Bursou two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Bursou here.

I walked on a drizzly March day. but the route remained passable. I prefer this route to Bursou one as it is more rural and avoids walking through suburban streets and pavements beside busy roads. There’s a good chance of seeing hares going this way and a welcome watering hole on the edge of Southminster.

The route begins with pavemented suburban streets. When Glendale Road meets Marsh Road this route diverges from Bursou one and heads east on Marsh Road. The pavement runs out at The Leas and you must then walk on the road up the bridge over the railway line, the bridge itself is pavemented. This is a low-traffic road and motorists are warned to be aware of pedestrians.

Once over the bridge, it’s road walking again, but after a short distance, there is a grass verge on the south side of the road. which is suitable for walking This verge steadily becomes wider and is generally mowed to lawn length. Visibility is good as there are open fields on either side.

After reaching the outbuildings of Dammerwick Farm (now a small industrial estate) you must walk a little further east. Opposite Dammerwick Farm House a public footpath leads northwards on a hard farm track towards Newmans Farm. The metal public footpath sign is very faded. The track passes an embanked flight pond to the west (in season wildfowlers may be using the hides around the pond). After the pond, the public right of way takes a diagonal path across a field to re-meet the hard farm track, most walkers eschew the field route and simply proceed along the track.

At Newmans Farm the route continues northwards along a field edge, this is unpaved and can be rough underfoot. A narrow footbridge pierces a hedgerow leading into a second field. Here, the right of way continues straight across the field towards the corner of another hedgerow. This route is often not maintained by the farmer and, depending on the time of year and planting, can be impossible to discern. A pragmatic approach suggests using tractor tracks through the crops or sticking to the field edges whichever seems appropriate at the time.

The right of way continues alongside the hedgerow leading northwards. A step stile provides access to a paddock and the path continues northwards beside a drainage ditch and line of willows. A step-less stile provides access to a second paddock which is exited by another step stile onto Goldsands Road. The ground is uneven on this section and many locals seem to avoid it by instead using the field edge on the other side of the ditch.


Goldsands Road is without pavement but is a very quiet, dead-end road. It continues northwards through an area of former quarries which are now fishing lakes - check out the curious wet woodland! Shortly before it reaches Southminster’s Marsh Road it passes Wibblers Brewery, a useful comfort stop with a taproom and kitchen.

Taking a left turn on Marsh Road will, very shortly, deliver you to Southminster Railway Station. Shops and pubs can be found further along the road.

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