced walkers, a table has been booked in the restaurant area. For tea the Langdon Nature Reserve Visitor Centre is passed 3.1 km from the end of the walk.
For walk directions, map, height profile, gpx/kml files and some photos click here.
Two Shortcuts are possible: they reduce the walk by 2.4 km or by 2.7 km respectively and the rating to 5/10;
or to 4/10 when walking both Shortcuts (resulting in a 15.7 km/300m height gain-walk).
T=swc.114
L=swc.114
  • Mon, 02-Nov-15

    Intend going.

  • Tue, 03-Nov-15

    Hello everyone, Can someone who is coming meet me at Laindon? I am coming with the train, my first time and would be good to join someone who knows the route.

    Thank you,

    Marti

  • Tue, 03-Nov-15

    The group will be obvious when you get off the train (if not before! Look for a bunch of walkers while on the train, if you like).

    Otherwise you will see them easily on the platform on arrival at Laindon and I am sure they will make you very welcome. At least one person (see previous comment) has already said they are going, and it sounds like the walk poster is going too. And I am sure there will be others.

    So don't worry: it all works.

  • Tue, 03-Nov-15

    Now I might do that walk on Saturday. But I can't Guarantee I will.

  • Wed, 04-Nov-15

    thanks all. very much look forward to it.

  • Kelda
    Sun, 08-Nov-15

    9

    warm and damp until lunch then a brighter afternoon

    Despite being a little soggy it was a lovely morning meandering through pretty woods and fields.

    Lunch was a delicious restaurant-quality affair at the well-renowned Bell Inn at Horndon-on-the-Hill. Service was a little on the slow-side but the food was well worth the wait and it also gave a chance for the rain to pass!

    The weather brightened up throughout the afternoon, so we were able to enjoy the stunning views across the London skyline. Afternoon tea and cake was devoured at the Langdon visitor centre before a quick jaunt around the Plotlands and back to the station with plenty of time for a couple of beers back in London.

    A lovely (slightly soggy) day.

Mike A
Mike A

Laindon Circular

A gentle walk through the Essex countryside with lunch at Hordon-on-the-Hill

Book 3* Walk 114

* Online only

Length : 13.5 km or 8.5 miles

Toughness : 2 out of 10

Getting there : Catch the 10:10 am train from London Fenchurch Street to Laindon

Calling stations are:

  • Limehouse 10:14
  • West Ham 10:19
  • Barking 10:25
  • Upminster 10:34


Meeting point : Laindon Station at 10:44

Tickets : Buy a Cheap Day Return to Laindon

Brief Description

An easy walk not far from the metropolitan sprawl in an apparently surprisingly scenic part of Essex, you may find full details here and a Kindle download here

Suggested Lunch stop

The Bell Inn t: 01375 642463

Possible Tea stop

The Four Seasons

Another option may be to travel back to Fenchurch Street and take tea in one of the many cafés near to the station.

Map

OS Explorer : 175

Return train times

Four trains an hour return from Laindon to Fenchurch Street, journey time is about 30 minutes

  • Anonymous
    Mon, 28-Sep-15

    anyone done this walk? tell all pls

  • Anonymous
    Tue, 29-Sep-15

    It is a mice walk, worth doing. First and last quarter are very un-Essex-y, gentle hills and varied landscape. Before and after lunch some big arable field and pylon country but a gorgeous lunch pub, a real highlight (leastways, it was two or three years ago. Minimal to no tea options. Late tea at Fenchurch Street perhaps?

  • Anonymous
    Tue, 29-Sep-15

    Hoping to attend but have gone a little weak after having flu.

    jfk

  • Wed, 30-Sep-15

    13 sunny with a breeze

    11 off the posted train, 2 off an earlier one, who then took "shortcuts", yet got to the pub after the main group...? Nice walk, good views into the Thames Valley and later back to London, mercifully dry and therefore easily walkable arable fields, a scattering of fine woods and rolling hills, and a superb lunch pub (Michelin recommended, therefore near full).

    The directions largely held up despite being only skeletal and a few years old, bar the odd change in fencing, gates, field shapes, re-aligned right-of-ways, overgrown paths etc.

    2 walkers explored a potential variation near the end to Dunton Plotlands NR (incl. a fine info centre with refreshments). More alterations are possible in the morning part to integrate more of the woods and Nature Reserves in the area. Expect a re-write of the walk sometime soon...

  • Thu, 01-Oct-15

    Towards the end of the walk there is a nice variation to the main route and I'll wtite something in the walk comments.

  • Marion
    Thu, 01-Oct-15

    Thanks for your walk reports guys. Sadly i was unable to join you due to an injured knee which requires a rest from hills and climbing stiles. Pulled ligaments. It would be good to have the walk directions written up in Club format which I could walk check in due course with walking friend who lives in Essex.