Malsou soon breaks off east across the field, but this route continues south a while longer before taking a couple of turns around some bits of remnant creek and then south again to Steeple Road. You'll need to cross the road at Tideway Farm to pick up a footpath going south. (You could halve the stretch of verge walking by sticking on the Malsou one route to Lawling Creek and shortly before reaching Maylandsea taking a southerly footpath past Lawling Hall that joins Steeple Road close to Tideway Farm). The footpath at Tideway Farm starts on the driveway to houses then runs along the east side of the fence line past a golf driving range and into the camping and caravanning field behind the Huntsman and Hounds pub....

James Piers Taylor

Due to storm damage to the town pontoon the ferry currently leaves from/arrives at Burnham Yacht Harbour rather than Burnham Quay, as shown on the route map - check the exact departure point with the Burnham Harbourmaster (office by the marina jetty). You can use the Malbur one route to get you from the marina to the railway station, or proceed eastwards along the coastal path to reach Burnham Quay; and, 2. Burnham’s town pontoon is due to be replaced in the Summer of 2024, and the ferry should restart using it in 2025 - at which point the Burnham end of the route will be correct and it takes a direct route from the Quay to Burnham railway station. I walked in late March on the first day of the Ferry season in the Burnham to Rochford direction which avoided any fretting about last boat crossings....

James Piers Taylor

There’s a convenience store and chemist here should you need to stock up (long stretches of this walk offer no shops or refreshments).

Where King Edward’s Road meets Hambert Road you’ll see a sward of grass sloping upwards directly ahead take this to reach the Burnham Road (B1012). Out of the woodland, the path follows the field edge to the junction of Crows Lane and Woodham Road. When the copse ends take the footpath south to meet the Woodham Road again, practically opposite the next piece of the route. Cross the road when traffic allows and take the off-road path going south which shortly joins an east-bound track along the route of the old Maldon West railway line. This road remains busy here, on the south side of the road there’s a grass verge which is suitable for the short stretch to Rookery Lane.

Rookery Lane is a no-through road to traffic and another wonderfully quiet lane to walk down. [A thus-far unconfined element of the England Coast Path proposes a route to South Woodham Ferrers using the farm track westward here]. Before reaching Creeksea itself private claim on the coast forces you inland again and across a field to Ferry Lane.

Here the route turns south and returns to the coast (f you want a quicker route to Burnham station and/or to find refreshments at the Parlour Cage by Creeksea Place turn north instead then east before the railway bridge). The mapped route takes you across Riverside Park and along suburban streets to Burnham on Crouch railway station - but why not carry on along the coast path to the pleasant hostelries of Burnham Quay instead?...

James Piers Taylor

There’s one section of road walking which I think is a bit perilous, especially if you are walking this route east to west so I have uploaded an alternative Soubur four which diverts around it. There’s a convenience store and chemist here should you need to stock up (long stretches of this walk offer no shops or refreshments).

Where King Edward’s Road meets Hambert Road you’ll see a sward of grass sloping upwards directly ahead take this to reach the Burnham Road (B1012). Out of the woodland, the path follows the field edge to the junction of Crows Lane and Woodham Road. When the copse ends take the footpath south to meet the Woodham Road again, practically opposite the next piece of the route. This road remains busy here, on the south side of the road there’s a grass verge which is suitable for the short stretch to Rookery Lane.

Rookery Lane is a no-through road to traffic and another wonderfully quiet lane to walk down. [A thus-far unconfined element of the England Coast Path proposes a route to South Woodham Ferrers using the farm track westward here]. Before reaching Creeksea itself private claim on the coast forces you inland again and across a field to Ferry Lane.

Here the route turns south and returns to the coast (f you want a quicker route to Burnham station and/or to find refreshments at the Parlour Cage by Creeksea Place turn north instead then east before the railway bridge). The mapped route takes you across Riverside Park and along suburban streets to Burnham on Crouch railway station - but why not carry on along the coast path to the pleasant hostelries of Burnham Quay instead?...

James Piers Taylor

When Glendale Road meets Marsh Road this route diverges from Bursou one and heads east on Marsh Road. 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. 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 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....

James Piers Taylor

When Glendale Road meets March Road the route continues on a public footpath directly ahead. Mill Road has no pavement, so it’s road walking here but it's a low-traffic route. Do not put off by signs indicating this is a private road as this is a public right of way. This footpath ends at a hedgerow and a slightly ramped rise to pavement alongside the Burnham Road (B1021)...

James Piers Taylor

That’s because I haven’t finished walking the route but what I have walked is amazing!...

Jane Taylor

A straightforward route between the two towns with only a short stretch of busy road (mitigated by decent pavement). We didn't stop to explore St Leonard's church near the start (photo 1) but I suspect it'd be worth a diversion if you've time. The finger post indicating the path you should take away from the B1021 soon after leaving Southminster is partially obscured by the hedgerow it leans toward (photo 2), but obvious once you're alongside it....

sherbie

Then a mix of ‘edge of field’ path and low traffic ‘edge of town’ path almost all the way to Burnham station....

Jane Taylor

The ferry is an ‘on demand’ licensed one man operation and our experience was not good; we arrived at Wallasea marina at 4.15, we thought that allowed plenty of time, and were very surprised when we called the number provided and were told he’d finished for the day. As we didn’t get the ferry I can’t confirm accuracy, but the route as drawn shows the ferry running to a ferry terminal by the Anchor hotel in Burnham. This is the route marked on Google maps and OS maps! However the advertised ferry route runs to Burnham Yacht Harbour, and this route is marked on Open Street Maps. So I’m inclined to think the route will have to be redrawn at the Burnham end in any case. Anyway after all that I’m flagging this route as a ‘maybe’, and I will try to check the accuracy of the Burnham end in time....

Jane Taylor