Green Belt
Relay
Green Belt
Relay
Stage 12 - Blackmore to Thorndon Park Countryside Centre (10.9 miles)
Sunday morning is an early rise for everyone. However, it's not just the vegetarians who don't enjoy their full English breakfast. Those who run the first stage also find it a problem. Yet from past experiences some do have it packed and transported to the end of the stage, where they can enjoy it after their run.
Presently the stage starts from the centre of Blackmore village and follows narrow country lanes through rural Essex. The route south to Mountnessing, along Green Street and Trueloves Lane is typical of rural England. So peaceful with scattered, well decorated houses and colourful hedgerows, acting as the only obstacles to block out the views of the surrounding countryside. A few years ago the only thing that broke a blue Spring sky was a large Virgin Balloon going on its practice flights before making a challenge for an around the world record. Knowing Richard Branson, he was most likely onboard.
I’ll firstly describe the route the run we took in 2009. It is very picturesque and takes us along quiet lanes and roads for over the first four miles to just past Mountnessing Windmill. It’s also ideal for anyone on bicycles and I won’t dwell on the things the route passes. The second route is the one we’ll use for the run in future years and will also be the route of the long distance path around London. For this the route to just past Mountnessing Windmill is a few hundred yards longer. Most of it is off-road, using St Peter’s Way and other well defined paths through Fryerning, and cross-country past Dunsteads and around Mountnessing Windmill to rejoin our present route.
2009 Run & Cycling Route.
Start just outside the Bull Inn on Church Street. Go north to the end of Church Street and the junction with The Green. Turn right into “The Green”. Follow the road for 200 yards to a T-junction. Turn right signed Mountnessing. After 0.8 miles follow the main road as it turns sharp left. After another mile go straight on down Green Street, signed Mountnessing. Stay straight on for 1.8 miles to a T-junction at the end of Trueloves Lane. Turn right, signed Mountnessing, onto the B1002 – for runners stay on the pavement on the RHS. Follow the road straight on for 0.7 miles to just after Mountnessing Windmill and directly opposite Prince of Wales pub. Cross over (with care) to LHS and after just a few yards turn left on path across small green and then left into Church Road – now at 4.35 miles into the stage.
Long Distance Path around London Route
The stage starts just across Blackmore Green in the entrance to Church Street and outside the Bull Inn. It follows St Peter’s Way for just over a mile.
On exiting Church Street turn right into The Green.
There is the smaller “The Green” directly opposite the junction with the Leather Bottle pub dominating its north side, the Prince Albert pub and a few old houses to its south, the village shop on the east side and the old post office, with its traditional red phone box and post box, on the west side – it’s a shame that elsewhere throughout the country so many of these old iron relics have been replaced. On a beautiful morning it’s easy to see how unique the centre of this small village looks – it’s Old England. A few yards further along, the road divides Blackmore’s larger of its two greens in two. To the right, near the start of this green, are the old village stocks and the war memorial. Next to each other, they blend in and remember both the past villains and the heroes of the village. Just next to both is the village sign – a statement about the history of the place. Soon and just to the right of the road a sign as a warning to cars reads “Beware Ducks Crossing”, just a few yards later you’ll see why. On both sides there are ponds with overhanging trees. The local ducks are probably too well fed and I assume instead of flying, just walk the few yards across the road from one to the other. Set back from both greens are period houses which blend in well with the surroundings. I have not yet studied them, but one day hopefully will soon and maybe some have stories to tell.
After 200 yards, on reaching the T-junction (with Chelmsford Road), turn left for 30 yards, then turn right to cross the road and onto a footpath directly away from the road across a crop field. The path is St Peters Way and is signed by an inverted crucifix on a circular metal disc. These discs can be used as a guide for the next mile to the hamlet of Beggar Hill.
Follow the path directly across the field to the other side, then through a gap and straight on along the LHS of a second field. After 250 yards the hedgerow turns left to form a corner and thus widening the field to the left. Go straight on across this new opened area of field and once again to the left hand edge. Turn left through a kissing gate (or stile) into a third field and go directly across it, passing a pond surrounded by trees in the middle of the field.
