There was too much road walking for my liking but no clear alternative to doing it (when the approved section of the England Coast Path opens it’s likely to be a preferable route between The Strood and Salcott-cum-Virley). It’s then road walking up Dawes Lane and onto East Mersea Road until reaching The Strood. En route, you cross Colchester Road and you might as well take this to The Strood instead, it’s also road walking with some verge but it’s more direct than the mapped route. The only alternative is walking along the Wigborough Road until reaching the field path north. After Frame Farm the route takes a southerly turn on The Chase to Tolleshunt D’Arcy Road, this is not listed as a public right of way. Then more road walking on Tolleshunt D’Arcy Road where the hedges are tight to the road and there was more traffic than I would have preferred....

James Piers Taylor

I walked this with a friend on a warm, overcast day in July, travelling from Wivenhoe to West Mersea, and enjoyed the journey. There's some good countryside in this walk but I've marked it down for some unavoidable road walking on a busy B-road, poor way marking on the ground, and due to several variable factors that might affect someone walking it. 

In short, the variable factors are:
1. The Wivenhoe-Rowhedge ferry - it's not part of this route, it's seasonal and tide-dependent but if it *is* available when you are walking you can knock out the stretch up and back down the Colne which takes you via the outskirts of Colchester
2. Fingringhoe Ranges - the route takes a PROW through this MOD facility. When there’s scheduled firing there, and/or when the red flags are flying there’s no access to that route
3) The Strood causeway to Mersea Island - high tides can cover this and make it impassable until they recede....

James Piers Taylor

Please also add a comment to this review so I know to come back and remove this review and the route attached....

Slow Ways Cristie