Footpath in Essex, England
St Peter's Way is a long-distance footpath in Essex, England. The 41-mile (66 km) path leads from Chipping Ongar to the 7th-century Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall at Bradwell-on-Sea .[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] It is waymarked, and shown on Ordnance Survey mapping.[ 4]
The path
Chipping Ongar
St Peter's Way was conceived by members of the Ramblers Association in 1970, and has been "adopted" by Essex County Council .[ 1]
The trail starts in Chipping Ongar (51°42′12″N 00°14′40″E / 51.70333°N 0.24444°E / 51.70333; 0.24444 ), in the west of the county, and goes almost due east across rural Essex.[ 1] It goes through fields and woodland, over commons, through historic villages, past Hanningfield Reservoir , to coastal marshes and along the seawall at the eastern end of the Dengie Peninsula and finishes at the chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall (51°44′05″N 00°56′18″E / 51.73472°N 0.93833°E / 51.73472; 0.93833 ) in Bradwell-on-Sea .[ 4] The term "on the wall" refers to the location of the chapel built on the wall of the Roman fort of Othona .[ 5] The walk can be extended westward along the Essex Way from Chipping Ongar for about a mile to Greensted Church ; the walk then both starts and finishes at a Saxon church.[ 2]
Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall
The trail is waymarked in both directions by a circular red marker with cross keys and inverted crucifix (symbols of Saint Peter ), the text "St. Peter's Way" and the "Essex County Council" logo.[ 4]
There are no railway stations on the route, except for the preserved Epping Ongar Railway . There are some rural bus services.[ 1]
Route
St Peter's Way passes through the following locations:[ 1] Chipping Ongar (start), High Ongar , Paslow Wood Common , Blackmore , Mill Green , Margaretting Tye , Stock , West Hanningfield , East Hanningfield , Bicknacre , Cock Clarks , Purleigh , Mundon , Maylandsea , Steeple , St Lawrence , Tillingham , the Dengie seawall, and the chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall (finish).[ 1]
The length of the trail is said to be 40 miles (64 km) (British Pilgrimage Trust),[ 2] 41 miles (66 km) (Long Distance Walkers Association ,[ 4] or 45 miles (72 km) (Essex County Council).[ 1] The highest point of the walk is 104 m (341 feet) near Mill Green .[ 4] The lowest points are along the seawalls.
Adjoining paths
St Peter's Way adjoins several long-distance paths:[ 4] Essex Way (an 81-mile (130 km) east to west walk from Epping to Harwich ) intersects at Chipping Ongar; the Saffron Trail (a 71-mile (114 km) south-east to north-west walk from Southend-on-Sea to Saffron Walden ) intersects at East Hanningfield; and the Three Forests Way (a 60-mile (97 km) circular walk linking Epping , Hatfield and Hainault Forests ) intersects at Chipping Ongar.
References