The Essex Way is a long-distance walk that winds through ancient woodland, gentle farmland, wildlife-rich marshland, and along meandering rivers to finish on the coast.

Starting from the market town of Epping, the Way cuts right through the heart of Essex, from southwest to northeast, to finish in the port town of Harwich, where the River Stour meets the North Sea. The official route is 82 miles (132 km) long. However, with a few short detours to some worthy sites, this Collection is 87.2 miles (140.3 km) in total.

If you think the Essex Way sounds akin to a certain well-known reality TV programme, think again. The Way crosses this pretty, peaceful, and three-quarters rural county on picturesque footpaths and green lanes for the most part, taking you through spellbinding scenery and many charming villages.

Wildlife is abundant on the route. Many species of bird thrive in the marshland along the Stour estuary and rare plants can be observed in the ancient pockets of woodland. Historical sites are plentiful too. With castle ruins, many beautiful Tudor buildings, Roman-style lighthouses, and countless Grade I-listed churches, all many hundreds of years old, this hike is brimming with culture and tradition.

This trail also takes you through the profoundly-picturesque Dedham Vale, fondly known as ‘Constable Country’. Hailed as one of England’s most beautiful lowland landscapes, John Constable immortalised the latter scenery along the Essex Way in his iconic 18th and 19th century Romantic paintings.

Highlights along the Way include: St Andrew's, said to be the oldest wooden church in the world; Coggeshall Grange Barn, one of the oldest timber-framed buildings in Europe; Paycockes House, a beautiful Tudor merchant house; Coggeshall village, which boasts nearly 200 listed buildings; the view of Constable’s ‘the Hay Wain’, where you can actually step into the scene of his most famous painting; Manningtree, which claims to be England's smallest town; and Dovercourt Lighthouses, built in the 17th century as an example of Roman lighthouses.

In this Collection, I split the route into seven stages, each averaging 12.5 miles (20.1 km). No stage is longer than 15 miles (24.1 km), though, and the walking is level and leisurely throughout. Of course, you can divide each stage into as many days as you are comfortable with. You can also walk any single stage, or a couple of stages. The route can be walked in either direction.

As the landscape is quite rural, accommodation can sometimes be patchy. However, there is advice on every stage where places to stay are limited . Public transport links are generally good, making it easy to tailor the route. As such, this is a good choice for seasoned walkers and those finding their long-distance feet.

Getting to the start and finish of the hike is really easy. The Way starts just outside Epping Underground Station, which has direct links into central London. Harwich Town train station is a two-minute walk from the end of the trail and has connecting services around the UK, typically via Manningtree.