Stabas three

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StaBas 3
A quiet route which stays away from the busy roads (used in StaBas 1) going through the pretty village of Horndon on the Hill then across gradually rising farmland to the bottom of Langdon Hills Country Park then up One Tree Hill with panoramic views of the Thames Estuary and towards London. The remainder is through more of the country park and another nature reserve mostly on substantial woodland paths. The country park and this area are just a small part of the Langdon Ridge SSSI. It's a slight modification of StaBas 2 (which I also made). Given that no one else has walked or pledged to walk that one I'm replacing it before they do.

A few things to look out for along the way (letters from mini map).
A) crossing North Hill the footpaths *are* marked by fingerposts on the roadside but they might be hiding within overgrown hedges.
B) two arable fields where the farmer seems poor at re-establishing paths. White posts help you navigate across. C) Wrens Park Farm stables have put an electric fence across the middle of this field (no gate or stile just a bit of duct tape on the wires!) and let the eastern stile become very unsafe. I'd suggest walking around the railed off path around the edge except for the large patch of high nettles at one end. Luckily their wooden railings are very sturdy so you can climb them relatively easily. Reported to Thurrock Council via FixMyStreet.com
D) another path across an arable field. But here, some years, a wide path is left around the edges.
From E) to F) the path flips back and forth across the field boundaries. The route line has been exaggerated to show where. At worst is just west of F, stay south of the hedge/ditch.
G) the path south from this 5-way junction goes through a narrow arch in a hedge that you might miss if coming from Basildon.
H) After a bit of bridleway with a decent view (behind you) turn into the country park at a distinctive gate (Photo xxxx) to walk through a wildflower meadow instead.
I) Go straight to the top of the next meadow and walk along it for the best views and several benches to rest on. You'll deserve both, this is the biggest climb of the route.
J) Another good but brief view from this side of the road but no benches.
Between K) and L) are two permissive paths crossing the road at a small car park. Positions exaggerated to make it clear you do not have to walk in the narrow lane.
M) this path towards the housing is not on maps. It's not surfaced and formal like the previous one but is in frequent use. It comes out into the small park but is hidden behind some large play equipment.
N) a final, more modest view across Basildon.

Rest, eating or break out points: Stanford-le-Hope Station has no toilets, there are buses to SlowWays places Basildon, Grays, and Tilbury. And Lakeside from where you can get a TfL bus into London. There's a convenience store and takeaways heading west on the route but a substantial high street a little further east.
Horndon-on-the-Hill is not very near the middle of the route but is pretty with a “breakfast café”, a small shop, a gallery and two pubs. The latter were more welcoming and probably more expensive than the pubs in Stanford-le-Hope. The 375 bus service, has been reinstated (5 / day).
The only mid route facility is the Garage Corner bus stop (4 / hour). It's about 500m down One Tree Hill (the road) from the southern point of the country park, all on pavements. Both bus stops shown on the mini map. Sadly the One Tree Hill car park toilets shown on OS and OSM maps are boarded up.
In Basildon you'll go past an Indian takeaway and there's a newsagent at the station. Basildon town centre and bus station are just beyond.

Obstacles (apart from the electric fence at Wrens Park Farm Stables and the dangerous stile at Wrens Park Farm Stables):
There are horses around but apart from at Wrens Park Farm Stables they are probably behind fences or with riders on the bridleways. Plenty of stiles, most with poles to hold (but not the unsafe one at Wrens Park Farm Stables. Also kissing gates, small footbridges with railings, narrow gaps (to deter bikes and horses), a low metal bar (pro horses, anti dirt bikes?), fallen branches, steps (may be hidden in grass, potentially muddy paths and ploughed fields

StaBas 3
A quiet route which stays away from the busy roads (used in StaBas 1) going through the pretty village of Horndon on the Hill then across gradually rising farmland to the bottom of Langdon Hills Country Park then up One Tree Hill with panoramic views of the Thames Estuary and towards London. The remainder is through more of the country park and another nature reserve mostly on substantial woodland paths. The country park and this area are just a small part of the Langdon Ridge SSSI. It's a slight modification of StaBas 2 (which I also made). Given that no one else has walked or pledged to walk that one I'm replacing it before they do.

A few things to look out for along the way (letters from mini map).
A) crossing North Hill the footpaths *are* marked by fingerposts on the roadside but they might be hiding within overgrown hedges.
B) two arable fields where the farmer seems poor at re-establishing paths. White posts help you navigate across. C) Wrens Park Farm stables have put an electric fence across the middle of this field (no gate or stile just a bit of duct tape on the wires!) and let the eastern stile become very unsafe. I'd suggest walking around the railed off path around the edge except for the large patch of high nettles at one end. Luckily their wooden railings are very sturdy so you can climb them relatively easily. Reported to Thurrock Council via FixMyStreet.com
D) another path across an arable field. But here, some years, a wide path is left around the edges.
From E) to F) the path flips back and forth across the field boundaries. The route line has been exaggerated to show where. At worst is just west of F, stay south of the hedge/ditch.
G) the path south from this 5-way junction goes through a narrow arch in a hedge that you might miss if coming from Basildon.
H) After a bit of bridleway with a decent view (behind you) turn into the country park at a distinctive gate (Photo xxxx) to walk through a wildflower meadow instead.
I) Go straight to the top of the next meadow and walk along it for the best views and several benches to rest on. You'll deserve both, this is the biggest climb of the route.
J) Another good but brief view from this side of the road but no benches.
Between K) and L) are two permissive paths crossing the road at a small car park. Positions exaggerated to make it clear you do not have to walk in the narrow lane.
M) this path towards the housing is not on maps. It's not surfaced and formal like the previous one but is in frequent use. It comes out into the small park but is hidden behind some large play equipment.
N) a final, more modest view across Basildon.

Rest, eating or break out points: Stanford-le-Hope Station has no toilets, there are buses to SlowWays places Basildon, Grays, and Tilbury. And Lakeside from where you can get a TfL bus into London. There's a convenience store and takeaways heading west on the route but a substantial high street a little further east.
Horndon-on-the-Hill is not very near the middle of the route but is pretty with a “breakfast café”, a small shop, a gallery and two pubs. The latter were more welcoming and probably more expensive than the pubs in Stanford-le-Hope. The 375 bus service, has been reinstated (5 / day).
The only mid route facility is the Garage Corner bus stop (4 / hour). It's about 500m down One Tree Hill (the road) from the southern point of the country park, all on pavements. Both bus stops shown on the mini map. Sadly the One Tree Hill car park toilets shown on OS and OSM maps are boarded up.
In Basildon you'll go past an Indian takeaway and there's a newsagent at the station. Basildon town centre and bus station are just beyond.

Obstacles (apart from the electric fence at Wrens Park Farm Stables and the dangerous stile at Wrens Park Farm Stables):
There are horses around but apart from at Wrens Park Farm Stables they are probably behind fences or with riders on the bridleways. Plenty of stiles, most with poles to hold (but not the unsafe one at Wrens Park Farm Stables. Also kissing gates, small footbridges with railings, narrow gaps (to deter bikes and horses), a low metal bar (pro horses, anti dirt bikes?), fallen branches, steps (may be hidden in grass, potentially muddy paths and ploughed fields