great ride in essex if you look!

muddybaker

I have been following the threads on this forum and there seems to be an opinion that there is not any good rides in essex. I grant you they are few and far between, but my local area (leigh on sea) is surrounded by them. I start off in belfairs park then make my way over the A127 into cherry orchard county park on to hockley woods back across A127 into dodds wood, starve larks then westwood. A short road section (killer hill) into shipswright wood then down into hadleigh park (the site of the new olympic mountainbike course) finish off in the crooked billet. About 26 miles mostly offroad with some great single tracks.

SykoBobMonkey

sounds a nice route, might have to try it myself

VWsurfbum

not knowing the names of the woods, have you got a map of it? or could pojint it out on google maps?
or you could do a show round for us?????

thewaiter

muddy..

I cycle round Hocklety woods a fair bit and looking to expand my horizon, have you got a more detailed map as I'm not sure where you cross the A127, do you go up Eastwood road North ?

also coming back into Benfleet where do you enter Shipwrights wood ?


cheers

Kevin

robertpb

There are plenty of good rides in Essex.

Epping with plenty of trails.

Thorndon where I mostly ride can muster up 30 miles +

Langdon Hills

Danbury

That's only in south essex, plus there are lots of small ride areas.

Two myths we have to dispel are that there isn't anywhere to ride in Essex and it's flat.

Anyway thanks for putting up an additional riding route, you need to get a ride going so we can all test it.

thewaiter

.. agreed Essex isn't flat... head up to Graet Dunmow, Thaxted and surrounding area there are some pretty good climbs... :?

muddybaker

Hi waiter, i enter by a bus stop opposite church rd there is a entrance right behind it then a very steep drop. when i get a minute i will jot down my route, too be honest havn't ridden hockley side of A127 much only for the last three months. leigh side of A127 for the last 20yrs so only just joined them up. can you imagine living in one place all your life and discovering an entire country park on your doorstep! thank you google earth. muddy

thewaiter

...

the Hockley woods area is OK, not especially demanding though there are a number of routes you can take and coming from Cherry orchard way you can easily burn up 8 miles around there... The route i do now takes in a bit of on roading around the back of Hockley, crossing a rail track and through some farmland, entering Hockley woods via Bullwood hall out to Cherry Orchard way and back again, about 15miles. As I'm a newbie thats good for me

would like to see your route as i want to step it up a bit and get over to Benfleet and the hadleigh area.

Kevin

beardytwo

Agreed Essex is not flat. Its no Lake District but its not the Fens either.. ! Essex has some good routes you just need to look a little harder. I need to explore more the otherside of the A127 as most of my riding has been around Hockley area so any routes you can post Muddy would be appreciated. Have done a bit of Thorndon (some nice runs) and Langdon Hills on a couple of occasions. Did cycle through the Hadleigh Park area once which was ok.
Robertpb, I know you ride Thorndon on a regular basis from your posts. Want to get back over their soon (typically Thursday evenings) so if your available would be great if you could show me some of the hidden bits...as long as you don't race off and leave this old wreck behind . Kev I know you'd be up for this depending on time..and anybody else. all are welcome..aslong as your slow like me...

robertpb

Beardytwo wrote:

Robertpb, I know you ride Thorndon on a regular basis from your posts. Want to get back over their soon (typically Thursday evenings) so if your available would be great if you could show me some of the hidden bits...as long as you don't race off and leave this old wreck behind . ...

I'd be pleased to show you around, just let me know when, I'm pretty flexible on time.

You've only to keep up with someone who's 15 months away from their bus pass.

muddybaker

Ok, here goes. from A127 heading towards southend turn right opposite progress rd in the fairway theres a petrol station on your right. follow the rd right to the end to the traffic lights. turn right follow road round till you see playground. This is where i start. head away from playground up private rd towards a house standing on its own. turn left onto gravel trk and follow this to the bottom where you bear right up long climb. At top there is a gate go through onto rd. follow rd to juntion take right along a bit then left big house on corner.follow rd along till you see woods on right. this is pound wood, enter and turn left, follow track round and down to a parking area. cross st michaels road into Tile wood, turn right for a great twisty single track bear left through some whoops till you see sign for Little havens nature reserve. Follow track up turn right at fork, this track leads to an open field cross field past log bench bearing left across face of next wood along here there is a park bench with a path entrance next to it. follow this track right to the bottom crossing other paths as you go. There is a rough brick surface bit to let you know your on the right path! At the bottom there is some wooden steps and a little bridge. DONT RIDE ON BRIDGE, my front wheel has gone right through before! Take slope next to it. turn left for first of the bloody gates. cross field to big/little gate up field to alittle bridge and another gate. up field to the left to the last gate. mind the cows.out onto littlehaven drive. At rd go straight across, down to end of rd turn right onto unmade rd and over muddy brook into westwood. Take left track very twisty round and down to a very big jump. After jump turn right and follow down till you see school turn left and follow track with rabbit holes to the end of school fence turn right then left you should be now heading away from school. let rip down here drop into the two bombholes bearing right hop fallen tree down to bridge. cross bridge bear left over another bridge follow underground pipeline to rd. take left up to roundabout turn right onto london rd. killer hill up past two sets of traffic lights there is a bus stop with woods behind it. this is your entrance for shipswrites wood .bomb down here right at bottom across wooden bridge turn right bomb down here over fast jump then another fast jump. At end turn left but stay on right side of fence, follow to top. then down gravel track beside field into wood straight up for a very rooty climb. Along top there is a very short but steep climb. you will know it if you see it, see if you can make it up! At end of track leave woods by ally. Onto road turn right ,end of road sraight across into lane. you will see two driveways take narrow stepped path between them into hadleigh park. bomb down hill then up bearing right past bench you will see a gate on your left go through. fly down here mind that tree in middle of path. round to left across narrow bridge to gate. up hill to next gate. short climb up to bench for a quick rest and a wonderful view. Right rested follow track along and down the steep hill to gate at bottom. Turn left and follow path through fields past castle to another field, over style along field to leigh station. Go round behind station and take rd on left past boat yards along to the end and at last the crooked billet pub. good luck.l

smashford

i ride through all the woods you mention on a regular basis but i think i take a different route anychance you could plot it out on the OS website for us to have a look

muddybaker

If you give me the web site address i will have a go. muddy

smashford

www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk if you click on the explore tab then there's a bit that says create a route

muddybaker

Ok, will give it a go. muddy

muddybaker

No, sorry havnt the foggyest idea how to put my route on that. just get fat blue lines every where! I suggest you get a map and just ride the route with the info i have given you. none of the woods are so large you will get lost. the details are there. muddy

thewaiter

thanks Muddy.. look fwd to trying that one out.

muddybaker

I was in grove wood this weekend and once again some dick had put logs across the tracks, big logs at that. jobsworths.