(S) From Budworth Hall, cross over High Street using the zebra crossing. Once across turn right along the pavement and through what is the oldest part of the street. After 150 yards and just before the large round Ongar sign, turn left signed Essex Way. Then right and onto a path past the Parish Church of St Martin of Tours. At road (Castle Street) turn left.
After 70 yards, go through a wooden kissing gate (next to an old lamp postmarked "Spring Meadow"), and onto a footpath signed Essex Way. Follow the path past Castle House, and then as it veers right and gradually left around what was the outer bailey of the castle. The path soon leads to a small open area with outbuildings on the right. Turn left past the entrance to Castle Farm, then right along a wide, straight and fenced off track between fields. Follow the wide track for 180 yards, then right past a children's playground and cricket pitch to its left. After another 100 yards the track turns left and eventually leads through a gap into an open field with a housing development to the left.
Turn right and go along the edge of the field and gradually downhill to the bottom corner. Go straight on through a gap into a large open meadow. NOTE: At this point the Essex Way turn left and departs for the final time on its way to the coast at Horwich.
(1) Follow the path as it veers slightly right and downhill to a footbridge over the River Roding (at 1 mile). NOTE: We have now joined St Peters Way. It is marked with circular discs displaying an inverted cross and cross keys.
Once over the bridge follow the path straight on, leading uphill and across the common. In 400 yards the path leads to and through trees, then up steps and out onto small common with houses opposite. Turn left along the grass (keeping the common and the houses to the right) and after 200 yards along a path between houses to a road (Mill Lane) at High Ongar.
(2) At Mill Lane, turn right for 60 yards, then turn left to cross over and go through a gap in the hedge, next to a small electricity sub-station and into a large field. Turn half right to follow a path across the field.
On reaching the opposite side of the field, follow the path straight on through some trees and to a wide track. Turn left along the lane (marked bridleway on OS maps). NOTE: We leave St Peters Way at this point but we do re-join it at point (4) below. After 0.75 miles go right and left around the back of the farm buildings at Paslow Hall.
(3) A few yards after the last building (at 2.5 miles), and immediately past a pond, turn right onto a wide track/bridleway. After another 140 yards follow the main path/bridleway across crop fields for 350 yards and then with a hedgerow to your left hand side. 85 yards later veer slightly left onto an enclosed track which soon leads to a field. Stay straight on along the right hand side of the field for 470 yards to the southern corner. Go straight on along what seems to be an ancient wooded track for 400 yards and out past a house onto a road (Nine Ashes Road).
(4) Cross straight over and follow the lane into Paslow Common Farm. NOTE: Our route has now re-joined St Peter's Way. On approaching the farm buildings, the lane divides in two (at 3.5 miles). Veer slightly right keeping the farm buildings to your left hand side. Soon veers left to the back of the buildings (DO NOT follow a bridleway going straight on / right).
(5) Turn left behind a long farm building and with fields to your right hand side. At the end of the buildings turn 90 degrees right onto a narrow path across the fields and directly towards the spire of Blackmore church in the distance. NOTE: At this point it's tempting to take a track made by the farmer’s vehicles just to the right, but the spire of Blackmore Church in the distance shows the correct direction.
After 340 yards the path crosses a footbridge, then runs next to a deep ditch on your left hand side (be careful not to fall in). After another 350 yards turns right with the path, along a line of isolated trees. After another 70 yards turn left over a wooden footbridge and straight on across a large crop field. At the opposite side of the field the path comes out onto an enclosed path, then a lane (Green Lane) and soon to a T-junction with a road (Blackmore Road).
(6) Turn left along Blackmore Road and after 140 yards (and immediately before Meadow Rise to your left hand side), turn right to cross over the road and through a gap in the hedgerow to follow a path straight on across a common. On approaching the trees, at the opposite side of the common, veer left at fork of paths (at 4.5 miles). Then after 50 yards, right through trees to a lane and past the church (on your right hand side). On reaching the lychgate to the church follow the road left (Church Street).
(7) On exiting Church Street, cross over and turn right along the pavement (The Green). On reaching the T-junction (with Chelmsford Road), turn left for 40 yards, then turn right to cross the road and onto a footpath directly away from the road and across a crop field. The path is St Peters Way and is signed by an inverted crucifix and crossed keys on a red circular disc. These discs can be used as a guide for the next mile to the hamlet of Beggar Hill.
Follow the path directly across the field for 350 yards to the other side, then through a gap and straight on along the left hand side of a second field. After another 300 yards the hedgerow turns left to form a corner and thus widening the field to the left. Go straight on across this opened area of field to reach the LH hedgerow after 220 yards. Turn left through a gap in the hedgerow into a third field and go directly across it, passing a large pond surrounded by trees in the middle of the field.
(8) On reaching the other side of the field, turn right along a wide track / path with the hedgerow to your left hand side. Follow this for 570 yards, then along the edge of a wood to your left hand side (at 6 miles) and a large house (Stoney Lodge) with a pond to your right hand side.
