Souwes two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Souwes here.

I walked from South Ockendon to West Horndon on a chilly damp day with on and off drizzle.
Across the green and past the pub in Ockendon there's a track/driveway to South Ockenden Hall, site of houses now and a Manor House in Medieval times. The track continues between a solar farm (used to be landfill site) and a current landfill site. Lots of activity with the gulls chasing after to earth movers. The solar farm is being built still so the walker has to share the track with big equipment. The drivers drove slowly and were very considerate of this walker. Drainage ditches are being dug. One part has a well signposted slight diversion to avoid some works, again this was not a problem, not pretty but not a problem. After a couple of 90 turns and over a narrow bridge with stile you are beside Mardyke with a good path leading to a road, Fen Lane. The route is drawn on the South East side of the road but there is a good path a little offset from the North West side, although this requires you to cross the road twice at the East end, still better than walking in the road. More farm tracks leading to field edges and across fields. There is a gate across a road leading to angling lakes with big sheds, but you can duck under the chain or go around the post. Once under the railway you're in the outskirts of W Horndon and not far from shops and the station.
Well marked paths throughout with most being even and flat, if a little muddy. Two narrow bridges, gates and stiles. Not for wheels. Works at the Ockendon end are likely to continue for a while but do not seem to be causing any obstruction for walkers. Open fens provide little shelter from the elements but offer big open skies.

A 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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