Best walks to or from West Horndon
Essex · South East England | Walks by train
MapBeautiful walks starting or ending at West Horndon Station.
West Horndon Station to Stanford-le-[Hope Station](/train-stations/south-east-england/essex/stanford-le-hope)
Easy: 11km, gentle ascents.
Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route
West Horndon Station to Basildon Station
A long route, the first half not recommended: field-edge paths and bridleways choked with giant hogweed and tall summer vegetation, blocked paths and around 2km of intense, boot-clogging mud across ploughed fields. The eastern half is far better, through country parks, nature reserves, woodland and meadow with long views across Basildon. Kissing gates and long shallow steps and some uneven ground. Passes through Langdon Hills Country Park and Willow Park Nature Reserve. A shop and pub at Bulphan (off route); toilets at the country park with a nearby Harvester.
15km. Moderate ascents.
Dangerous thickets of 3-4m giant hogweed fill and block the bridleway from Parkers Farm Road and recur on later field-edge paths; avoid these sections. Around 2km of severe, sticky mud; blocked paths; a clay-pigeon shoot nearby.
Lunch: A shop and pub at Bulphan and a pub on Brentwood Road (both off route), plus toilets and a nearby Harvester at Langdon Hills Country Park.
Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route
Romford Station to West Horndon Station
A mix of countryside and urban paths through woods, fields and a burial ground, with residential streets, a stretch of the London Loop and some rough, rocky and rooty ground. Several field paths are pathless or badly overgrown, with one stretch effectively impassable. Stiles and steps to bridges and a steep gradient near Avon Road.
15km. Gentle ascents.
Both ends are blocked as plotted: a locked alleyway at the Romford start (detour via the main road and crossings) and fencing around the West Horndon industrial estate (a gate to the left gives access). Warley Street is narrow, very busy and has no verge. Field crossings can be pathless and some sections so overgrown as to be impassable. Stiles, steps and a steep gradient near Avon Road.
End-of-walk reward: the Railway.
Documented by Slow Ways — download GPX route
Brentwood Station to West Horndon Station
A route through pleasant woodland leading into a country park and which you walk the length of. A long field section usually contains grazing cattle. A couple of sections through the park are overgrown and not easy to pass.
Easy: 9km, moderate ascents.
The connection between the top of Thorndon Country Park and West Horndon requires crossing the busy A127 Southend Arterial Road, which is very unsafe and effectively cuts West Horndon off from pedestrians. The crossing of The Avenue is on a busy corner with poor sight lines; a marked crossing about 50m back is safer. Grazing cattle in the long field section; some overgrown paths.