Leaving Stratford st Mary I connected with the Essex Way which will take me to Chipping Ongar. But thats many miles away. This part of the route is mainly quiet country roads but still beautiful scenery. Weather is gorgeous and hot and I don’t mind how hot it gets. My Marie meets me at Gt. Horkesley where we camp in an orchard for the night. We meet a lovely couple Jason & Katie. Jason works for the Essex County Council and is responsible for the footpaths in Essex. He sent us a link to the Essex CC website and more information about the Essex Way. Did you know that if an official public footpath is kind of a public ‘highway’? If it’s obstructed for example, it’s useful to report it to the Essex CC. Jason will then communicate with the farmer to make sure the paths are kept clear.
More information on the Essex Way http://www.essexhighways.org/Public-Rights-of-Way/Map-of-the-Public-Rights-of-Way.aspx
Another useful link for the ramblers http://www.essexwalks.com/ Jason told us that the chap who did this had walked a number of routes and includes excellent directions, photos and information about public transport links.
Finally… Jason’s wife Katie knows a lot about bats. Apparently, they had bats in their barn last year and they had to call the Bat Ambulance to rescue them…