On reaching the other side of the field, turn right along a wide track. Follow this for 500 yards too and through a wood, then past some desirable properties to a gate. The last house has a large pond next to the lane. Go through the kissing gate next to the main gate and then straight on along the road (Beggar Hill).
The kissing gate is at 1.75 miles into the stage and it’s just after this where we part company with St Peter’s Way as it turns left to follow a path away from the road.
Follow the road for almost a mile to a T-junction with Mill Green Road in the centre of the village of Fryerning. Turn right along Mill Green Road, staying straight on past the Woolpack Pub, where the road becomes Blackmore Road and soon past the Church.
Fryerning was once a parish in its own right. Today it is classified as a village with Beggar Hill a small hamlet just north west. Both places are well spread out and built on green belt. Most of the properties are very private and well hidden from the narrow roads which run through the village. Some are occupied by professional footballers and first class cricketers. Fryerning gets it name from a mixture of Old Saxon and medieval. The “ing” like many places in this part of Essex comes from a group of Saxons from mainland Europe who came across in the 6th Century. The Fryers (friar) relates to the Knights Hospitallers who owned the area in Medieval Times, only to be suppressed by Henry VIII in 1540. The village has two pubs, the award winning Woolpack, passed on-route, and The Cricketers to the north on Mill Lane. Mill Lane also has an old windmill, but now obscured from view in the gardens of Mill House. The nave of the Church of St Mary the Virgin dates back to the 11th Century and contains courses of Roman bricks. The stone tower was added in the early 16th Century and replaced an older wooden one. The church is listed in the top 100 historical churches in the UK and there are many interesting things to see in and around it.
Squadron Leader Claude Ashton (1901 – 1942) is buried in the graveyard. He played football for England against Northern Ireland in 1925. It was his only appearance and he was captain. He also played first class cricket for Cambridge University and Essex. He died on 31st October 1942 when the plane he was piloting was involved in a mid air collision whilst training with the Royal Air Force in North Wales. To read more visit the church website.
One well-known person who lived in the village was English soprano, Elizabeth Harwood (1938 – 1990). Whilst resident here she sang in the church every Christmas and is commemorated by a plaque, and a rose named after her is planted by the tower. She died from cancer aged 52 on 21st June 1990 at her home in the village.
250 yards after the church and as the road turns right, go straight on over a stile, next to a gate and just right of the entrance drive to Longview Cottage and Church Hill Cottages – now at three miles into the route. Go straight on along a footpath next to a wooden fence with a lawn on the opposite side. Follow the path straight across fields, passing a fishing lake to the left and eventually past farm / industrial buildings to the right with many old vehicles in the yard.
On reaching the lane to the farm, (stile?) cross straight over and (stile?) onto a path between some trees and into a field. Veer slightly left to follow the path across the field. Exit the field (stile?) and cross straight over the road (Trueloves Lane) and (stile?) onto a path across a large crop field.
There are good views across the countryside and the path is well defined. Slightly to the right and in the distance you can see the white sails of a windmill.
After 300 yards the path crosses a footbridge over a stream (be careful to step over the metal bar on the bridge). Continue straight for 300 yards, and 100 yards before reaching a row of trees, turn right onto a wide path heading almost directly towards the windmill. At the other edge of the field follow the path through the hedgerow and then left past Mountnessing Windmill.
Mountnessing Windmill is a landmark for many miles around. The mill was built in 1807, on the site of a previous mill. There are records of a mill here from at least c1477. It was worked by the Angis family from 1807 until 1933. The local council took it over and restored it in 1937. It was later bought by Essex County Council for one shilling (5p). They repaired and replaced many parts. It still grinds flour which can be bought and is open on the third Sunday of each month in spring and summer.
