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

Just after South Chase Farm the route turns south on a footpath over fields, joining the route of Malsou One. It goes through a small woodland to emerge on Mill Road which you take a short distance south before taking an eastbound footpath. After a short stretch of eastwards road walking there’s a public footpath going south along the field edge by Sunfield Farm. The route is then a diagonal south-east across the sward, crossing the drive to Mayland Court and then taking a sharper slant to exit onto Southminster Road at the drive entrance to Hemmells.

A short road walk is necessary to reach Ewenny Farm on the south side of Southminster Road. It’s eastward road walking on Old Heath Road until the next northbound footpath you find (shortly before Filey Road), this turns east around the settlement of Old Heath and continues on a footpath across an agricultural field....

James Piers Taylor

This is a fine rural route taking in sea walls, field paths and the lovely St Mary’s Mundon. There’s a reasonable grass verge on the south side of Steeple Road until there’s pavement again on the north side of the road. I’m not convinced this is safe enough for road walking (the alternative Malsou three that I’ve added avoids this).

The route proceeds on a public footpath going south along the field edge by Sunfield Farm. The route is then diagonal south-east across the sward, crossing the drive to Mayland Court then taking a sharper slant to exit onto Southminster Road at the drive entrance to Hemmells.

A short road walk west is necessary to Ewenny Farm on the south side of Southminster Road. Ignore the private signs, phoney cameras and alarms to take the PROW south to Old Heath Road. It’s an eastward road walking on Old Heath Road. This Slow Ways route takes the road to the junction with Burnham Road before turning north on a footpath across the fields. To avoid some of the road walking you can instead take the next northbound footpath you find (shortly before Filey Road), this turns east around the settlement of Old Heath and joins the designated route in the field....

James Piers Taylor

Paper Mill lock at the halfway point has a cafe, and you can sit out on the canal with a cup of tea and rest your feet. River path gets very muddy and floods in places after heavy rain, so not recommended when the water is high....

Andrew

Sections can be muddy after rain or flood....

tony77

Couple of road sections have no path and the single track bridge at Blue Mills is very narrow, care required. Doable with care with a pushchair but not wheelchair friendly, a few sets of steps....

codesmon

Follow the canal, can get a bit soggy as you get to Paper Mill Lock....

Bob!

In entering Purleigh, from south, it would be more interesting and less road walking to take path leading to the Purleigh Hall, Church and The Bell (food available). A longer alternative route in to Maldon would be to go from Purleigh to Mundon (interesting church), then footpaths north to the Promenade Park....

tony77