Continue along what is now the drive to Stoney Lodge to a set of large white gates. Cross the stile, next to the gates and then straight on along the road. After 500 yards stay straight on past a road, signed Blackmore, to your right hand side. NOTE: Just few yards after we pass this road is where we part company with St Peter's Way, for the last time as it turns left to follow a path away from the road.
(9) Follow the road (Beggar Hill) for almost a mile to a T-junction with Mill Green Road in the centre of the village of Fryerning.
(10) Turn right along Mill Green Road, signed Ingatestone & Blackmore. After 175 yards stay straight on past a road signed Ingatestone to your left hand side. Soon Mill Green Road becomes Blackmore Road. After another 170 yards, turn right, just before the Lych Gate and through a wooden gate and into the grounds of Fryerning Church. Go straight on past the church to your right hand side. 20 yards past the church turn left onto a path going south-west across the graveyard. Follow it through a gate and straight across a field to a road, by a fingerpost. Turn left along the road. After 150 yards, and as the road starts to turn left, turn right onto a driveway, then immediately cross a wooden stile, next to a gate and just right of the entrance drive to Longview Cottage and Church Hill Cottages.
(11) Go straight on along a footpath next to a fence with a lawn to the left hand side. Follow the path straight across fields (at 8 miles), passing a small fishing lake to the left and eventually veering slight right, along a fence past new build houses over the fence to your right hand side.
On approaching the lane, the footpath veers half left to descend a few steps to a lane. Go straight across the lane and cross a wooden stile and onto a path through a few trees and into a field. Veer slightly left to follow the path across the field. Exit the field over a stile and cross straight over the road (Trueloves Lane) and onto a footpath, signed by a fingerpost, across a large crop field.
(12) After 340 yards the path crosses a footbridge over a stream (be careful to step over the metal bar on the bridge). Continue straight for 700 yards (directly towards a windmill). At the other edge of the field follow the path through the hedgerow and then left past Mountnessing Windmill keeping the windmill to your right hand side. After passing the windmill continue straight on (and south) across the playing field, past a pavilion and village hall to your left hand side and onto a road.
(13) Cross straight over the road and turn right. On approaching a crossroads veer left on a footpath through a small green and then left into Church Road. Follow Church Road for 250 yards to cross the bridge over the A12 and then another over the railway. The old stone bridge over the railway is narrow and has no pavement.
80 yards after crossing the railway, turn right and into a field, by a fingerpost, signed public footpath (at 9.75 miles). NOTE: About 100 yards in front along the road at this point is Begrums Farm and its adjacent large imposing concrete water tower.
Follow the path south across the field for 0.67 miles to a road. (Some notes on this. After 200 yards there is a ditch to your left hand side with some individual trees. After another 250 yards, stay straight on past a wooden footbridge to your left hand side. 300 yards later stay straight on avoiding the footpath going left). As the path comes out to the road (Widvale Road) (at 10.4 miles), turn right. After 70 yards, turn left to cross stile by a fingerpost, signed Public Footpath. The stile can get overgrown and may not be obvious, but it's 60 yards before the railway bridge.
(14) Over the stile, turn left and shortly turn right to cross a bridge over a small river (River Wid). Follow the path diagonally left (directly south) across the field to its edge. Veer right and follow the path along the edge of a narrow wood (Arnold's Wood). The path leads to a very long footbridge over the railway. Cross the footbridge and follow the path out onto a road (Shaw Crescent).
(15) Turn left along Shaw Crescent. At T-junction (at 11 miles), turn left along Pine Crescent. Follow as it turns right and after 175 yards stay straight past Pinewood Way. The road name changes to Queenwood Avenue. After 130 yards Queenwood Avenue turns around to the right. Then just a few yards later turn left onto a wide metaled path. The path leads to an industrial estate. Go straight on along a road (Tallon Road) through the industrial estate (with care).
(16) After 250 yards, at T-junction with Wash Road, turn left along the pavement. Then just 30 yards later, turn right and crossroad into a small car park with a height restriction barrier. Go straight on through the car park to enter Hutton Country Park. We follow "Public Footpath 84" through the country park. It is signed at places and is the only "official" public right of way through the park. You should be able to follow the signs, but I've put details below in notes 61 to 65.
On entering the park take the path to the right through the trees. After 50 yards follow it as it veers left through a gap and into a field - avoid the wide path going off to the right. Go straight on, diagonally across the field for a few yards and at a fork veer right to a gap in the hedgerow. Go through the gap and along an elevated boardwalk over marshland.
The walkway leads south to a path, which in turn leads through a gap to a large field. Veer slightly left onto a path across the field to its southeast corner. Go straight on along a footpath between garden fences.
(17) After 120 yards follow it as it turns left and out onto a residential road (Goodwood Avenue) with Hutton Stud Farm on the opposite side. Turn right along the road to a T-junction with Rayleigh Road. Turn left along the pavement. After just 50 yards and on approaching an old wooden bus stop, on the opposite side, turn right to cross over the road, finish at the wooden bus shelter at the entrance to Hutton Village.(E)