Thoby Priory is 500 yards directly north of Mountnessing Windmill. It was a 12th Century house of Augustinian Cannons which was dissolved in 1536. Legend has it that during Norman Times when local men folk would go of to the Crusades or were away for other reasons, then the number of available men in the area would not meet the demand of the women folk. The Monks of the Priory were an obvious choice to help meet the demand. The situation got so bad a local law was made for a Leap Day, as every four years, on this day, women had the opportunity to propose marriage and many did to unsuspecting monks, especially after they had a few drinks. The law stated if a woman proposed to a man and he accepted on a Leap Day, and the man was drunk, then the acceptance could not be counted as binding. For the occasion the monks would brew up an intoxicating mixture. On the given day, all the monks would partake; hence if any fell for ladies’ advances on the day, the law could be applied.
With the “Dissolution of the Monasteries” the priory was dissolved in 1525 and given to Cardinal Wolsey by Henry VIII. However, it would only be a few years before Wolsey was made to give it back. It was then granted to Sir Richard Page for life in 1530. However, on 5th May 1536 both Page and the poet Sir Thomas Wyatt were arrested for high treason after they were both accused of being Anne Bolyen’s lovers. Fortunately for them, they were subsequently released on the advice of Thomas Cromwell because the claimed affairs were said to have taken place before Anne’s marriage to Henry VIII. In 1539, after the death of Sir Richard Page, the priory was sold to William Berners. Some time between 1525 and 1539 the priory was converted to a Tudor mansion. Queen Elizabeth visited in 1539.
During World War II it was taken over by the War Ministry and later used as a German Prisoner of War Camp. After the war it was sold off by the government and was demolished in 1953. All that remains now is a small section of wall.
After passing the windmill continue straight on across the playing field, past a pavilion to the left and the village hall to the right and onto a road. Cross straight over the road and turn right. On approaching a crossroads veer left on a footpath through a small green and then left into Church Road.
We have now rejoined the Run & Cycle Route
The main road through Mountnessing (and the one our route has just crossed) is the B1002 or Roman Road. The name comes from Roman Times when this was part of the main route between Britain’s two most important Roman towns – London and Colchester. Today the A12 bypasses the town to the south and takes away most of the traffic. The whole setting of this area around the crossroads does give the feeling of a small village. With the windmill, the recreation ground, the village hall, a Coronation Memorial on one corner of the crossroads and a war memorial on another. There are two pubs almost opposite the village hall on the south side of Roman Road – The Plough and The Prince of Wales. The only feature missing is the Parish Church. This is the 12th Century St Giles and is over a mile west of the town on Old Church Lane and next to Mountnessing Hall. The town gets its name from the Mountney family who were lords of the manor from the 12th Century. They were based at Mountnessing Hall and the church was built for the manor. The town grew up west of here along the London to Colchester road and in 1873 a new church was opened. This is the Church of St John in Church Close, just off Church Road, and nearer the centre of the village opened. It often referred to as “The Iron Church”
To the west along Roman Road is Brentwood, which is brushed by the Relay, a new R.C. Cathedral, designed by Quinlan Terry, was opened in 1991. Brentwood was built on what was the route of many Pilgrims going to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury. He was killed by soldiers of the king in 1170. At the time the area was covered by a great forest and when a clearing was made by fire, it was named Burnt Wood - hence Brentwood. The town is now very urbanised and the remains of a late 12th Century church can still be seen in the High Street.
Follow Church Road for 300 yards to pass over the A12 and the railway. After another 300 yards and just before a large water tower (at Begrums Farm) turn right onto Arnolds Farm Lane – now at five miles into the stage.
Follow the lane past Arnolds Farm and eventually to a T-junction. Turn left into Lower Road and after 150 yards veer right into Wash Road. The road soon passes over the River Wid and after another 200 yards over the railway. After another 200 yards turn left through a small car park and into Hutton Park.
On entering the park take the path to the right through the trees. After 50 yards follow it through a gap and into a field – avoid the wide path going off to the right. Go straight on, diagonally across the field, to a gap in the hedgerow. Go through the gap and along an elevated wooden walkway over marshland. The walkway leads south to a path, which in turn leads through a gap to a large field. Veer slightly left onto a path across the field to its south east corner. Go straight on along a footpath between garden fences and out onto a residential road (Goodwood Avenue) with Hutton Stud Farm on the opposite side.
