Saffron Trail
The Saffron Trail is a long-distance footpath in Essex, England. The 71-mile path leads from the pier in Southend-on-Sea to St Mary's church in Saffron Walden. It is waymarked, and shown on Ordnance Survey mapping.
The path
The Saffron Trail was conceived by David Hitchman in 2000, as a south-east to north-west route to complement the two west-to-east long-distance paths: the Essex Way and St Peter's Way. The name recalls the cultivation of crocuses in the Saffron Walden area from which the spice saffron is obtained, and which gives the town its name.The trail starts at the pier in Southend-on-Sea, in the south-east of the county, and goes north-west across urban and rural Essex. It goes through fields and woodland, over commons, alongside rivers, through historic villages, and some built-up areas and finishes at the church of St Mary in Saffron Walden.
The trail is waymarked in both directions by a circular mauve marker with a purple crocus and the text "The Saffron Trail".
The trail has several railway stations on the route or nearby, as well as some rural bus services.
Route
The Saffron Trail passes through the following locations:Southend Pier, Leigh-on-Sea, Hadleigh, Eastwood, Hockley, Hullbridge, Battlesbridge, Rettendon, East Hanningfield, Danbury, Chelmsford, Broomfield, Great Waltham, Howe Street, Littley Green, Felsted, Little Dunmow, Great Dunmow, Little Easton, Great Easton, Tilty, Chickney, Henham, Widdington, Newport, Wendens Ambo, Audley End station, Saffron Walden. The highest point of the walk is 121 m near Widdington; the lowest point is at sea level at Southend pier.