Essex Way
The Essex Way is widely described as being 81 miles long, along footpaths and roads in Essex, England, although we have 133km/82.6miles of it mapped in OSM. This discrepancy is probably down to diversions since the route was first opened, such as near Wrabness where coastal erosion has led to footpaths being diverted. The trail starts in Epping in the south-west crosses Dedham Vale and Constable country to finish at the port of Harwich on the Stour estuary. It leads you through ancient woodlands, open farmland, tree-lined river valleys and leafy green lanes, unveiling historic towns and villages along the way.
The Essex Way was conceived after a competition organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England in 1972, and the original dark green CPRE Essex Way plaques can still be seen on some parts of the route. However, these signs have been mostly superseded by Essex County Council plaques displaying two red poppies on a white disc.
Progress
The following table is based on the sections described on the BBC website [1] as an easy way to break the way into sections that can be fairly easily walked and added to OSM. The Essex Way relation is 68615
68615
| Section | % Complete | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Epping to Chipping Ongar | 100% | Walked & Mapped, Essex Way relations updated. Qichina |
| Chipping Ongar to Willingate | 100% | Walked and GPS track added to relation 2009_05_23 |
| Willingate to Good Easter | 100% | Walked 2009-05-24 and GPS track mapped Qichina |
| Good Easter to Great Waltham | 100% | Walked and GPS track mapped 2009-06-15 Qichina |
| Great Waltham to Fairstead | 100% | Walked & added to relation 2009-06-04. Qichina |
| Fairstead to Cressing | 100% | Completed 2009-05-28, added to relation. Qichina |
| Cressing to Coggeshall | 100% | Walked & added to relation 2009-07-11. Qichina |
| Coggeshall to Fordstreet | 100% | Completed 2009-07-16, added to relation. Qichina |
| Fordstreet to Boxted | 100% | Walked 31 Aug 2003. Added 3 Dec 2009. Saltmarsh |
| Boxted to Dedham | 100% | Walked 21 Sep 2003. Added 4 Dec 2009. Saltmarsh |
| Dedham to Manningtree | 100% | Walked 21 Sep 2003. Added 4 Dec 2009. Saltmarsh |
| Manningtree to Little Oakley | 100% | Walked 31-01-2009. Added to relation 01-02-2009 EdLoach |
| Little Oakley to Harwich | 100% | Walked 31-01-2009. Added to relation 01-02-2009. EdLoach |