Walking the rail trails Get out and about this summer and discover walks along disused railway lines, from the Flitch Way and The Blackwater Rail Trail to the Colne Valley, there’s something for everyone and they’re ideal for all ages.
Blackwater Rail Trail
Colne Valley Path
This eight-mile walks follows the former railway line from Witham to Maldon and is a wildlife rich trail which takes you through the town and countryside.
This 23-mile-long walk from Great Yeldham to Colchester can easily be broken down and walked over a few days and features castles, open countryside, mills, World War Two pill boxes and the country’s largest viaduct.
This route - which can be walked either way although many prefer to finish in Maldon – takes in local nature reserves, a wooden trestle railway bridge in Wickham Bishops, which is the oldest in England and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, quite green lanes and past the now derelict 11th century St. Peter’s church. It also takes you past the renovated Langford and Ulting station and Elms Farm Park and Oak Tree meadow before finishing at the former railway station in Maldon. This flat, scenic and historic route is also regularly used on certain sections by walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
The Great Oak, which is shown on maps dating back to 1777, in Great Yeldham marks the start of the walk. After departing, you will cross some open fields on the way to Castle Hedingham - you will be able to see the Norman castle above the tree tops - before going you past Colne Valley Railway Museum. You will also pass several old mills along the River Colne, before arriving in Halstead. After leaving Halstead, the path takes you through the villages of Wakes Colne and Chappel where you will see the viaduct, which is one of the largest brick structures in the country. It’s through here that the Colne Valley Path joins with the long-distance walking trail, The Essex Way. After this you will walk through some picturesque and rolling Essex countryside before finishing at Balkerne Gate (the official end of the route) in Colchester, which is the largest remaining Roman gatehouse in the country. The Colne Valley Path is a wonderful route which will take you back through the county’s past while enjoying the present.
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