The walk, which is way-marked by dark green plaques and helpful arrows, begins in Epping, the last stop on the Central Line of the London Underground. From here, ramblers cross the line of the Roman road from London to Colchester, before reaching Greenstead, the site of what is believed to be the oldest wooden church in the world.
The Essex Way continues through Good Easter, Pleshey, Sandy Wood and Stockley Wood towards Coggeshall, a delightful former lace-making village, which offers stunning scenery and picturesque strolls along the meandering banks of the River Blackwater. From the village of Great Tey, the Essex Way continues past Old Mary's Church, through Great Horkesley, by West Bergholt Brewery and onto Langham Hall, which was once home to Sir Walter Tyrell who is suspected of killing King William II, whilst hunting in the New Forest in 1100.
The journey through Essex is not over: from Dedham, The Essex Way travels along the ‘Pennypot' footpath, through Manningtree (one of the country's smallest parishes covering only 22 acres), by Wrabness Bell-Cage, through Stour Wood and by the Seawalls, which protect the south-east coast from constant attack from the waves. The final stop along the Essex Way is the High & Low Lighthouses of Harwich. Built in 1818, the Low Lighthouse is now home to the Maritime Museum, whilst the High Lighthouse marks the end of the Essex Way.