Turn right along the road to a T-junction, then left along the pavement. After just a few yards and on approaching a wooden bus stop, on the opposite side, turn right to cross over the road, staying right of the bus stop and into Hutton Village.
Follow Hutton Village for 0.3 miles, firstly past some residences and then a wood to the left, staying on the left hand side. Immediately before the corner, where the road turns sharp right, turn left onto a path through the trees – now at 7 miles into the stage. After just a few yards, turn right onto a path with trees and wooden fences to the right and grassland to the left. The path leads directly to the car park of All Saints Church. Go straight through the car park and onto a lane. Turn right along the lane and past the church. Immediately past the church turn left onto a footpath, signed “Footpath 94 to Bridleway 72”.
Hutton is a large village in Essex, but really can be described as an outlying suburb of Brentwood. Thanks to Hutton Country Park for giving a route which allows diversions and an off-road path to take the route away from the houses and make it scenic. The park is a wildlife reserve covering 90 acres and is managed in partnership by Brentwood Council and Essex County Council. The area is made up of natural grassland, ancient woodland, wetland and ponds. It is bounded to the north by the River Wid and is dissected by the railway. Up to the 1970s this was the property of a local farm which used it to graze their livestock. During the 1970s and 1980s there were plans to develop the site for housing and commercial units and to build a link road across it. However, due to its rich wildlife and nature, the place remained unchanged. Much work has been done to make the park accessible to the public and protect this natural habitat. Hedges have been planted, ditches have been dug, a wooden walkway over the wetland has been built, livestock have been reintroduced and there are areas to picnic and just enjoy walking your dog. In 2008 over 500 new trees were planted to add to the already ancient woodland and to preserve the nature and wildlife of the park.
The small All Saints Church is Norman and has a long list of rectors dating from 1325. According to a leaflet from Brentwood Council the church is built on the site of a crossed spring, which suggests pagan rituals may have been preformed here before Christian ones. The town got national news coverage a few years ago when a car wash opened where cars were cleaned by scantly clad young ladies using their busts and backsides to wash while the occupants stayed inside. BBC News covered this, but I don’t know if any news footage still exists. Hutton also has a darker side in its history for being in the news. The first police officer of the Essex Constabulary to be killed whilst on active duty was Robert Bambrough, who was drowned in a pond in Hutton by the criminal he was escorting from Billericay Magistrates Court on 21st November 1850.
Follow the footpath straight, with the wall of the churchyard to the left. Then straight on across a field (past a pond to the right at one point) and out onto a lane at the opposite side. Go straight across the lane and past a gate onto a wide track along the edge of a field signed “Bridleway 72 to Ingrave”. After 0.3 mile follow the track through a gap and then right along the edge of a wood. 0.35 miles later the track comes to a T-junction with a farm to the left. Turns right along the lane and be aware of potholes as it is not well maintained. After 400 yards the lane passes a sewage works to the right and after another 250 yards passes Ingrave Hall and farm again to the right. After another 200 yards the lane turns left past Heatleys into Middle Road and eventually to Ingrave. Once in the village go straight on past Common Road and then stay with Middle Road as it veers right and leads to a T-junction with the busy A128 (Brentwood Road).
At the T-junction turn left along the road. After 40 yards cross straight over and turn right into Thorndon Gate. Continue straight on along the lane for about 250 yards. Immediately after passing the entrance to Thorndon Hall turn half right onto a footpath, signed “Public Footpath 42”, and through some trees – now at 9.6 miles into the stage. The path soon passes in front of the large hall and continues through the woods and deeper into Thorndon Country Park North. After 0.7 miles it comes out onto a lane. Turn right along the lane to finish 0.6 miles later in the car park of Thorndon Park North Countryside Centre.
