(S) Park for free at the Village Car Park opposite the URC chapel in East Hanningfield Rd, Howe Green, Chelmsford CM2 7TJ. Exit the carpark turning left and left again at the T-junction. Cross the Southend Road at one of the traffic islands and walk down and out through the end of the village until you find a field entrance on your right. The road is marked Slow and is near a substation. Ignore the first substation and turn right at the second to meet the road tunnel.
(1) Follow the field edge to your left following the brook around until you reach a man-made concrete channel for the brook under a road bridge carrying the A130 road. Cross under the bridge, keeping right and follow the footpath that runs alongside the A130 until it heads off diagonally left to Little Sir Hughes Farm. Take the track keeping the farm on your left and follow it to the T-junction where you turn right.
(2) Follow this road all the way to the T-junction with West Hanningfield Road. Again turn right and follow West Hanningfield Road until you come to the Great Mascals farm on your right. Enter the farm past the cow barns and to the 5 bar gate. Go through the gate closing it carefully behind you and watch out for the flock of geese that inhabit the pond behind you to your left. They are inquisitive but not usually threatening. Continue ahead through the next 2 fields using the stiles until you come to an open field surrounded by trees. Cross this crop field, going through the centre on the footpath until you reach a gap in the hedge that borders West Hanningfield Road.
(3) Emerge onto West Hanningfield Road, turning right to walk up past Baddow Hospital and Pontlands Park Hotel. At the T-Junction with Church Street, cross the road and turn left to walk down to the Bringey mini trading estate on your right. There is a cafe here for your first opportunity for a drink stop.
(4) Follow Church Street for another few metres and take the track to your right "The Bringey path" (If you don't turn left here you will end up in the centre of Great Baddow with St Mary's chuch, 2 pubs and another cafe in the "Vineyards shops".) Follow the Bringey past Baddow Hall School and to the Park. At the School, turn right and follow the "Bringey" all the way to The Sandon School on Molrams Lane.
(5) Cross Molrams Lane, walking straight ahead onto Woodhill road, passing the school on your left until you reach St Andrew's church and the Village green of Sandon. Here is another opportunity for refreshments at the Crown pub.
(6) Walk past the Crown Pub down Hall Lane following as it twists left and then straight over Sandon Brook and up a steep incline to a footpath. The footpath turns right and you follow this to a stile which places you on a private road bridge over the A12 road. BEWARE trucks loading into the old quarry. Turn left, over the bridge, and immediately right to follow the footpath on the field edge. At the end of the field, turn left and follow the field edge down to Sandon Hall Farm. This can be slippery when wet and is overgrown with bramble and nettles.
(7) At the farm turm right and head up the concrete bridleway all the way back to the United Reform Chapel and the car park in East Hanninfield Road.
