Great Wakering Walks
This pretty Essex village has some nice country trails, local waterside footpaths and a noteworthy Norman church to visit.
This circular walk from the village visits Little Wakering before a waterside stroll along the creeks of the River Roach to the north of the settlement.
The walk starts in the village and follows footpaths north west to visit Little Wakering. Here you can pick up a footpath heading east along Little Wakering Creek, Fleethead Creek and Barlinghall Creek. You continue south along Potton Creek to Oxenham, passing Rushley Island on the way. At Landwick cottages you turn west to cross Great Wakering Common before returning to the village.
Postcode
SS3 0EF - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsGreat Wakering Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Great Wakering Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Great Wakering OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Great Wakering Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
Head to the Waeccer for some post walk refreshment. The classy gastropub serves top quality dishes and includes a lovely large garden area for warmer days. You can find them on the High Street at postcode SS3 0EF for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The country and river trails make for a fine dog walk and the Waeccer pub mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
To continue your walking in the area you could head into nearby Southend and pick up the Southend Millennium Walk or the Southend to Leigh on Sea Walk.
To the west there's also the circular Roach Valley Way which explores the area around neighbouring Rochford. It visits Hockley Woods and passes close to the RSPB reserve on Wallasea Island. It also visits the nearby village of Paglesham which lies just to the west of the island. The village is a pleasant place for a stroll with trails along the river and Pagelsham Creek. There's also a fine 17th century pub for refreshments afterwards.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Essex Walks page.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Great Wakering: St Nicholas Church. This beautiful Norman church was built around 1100 so has seen almost one thousand years of village life. The photograph was taken on a very sunny winter morning from the back gate of the churchyard on New Road. The church is well maintained by the local community. The surrounding area is part of Rochford district's conservation area and is surrounding by farmland and wetland.
Great Wakering Common. A greenbelt area of farmland behind the church.
Potton Creek, Potton Island, Essex. Potton Island is the most westerly of the five islands in the Essex archipelago and can be accessed from the lane by Wakering Common. This view looks out towards Potton Creek on a particularly disgusting November day which only highlights the bleakness of this quasi-deserted island. The camera was in a plastic bag at the time. If you look closely you may be able to see the barbed wire, intended to keep people out.
Mill Head. Mill Head is a tidal inlet of Havengore Creek. At one time barges were loaded here with the products of the once extensive local brickmaking industry. The four bits of land that can be distinguished in the middle of the picture are (from left to right): the mainland, the southern tip of Potton Island TQ9490, the western side of Rushley Island TQ9688 and the mainland. Taken from the mainland looking north-east.
Fleethead Creek, Barling Magna. Taken from the sea-wall footpath looking north-east across the marshes. The buildings on the horizon are Farm Cottages on Potton Island. They are just outside this gridsquare and can be seen close to on TQ9589.
Drainage channel south of Barling Ness
Creek near Oxenham Farm. The tops of some of the farm buildings can be seen on the left beyond the sea wall. When the tide is high as it is here the farm and surrounding land are below sea level.
Cottage on Great Wakering Common. Halfway across the common and standing on its own, is this cottage, backed by the attractive pond in the foreground.