South Ockendon — West Horndon
Souwes two
Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Souwes here.
Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Souwes here.
By Daisy C on 15 Jan 2024
Description
This avoids the issues with SouWes 1 (see reviews) but is broadly similar. It's a route of huge skies, drained fenlands, and many ditches and footbridges. For a while it follows the Mardyke Way, and there are also many very prominent fingerposts. In some places I've had to draw the route line by eye. I did my best to ensure important positions like turning and crossing points, or paths being on correct side of hedges, ditches etc.
The surfaces are split between tracks, fieldside paths (clear from crops but might be muddy) and just a little road walking (in West Horndon on pavements and Fen Lane has a wide verge and clear views, about 1km total). Towards South Ockendon the "Bulphan Fen Solar Farm" is being installed (Jan 2024) and there were "Heavy Plant Crossing" signs on some tracks.
You could break the journey halfway by heading east on Fen Lane to Bulphan where there is a very small shop, bus stop and pub, one review of WesBas 1 says this is fair road walking (verge). Both ends have takeaways, convenience stores, a pub (no food?), Essex bound buses plus train stations. Only South Ockendon is within the TfL Oyster zone for contactless/pay-as-you-go and TfL bus routes.
https://www.thurrock-history.org.uk/MardykeWay.htm
This avoids the issues with SouWes 1 (see reviews) but is broadly similar. It's a route of huge skies, drained fenlands, and many ditches and footbridges. For a while it follows the Mardyke Way, and there are also many very prominent fingerposts. In some places I've had to draw the route line by eye. I did my best to ensure important positions like turning and crossing points, or paths being on correct side of hedges, ditches etc.
The surfaces are split between tracks, fieldside paths (clear from crops but might be muddy) and just a little road walking (in West Horndon on pavements and Fen Lane has a wide verge and clear views, about 1km total). Towards South Ockendon the "Bulphan Fen Solar Farm" is being installed (Jan 2024) and there were "Heavy Plant Crossing" signs on some tracks.
You could break the journey halfway by heading east on Fen Lane to Bulphan where there is a very small shop, bus stop and pub, one review of WesBas 1 says this is fair road walking (verge). Both ends have takeaways, convenience stores, a pub (no food?), Essex bound buses plus train stations. Only South Ockendon is within the TfL Oyster zone for contactless/pay-as-you-go and TfL bus routes.
https://www.thurrock-history.org.uk/MardykeWay.htm
Status
This route has been reviewed by 1 person.
There are no issues flagged.
Photos for Souwes two
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Information
Route status - Live
Reviews - 1
Average rating -
Is this route good enough? - Yes (1)
There are currently no problems reported with this route.
Downloads - 0
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Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
South Ockendon
Grid Ref
TQ5946182975
Lat / Lon
51.52318° / 0.29716°
Easting / Northing
559,461E / 182,975N
What3Words
native.nasal.sobs
West Horndon
Grid Ref
TQ6229188113
Lat / Lon
51.56854° / 0.34028°
Easting / Northing
562,291E / 188,113N
What3Words
golf.being.bride
| South Ockendon | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | TQ5946182975 |
| Lat / Lon | 51.52318° / 0.29716° |
| Easting / Northing | 559,461E / 182,975N |
| What3Words | native.nasal.sobs |
| West Horndon | |
|---|---|
| Grid Ref | TQ6229188113 |
| Lat / Lon | 51.56854° / 0.34028° |
| Easting / Northing | 562,291E / 188,113N |
| What3Words | golf.being.bride |
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review
Daisy C
15 Jan 2024A big improvement on SouWes 1. This is drained fenland so completely flat, the skies are expansive and Langdon Hills, at 115m, looms to the east. About 3/4 off road (a mix of fieldside paths, farm tracks) and the road remainder was quiet (pavement or decent sightlines and verges). Closer to South Ockendon there are glimpses of a small landfill site and solar panels through hedges, although no sign of the Heavy Plant Crossing on a Sunday afternoon.
There were some footbridges, stiles and an anti dirt-bike obstructions to squeeze through. One pair of young boys were on one near W Thorndon but seemed polite and quickly moved off to other farm tracks. Signs re grazing animals were about but no animals seen, bar dogs. On the Mardyke Way bridleway bikes seem more likely than horses judging by prints.
As I was testing this in combination with SouWes 1 and did miss some Fen Lane road walking. However the traffic where I did walk, plus Google Street View showing the sizeable verge and good sightlines, together feels sufficient for a positive review.
W Horndon's cafe has gone out of business and the pub no longer serves food but this Sunday there was a burger van in the village hall car park. Pub in S Ockendon may also have no kitchen service (if I read Scott's SouWes 1 review correctly).
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