Avegra two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Avegra here.

This route is largely off road, first following the River Mardyke, then off-road cycle paths in Chafford Hundred and through the Chafford Gorges Nature Reserve. It is 60% off-road; the remaining 3km all has pavements and about half of that is on very quiet residential roads.

The start is road walking until joining the Mardyke Way, aka National Cycle Route 137. This is not along the riverbank but set back beside meadows, wetland and ephemeral pools. And, after a pair of flyovers (M25 and A13), alongside ancient woodland at Mardyke Woods. Crossing the river (footbridge not on OS maps) comes to Davy Down Riverside Park followed by busy road walking again. Once into Chafford Hundred where you are immediately onto a cycle path which includes circling around, and above, Warren Gorge Lake, part of the nature reserve. The final off-road part takes you right through the middle of Chafford Quarry on footpaths that are very clear on the ground but shown poorly or not at all on OSM and OS maps. Final road stretch is part through quiet streets in an area with no through traffic then 5 min on the one-way system past Morrisons and the bus station to Grays railway station.

You could detour down and through Warren Gorges Lakes, which would add plenty of wildlife watching, a little distance and quite a climb back up the other side.

There are toilets at Davy Down (not directly on the route) and a Tesco Express and chinese takeaway about 100m off route on Drake Road near the Essex Wildlife Trust building (which is currently closed, Jan 2024). Chafford Hundred train station is 1.2km away from Griffon Rd, mostly off-road on more pedestrian/cycleways. You could also cut north or northwest through the Mardyke Woods (east of the M25, Woodlands Trust) to get to Stifford Road for Essex buses to Tilbury, Grays, Aveley and Lakeside Shopping Centre. These paths aren't on OS maps, but there are fingerposts at the turnings (not sure what they actually say).

There are two flights of steps (one long) and the stretch of the Mardyke Way beside Mardyke Woods may be muddy, dog walkers have made a bypass path which climbs up the bank.

https://www.thurrock-history.org.uk/MardykeWay.htm
https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/mardyke-valley/overview
https://www.thameschase.org.uk/visitor-centres/ockendon/mardyke-woods
https://thelandtrust.org.uk/space/davy-down/
https://www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/chafford
There are toilets at Davy Down (not directly on the route) and a Tesco Express and chinese takeaway about 100m off route on Drake Road near the Essex Wildlife Trust building, unfortunately it's currently closed. Chafford Hundred train station is 1.2km away from Griffon Rd, mostly off-road on more pedestrian/cycleways. You could also cut north or northwest through the Mardyke Woods (east of the M25) to get to Stifford Road in South Ockendon, for Essex buses to Tilbury, Grays, Aveley and Lakeside Shopping Centre. These paths aren't on OS maps, but there are fingerposts at the turnings (not sure what they actually say).

There are two flights of steps (one long) and part of Chafford Quarry and of the Mardyke Way may be muddy.

https://www.thurrock-history.org.uk/MardykeWay.htm
https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/mardyke-valley/overview
https://www.thameschase.org.uk/visitor-centres/ockendon/mardyke-woods
https://thelandtrust.org.uk/space/davy-down/
https://www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/chafford

This route is largely off road, first following the River Mardyke, then off-road cycle paths in Chafford Hundred and through the Chafford Gorges Nature Reserve. It is 60% off-road; the remaining 3km all has pavements and about half of that is on very quiet residential roads.

The start is road walking until joining the Mardyke Way, aka National Cycle Route 137. This is not along the riverbank but set back beside meadows, wetland and ephemeral pools. And, after a pair of flyovers (M25 and A13), alongside ancient woodland at Mardyke Woods. Crossing the river (footbridge not on OS maps) comes to Davy Down Riverside Park followed by busy road walking again. Once into Chafford Hundred where you are immediately onto a cycle path which includes circling around, and above, Warren Gorge Lake, part of the nature reserve. The final off-road part takes you right through the middle of Chafford Quarry on footpaths that are very clear on the ground but shown poorly or not at all on OSM and OS maps. Final road stretch is part through quiet streets in an area with no through traffic then 5 min on the one-way system past Morrisons and the bus station to Grays railway station.

You could detour down and through Warren Gorges Lakes, which would add plenty of wildlife watching, a little distance and quite a climb back up the other side.

There are toilets at Davy Down (not directly on the route) and a Tesco Express and chinese takeaway about 100m off route on Drake Road near the Essex Wildlife Trust building (which is currently closed, Jan 2024). Chafford Hundred train station is 1.2km away from Griffon Rd, mostly off-road on more pedestrian/cycleways. You could also cut north or northwest through the Mardyke Woods (east of the M25, Woodlands Trust) to get to Stifford Road for Essex buses to Tilbury, Grays, Aveley and Lakeside Shopping Centre. These paths aren't on OS maps, but there are fingerposts at the turnings (not sure what they actually say).

There are two flights of steps (one long) and the stretch of the Mardyke Way beside Mardyke Woods may be muddy, dog walkers have made a bypass path which climbs up the bank.

https://www.thurrock-history.org.uk/MardykeWay.htm
https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/mardyke-valley/overview
https://www.thameschase.org.uk/visitor-centres/ockendon/mardyke-woods
https://thelandtrust.org.uk/space/davy-down/
https://www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/chafford
There are toilets at Davy Down (not directly on the route) and a Tesco Express and chinese takeaway about 100m off route on Drake Road near the Essex Wildlife Trust building, unfortunately it's currently closed. Chafford Hundred train station is 1.2km away from Griffon Rd, mostly off-road on more pedestrian/cycleways. You could also cut north or northwest through the Mardyke Woods (east of the M25) to get to Stifford Road in South Ockendon, for Essex buses to Tilbury, Grays, Aveley and Lakeside Shopping Centre. These paths aren't on OS maps, but there are fingerposts at the turnings (not sure what they actually say).

There are two flights of steps (one long) and part of Chafford Quarry and of the Mardyke Way may be muddy.

https://www.thurrock-history.org.uk/MardykeWay.htm
https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/mardyke-valley/overview
https://www.thameschase.org.uk/visitor-centres/ockendon/mardyke-woods
https://thelandtrust.org.uk/space/davy-down/
https://www.essexwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/chafford