Breath in the fresh air of spring with this countryside stroll around the charming landscape from Rickling Green at Quendon to the parish of Ugley
1) From The Cricketers Arms, go left towards the village sign and the road junction. At the junction turn right towards Rickling Church. Pass thatched cottages and houses. Continue along the lane. Opposite the thatched Kiln Cottage turn left along a grass footpath running along the edge of a crop field.
At Rickley Hall Farm, where you may come across alpacas, go past the first corrugated farm building and then turn left along a tree-lined concrete track. This converts to a stony cinder track going gently uphill. At the wood, bear left, leaving the track and following the footpath way-marker across the field.
At the end, by the ditch, go left between crop fields then right soon after, along the edge of a field with a wood on the left. Then proceed between lines of trees, taking you to a little lane.
2) Turn left along the lane. Continue along this narrow lane some distance until, just before you reach the house, the lane connects to a little track.
Turn right onto a footpath along a wide grass path. Pass under the pylons and at the next hedge and ditch soon after, turn left the other side of the hedge onto an unmarked path, keeping the hedge to your left.
At the end of the field slightly to your left, follow the way-marker into the trees (Broom Wood). Follow the narrow path through the trees. Cross a track and then a footbridge to the stile by the road opposite The Chequers pub. You are in the parish of Ugley.
3) Take the lane opposite (Patmore End). Directly after some pretty thatched cottages, go through a metal gate on the left onto a footpath running across a large meadow.
Get over a stile at the end of this field and then another stile into the next field. Continue along by Quendon Wood with distant views of the Essex countryside ahead. Continue for quite a distance. Where the wood ends, turn left (so that the trees are still to your left).
At the end of the wood bear right heading towards the church spire peeping out of the trees. At the next path junction, keep to the right. You emerge at the little car park in front of Quendon Church.
4) Go down the church access track to the main road. Cross over and turn right and immediately after Orchard House take the bridleway on the left.
At the top, after the house, follow the grass track which curves left. At the hedge turn left onto a path going across the meadow. On the other side you enter a wood, on a wide path running through the trees. At the little path crossroads go straight on, keeping alongside metal railings. Continue straight on to the road.
Turn right. This takes you back past the cottages, houses and the village school to the left to Rickling Green and your parking spot by the pub.
See the map below for more details.
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