Country:
District:
Start: Earls Colne Parish Council Car Park on Queens Road. Grid ref. TL 857 289
(S/E) Leave the car park by its access road and turn left on Queens Road. Where the road swings right, there is a left hand turning (at bungalow No. 13) into a cul-de-sac. Follow the road along here and at its end continue ahead on a footpath between fences. This ends at Burrows Road.
Turn right. After passing the Baptist Cemetery go straight over the crossroads towards a gate on a track/path that progressively narrows. Ignore a path on the right and continue ahead through a kissing gate on to Colne Valley Golf Club. Follow the clearly marked (and partly fenced) path across the various fairways, taking heed of the warning notices showing the direction of play. Ignore Footpath 19 heading right to cross the footbridge over the River Colne.
(1) Bear slightly left towards a clear break in the hedge to climb onto the old Chappel and Wakes Colne to Halstead railway track (now a local nature reserve).
(2) Walk across it. Turn left at the bottom of the embankment then swing right by a power line pole to follow the edge of the river on the Colne Valley Path (it is well waymarked and well trodden, being a favourite dog walk for many). Ignore a right hand path going towards barns, continuing along the river and passing the water gauging station.
Where the river swings left carry on ahead to cross a footbridge into a short section of wood. Close to the end of the trees ignore a desire path left, continuing straight ahead along the bottom of the field with trees on the left heading towards newly planted willows and houses. The spire of St Andrew's Church (visited later) can be seen on the right. The path swings left with a wood alongside on the left. The path eventually leaves the bottom corner of the field at a footbridge crossing to meet Station Road.
(3) Do not cross the bridge but turn sharp right to follow the edge of the field alongside the road heading towards the houses of Colne Engaine. This is not a public footpath or permissive path but it has been in continual use for many years and avoids the need to walk along the road.
Nearing the top of the hill the path swings right, still alongside the road. Ignore a path on the left beside a large tree. It turns sharp left and continues more gently uphill heading towards the church. At the top of the rise, just before a newly planted hedge (which has been trampled over to create a shortcut - please do not follow it), a path joins from the right.
(4) Turn left to enter a playing field with outdoor gym equipment. Exit the field through the gate to the car park then leave the car park beside the recycling bins. Turn right on a footpath leading into St. Andrew's churchyard. Go straight ahead to pass the church on your left and at the opposite side of the churchyard drop down, passing a cottage to meet a road. Turn right, pass the Five Bells pub.
(5) Just after the 30mph signs drop down on wooden steps on the right to a field edge path and immediately turn left on another well-used local path running alongside Mill Lane. Where the path turns right to go downhill keep straight ahead crossing a culvert, heading into the edge of woodland.
The main path here is quite obvious - ignore any that go right, into the wood, but keep alongside the road passing a bench dedicated to John and Peter Martin to soon arrive at a clear crossroads of paths. Turn left here towards the road then head almost straight across to take a clearly marked public bridleway. Where the fence on the left ends, ignore a farm track off to the right which heads towards buildings. The path does a slight dogleg to the trees, which had been on the right, are now on the left.
(6) Where the field ends the path turns sharp left and heads towards houses, ending opposite Colne Engaine Primary School. Turn left on this quiet residential road and head towards the village green. At the Y-junction around the green turning left will take you to the Village Shop & Post Office. The route, however, bears right to pass along the top of the village green.
(7) Just before the road junction, beside a road sign "The Green", turns right at a marked public footpath between houses, then becoming a tree-lined path. Where the path emerges from the bushes and trees keep straight ahead going underneath power lines with a hedge and trees on the right. The path swings slightly to the left and joins a quiet lane. Turn left, heading gently uphill.
(8) Just before Brickhouse Farm, where the lane bears left, take the signed footpath on the right, climbing over the stile. Follow the path gently downhill between paddocks, ignoring a farm path on the left towards stables and buildings, to meet a fence. Turn sharp left and where the path meets a gravel parking area turn sharp right through a gap in the fence to head gently downhill towards trees. At the bottom corner of the field keep ahead to cross the concrete footbridge into trees.
At a marked crossroads of paths take the right hand path which is rather indistinct but is at the bottom of a small field with trees and a stream on the right. Reaching a fence, gate (No Admittance) and waymark turn right to cross over the footbridge. Ignore the path on the right, keeping ahead on the clearer footpath next to a wire fence on the left. The path soon turns sharp left, still with the fence on the left, eventually meeting a lane with a field gate and kissing gate. Turn left, towards a pink cottage.
(9) Just before the cottage opposite the entrance to Bromptons, take the marked footpath through the kissing gate. The path goes slightly to the left then moving away from the river towards a fence on the left. This deviates slightly from the OS map marking. Where the path eventually meets the wire fence keep ahead, following alongside it. At a crossing track close to two lines of young willow trees, again keep straight ahead between fences and willow trees heading towards the right hand corner of the field.
Go through the fence on the right, climb the bank to cross a footbridge over a weir and follow the path between fence and mill stream, passing an enormous ivy-covered willow tree that must have stood here for centuries. The path then crosses over the stream, passing the stump of another large willow, joining a farm track. Turn left. The track swings left and goes alongside a hedge with paddocks and a dressage area on the right. Leave the track to the left of the double gates at the end to join a lane.
(10) Turn right, and after a short distance where the road turns sharp right, keep straight ahead on a field edge path past Mill Cottage (look out for the sculpture in the garden) following power lines. At the field corner, continue straight ahead into scrub (it can get very boggy here), climbing the bank to reach the old railway line. Go straight across and drop down past the stile and bear right across the water meadow, heading towards the footbridge which will lead back into the golf course.
(1) Reverse the earlier walk along Footpath 18, remembering to pay attention to the warning signs. Leave the golf course through the kissing gate, keeping straight ahead to pass the cemetery again and continue along Burrows Road to its end, passing the Quaker Meeting House and the entrance to The Lion's car park. The final length of the road is narrow and one way, from the High Street, so take care (the pavement is very narrow). Turn left on the High Street, passing The Lion, The Drum Inn, etc. At the CO-OP turn left into Queens Road, and left again at the car park entrance. (S/E)
Walker
Moderate 
