Essex Walks

The Wild Places of Essex

08 February 2010

BBC2 - Essex Wildlife on Wednesday 10th February 2010 at 8.00pm

This looks promising! One of the new Essex RSPB Conservation areas - Rainham Marshes- is covered in this BBC2 programme, which is a coincidence because Essex Walks plans to feature this site for a new walk route for the spring.

Multi-award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane sets out on a journey to explore the unexpected landscapes and natural history of Essex, revealing that there is far more to the county than the stereotypes of white stilettos and boy racers.

Macfarlane spends a year travelling the county's strange and elemental landscapes of heavy industry, desolate beaches and wild woods. He encounters massive knot flocks over the Thames, peregrine falcons at Tilbury Power Station, water voles within sniffing distance of the municipal dump, deer rutting in earshot of the M25, barn owls, badgers and bluebells in Billericay as well as a large colony of common seals.
Link: The Wild Places of Essex- BBC Website

Essex County Council launched the Essex Rights of Way Improvement Plan (RoWIP) on 31st July 2009.

The RoWIP assesses whether the existing rights of way network (footpaths, bridleways and by-ways) meets the present and future needs of the population of Essex, including specifically the ability of blind and partially sighted people and those with mobility problems to use rights of way. Also it looks at the opportunities for open air recreation and enjoyment provided by rights of way.

Essex County Council will use the RoWIP to identify changes to be made to the network - both in the way rights of way are managed and maintained, and improvements to the network - in order to improve provision for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and people with mobility problems.

As part of its research for this, Essex County Council surveyed many thousands of households and interviewed interested groups. They concluded that the greatest priority for rights of way was better maintenance (including cutting back overgrown vegetation, clearing dog mess and litter, and improving or replacing unsafe stiles), followed by clamping down of the illegal use of motor bikes and other motorized vehicles.

Other priorities include better signage and reducing fragmentation of the network.

To read the full report click Essex PROW Improvement Plan

Site News

28th January 2010

Web site development began in mid-August 2009, and is still very much a work-in-progess.

A large backlog of our favorite walks remains to be uploaded.
Now that the snow has melted, more walks are planned.

NFU and Ramblers team up for safety

26 August 2009

The NFU and The Ramblers are urging people to enjoy the countryside, but to enjoy it safely, and have provided new signs and advice for walkers with dogs strolling near cattle.

Walkers will see the new yellow and black signs reminding them that dogs can harm or scare farm animals. The signs give a clear reminder to those using public footpaths to keep dogs on leads but - importantly - to let them go if they're being chased or feel threatened by cattle.

NFU Deputy President Meurig Raymond said: 'Farmers take care before placing livestock into fields, particularly those with a footpath, but equally the public should also be aware and must know what to do if cattle approach them. That is why we support the advice of the Ramblers for walkers with dogs. However we must not forget that the countryside is where farmers earn their living and that is where cattle and sheep will be grazed.'

Tom Franklin, CEO of the Ramblers, said: 'The British countryside is working land where animals graze in close proximity to walkers, which is why it's such a pleasure to walk in. As with any working environment there are certain risks and it is untenable to remove all those risks from our surroundings.

'Incidents of people being attacked by cattle are few and far between, thankfully, and it would be counter to the interest of people who walk and farmers alike to see cattle closed off behind fences in fields. We urge people who walk not to let the very low risk of cattle attacks put them off enjoying the countryside when it is at its loveliest.'

There is also some simple advice that walkers can follow to minimise the risk of an accident happening:
Do

• Try not to get between cows and their calves
• Be prepared for cattle to react to your presence, especially if you have a dog with you
• Move quickly and quietly, and if possible walk around the herd
• Keep your dog close and under effective control on a lead

Don't

• Don't hang onto your dog. If you are threatened by cattle - let it go as the cattle will chase the dog.
• Don't put yourself at risk. Find another way round the cattle and rejoin the footpath as soon as possible
• Don't panic or run! Most cattle will stop before they reach you. If they follow just walk on quietly.