The Manor of Ingrave dates back to at least Saxon Times with the name coming from Old Saxon – Ging-Ralph. The are the ruins of the 12th Century St Nicholas Church just south west of Ingrave Hall on Rectory Lane (now Middle Road). It was replaced by the current St Nicholas’ Church on Brentwood Road in 1736. During an archaeological dig of the old site on Middle Road in 1975 it was discovered that Roman tiles were used in the old church’s construction, but it is not known if there was a Roman settlement here. The Rectory of the old church dates from c1600 and is still standing. It’s on the left corner as the route turns left after Ingrave Hall towards Ingrave village. It has been renamed “Heatleys” after the Rev. Henry Heatley, the last rector of the old church.
In 1903 composer Ralph Vaughan Williams came to Brentwood to give a series of lectures on folk music. After one of these he was approached by two middle aged ladies, Georgina and Florence Heatley, daughters of the Rector of Ingrave. They invited him to tea at their father’s vicarage and offered to arrange for some of the locals to sing folk songs for him. Vaughan Williams cycled to Ingrave on 4th December 1903. On his trip he visited 74 year old Charles Potiphar, an illiterate labourer living in a cottage in Rectory Lane (now 43 Middle Road, Ingrave). He heard Potiphar sing many traditional songs including “Bushes & Briars”. Vaughan Williams was so moved by what he heard that the event was to influence the rest of his career. During the next 10 years he went on to collect over 800 songs. A book has been written on the event by Frank Dineen entitled “The Ingrave Secret – Ralph’s People”.
Thorndon Hall is at nine miles into the stage and was designed by architect James Paine for Robert Edward, the 9th Lord Petre (1742 – 1801). It was built between 1764 and 1767. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown between 1766 and 1772. In 1778, fearing an invasion from France, many thousands of militia were camped nearby at Warley Common. In October, George III and Queen Charlotte visited Lord Petre at Thorndon Hall to inspect the troops. The review included a mock battle in which 10,000 men were engaged. The camp broke up the following month, but was reformed in 1779, 1781 and 1782.
The original Thorndon Hall was situated a mile south of the present one and dates back to at least the early 15th Century. It was called West Thorndon Hall and purchased from the Mordaunt family by Sir John Petre in 1573. In 1603 he became the 1st Lord Petre. The family fortune had been acquired by his father Sir William Petre (1505 – 1572). William was born at Tor-Brian, in Devonshire He was knighted in 1535, and became one of the chief secretaries of state in 1543. He was Secretary of State to Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth I, but still retained his Catholic faith and his lands. John was William’s only son and inherited his father’s wealth and the family seat at Ingatestone. Shortly after buying the Thorndon Estate, he demolished the hall and built a magnificent new one on the site which is now referred to as Old Thorndon Hall and through successive generations the lands around the hall were developed into what is now Thorndon Park.
Over the years the Petre family maintained their strong Catholic faith. The family produced two bishops and was instrumental in preserving Catholicism in England. In the main it did not hinder their statues. However, William (1626 - 1684) the 4th Lord Petre did get implicated in the concocted Titus Oates Plot (or Popish Plot) in the late 17th Century which claimed the lives of at least 15 prominent citizens. The last being Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland (now Saint) executed on 1st July 1681. William Petre was arrested in 1678 and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was held there without trial until his death in 1684.
Robert, the 7th Lord Petre inspired Alexander Pope to write his famous poem “The Rape of the Lock”. It was written as a favour to his friend John Caryll who wished to diffuse a family feud between the Petre and Fermor families, both Catholic and interconnected. The young Lord was an admirer of Arabella Fermor and without her permission cut a lock of her hair. Arabella a beautiful young society lady took great offence and a family feud followed. The original poem was a mock piece written in less than a fortnight with the intention of making the two families laugh at the incident and bring them together again. Pope published it on 20th May 1712. Over the next couple of years Pope extended it and republished it on 2nd March 1714. A final version was completed by 1717, and by this time Robert had already died of smallpox and Arabella was married. It is recognised as one of the finest mock epic poem in English language.
