Brentwood walks to try out during 2023

One of my delights as we’ve come out of the worst of the pandemic has been getting out to re-explore the local area – and discovering the best Brentwood walks, in and around the town and out among the surrounding villages.

Some of these walks were well known and well trodden, but have been experienced in a different light because of the difficulties of recent years. Others are new and have helped me discover previously unfamiliar parts of the Brentwood area and the local countryside.

We’re very lucky to have such great natural spaces right on our doorstep, considering our proximity to London, the M25, A127 and all the busy hustle and bustle of west Essex. While you can be on an Elizabeth Line train and underground into central London in 40 minutes from Brentwood now, in the same time you can have walked from the centre of town through woodland and into the vast expanse of Thorndon Country Park.

And with Weald Country Park a short drive north to South Weald, and footpaths emanating from Brentwood and Shenfield in all directions, we’re really spoilt for choice when it comes to donning the walking shoes and hitting the trail. Ideal for planning your walks around Brentwood going into a new year.

So here’s a list of potentials from the Goode Walks book of favourites that you could consider through the winter and into spring and summer (if you want more details or fancy being taken on a guided walk around Brentwood, please do get in touch):

Thorndon – there’s so many ways to slice and dice this country park, whether driving to the North or South car parks, or walking in from Brentwood from the north, or even Herongate from the east. There’s woodland, farmland, well kept trails for all-weather use, and hills at the south west with views across the Thames to Kent and east into the City

Ingatestone – the village features prominently in our top walks, whether starting in its centre or passing through from Mountnessing, Fryerning or Ingatestone Hall on a loop around the varied countryside surroundings. And with its train station and bus services it makes a good point for a linear walk to and from Brentwood too

Blackmore – pub walks feature big time when considering the villages to the north east of Brentwood, and not least from this charming start/finish point with its historic church, village green, multiple watering holes, cafes and refreshment shop options. A five-mile circular through the fields on a summer’s afternoon or evening is hard to beat

Great Warley – there are lots of good out-and-back routes from Warley to Little Warley, Childerditch and into Thorndon, but one of our top picks is a route around Great Warley taking in the wooded hill of Warley Gap to the east and edging the other side of the M25 to the west, mainly on farm tracks and with some up and downs to remind you how comparatively hilly the Brentwood area is by Essex standards

South Weald – like Thorndon, you can tackle this country park in many different ways from all kinds of starting points. We like to start out by Bentley and come in along the byways from the north, then taking on a perimeter route that explores the best of the woodland (amazing with spring bulbs in bloom) and parkland, with a potential Park cafe stop or pub detour to Coxtie Green en route