Robert James Petre, the 8th Lord Petre (1713 – 1742) from an early age was very green fingered with a huge interest in horticulture. He collected trees and plants from all over the world and grew them in his park at Thorndon. He became the most prolific collector of American trees and shrubs in Europe. In total he collected over 200,000 species it’s believed the first Camellias grown in the West were at his nurseries at Thorndon Park.
The old hall was demolished by Robert Edward Petre, the 9th Lord Petre in the late 18th Century after building the current Thorndon Hall, but a few remnants still remain in the Old Park.
In 1878 a devastating fire caused a great amount of damage to the “new” Thorndon Hall. It fell into disrepair and was leased along with 240 acres of park by a group of businessmen in 1920. Their intention was to build a championship golf course and magnificent private housing development. The course was designed by Harry Colt, but with building restraints the housing development never materialized. Initially Thorndon Park Golf Club used part of the large hall as their clubhouse. Over the years the golf club purchased the land and in 1968 bought the hall. However, in 1974 a new clubhouse was built and the following year Thorndon Hall was sold to a building company. They restored the facade of the Palladian mansion to its former glory and converted the building into luxury apartments.
In the early 20th Century when the Thorndon estate was broken up and sold off, parts of it were bought by Essex County Council. The present country park occupies 385 acres of this and includes the North Park and the South Park. In 1992 the Woodland Trust bought 136 acres from Hatch Farm and once again united both parks.
The South Park has a visitor’s centre named the South Pavilion. It was opened by the 18th Lord Petre of Ingatestone in 1992. It has a restaurant and toilets and holds an exhibition of art which reflect the landscape, history and wildlife of the area. There is a barbeque and picnic area. There are many walks through the woods, the “Old Deer Park”, the “Ruin Wood” where the remains of the old hall can be seen and close by “Old Hall Pond” for which tickets can be purchased to fish.
The North Park has its own deer park and woods. Childerditch Pond at its south-west corner is formed by a clay dam which dates back to the 13th Century. However, there are no fishing rights as it is managed for conservation and is a haven for waterfowl. There is also the Thorndon Hall Chapel where the Petre’s and other local Catholics practiced their religion out of sight of their suppressors. The Thorndon Park Countryside Centre, at the end of the leg is built from timber blown over in the 1987 storms in the park. It has permanent exhibition, a shop selling gifts and a small restaurant. There is an ample car park used by walkers, some running clubs and other countryside users. The Essex Ranger Service is based at the centre. They spent much of their time conserving and improving the park and offer a wide range of service to the public, including educational and fun activities to all ages.
It’s great to see that this ancient deer park and woodlands, reorganised by Capability Brown, in the late 18th Century is still being looked after and improved by our local councils today.
Thorndon Hall Chapel is just to the right of the lane at about half a mile from the finish. It is hidden in the trees and as far as I can ascertain has been inaccessible to the public for many years. However, a news article in the Times Online dated 10th January 2009 states the Historic Chapels Trust have announced they are to take on the preservation and restoration of the Thorndon Hall Chapel. It reads:
“……chantry chapel in the park of Thorndon House in Essex, the seat of one of England’s oldest Catholic families, the Petres. After years of neglect, caused by a dispute that prevented access for repairs, there were holes in the roof, blocked gutters, saplings seeding themselves and heavily eroded stonework.
The simple exterior gives no clue of the angel roof within, as richly carved as that in any medieval Suffolk church. Attributed by Pevsner to Pugin, the chapel is now known to be the work of William Wardell, whose health failed in 1858, prompting him to emigrate to the warmer air of Melbourne where he recovered to become chief government architect for bridges, docks and handsome public buildings.”
For the long distance walk around London the route will differ from the last 0.6 miles along the lane to the finish at the Countryside Centre. You can download the map to see the alternatives and also read more about Thorndon Park on the Healthy Life Essex website. These will go through the ancient woodlands and take in some spectacular scenery. I will consult with the Chief Ranger about different routes. There is one route which is direct and cover the same distance, but there are also alternatives which will add a couple of extra miles and take in the South Park an all the points of interest through it.
Copywrite @ Sean Davis 2009. All rights reserved.