VALENTINE’S DAY may look a bit different this year, but it should not stop you having a nice time with your beloved.

Whether you live together or separately, you can still take the time to have a nice stroll around the Essex countryside.

Of course, you should stay as local as you can due to the lockdown rules.

But if you’re close-by, we've had a look through some of the best places you can walk in Essex's beautiful countryside and coast - all without having to venture too far tomorrow. 

Benfleet to Leigh

This seems like a barren and bleak landscape. It can appear grey and lifeless, even on a sunny day.

However, it is a dramatic and constantly changing environment.

On this five-and-a-half mile walk from Benfleet to Leigh, you can explore the tidal creeks, salt marshes, mudflats on the edge of the estuary.

Tollesbury Marshes

Apart from going out to St Peter-on-the-Wall at Bradwell, the next best place to feel truly somewhere wild in Essex, is out on the Tollesbury Marshes.

It’s no surprise they filmed Great Expectations there and when the wind gets up, which it does regularly, there’s no better place to wipe away the cobwebs.

Roach Valley

The Roach Valley Way, a 23 mile circular waymarked walk passes through a variety of landscapes, from the ancient woodlands of Hockley in the west to the coastal margins of the Roach and Crouch estuaries in the south and north.

The Essex Way from West Bergholt to Fordham

While the stretch from Harwich to Manningtree on the long-distance path gets all the plaudits, and quite rightly with the views of the Stour estuary, try this little beaut for a quiet alternative.

Enjoy the sedate meandering of the river.

Hockley Woods

These ancient woods are accessed by small tracks off main roads but, once inside, it is easy to forget you are in a built-up area.

There are plenty of walks to be had around the woods with several different paths, of differing lengths, signposted.

Bell Wharf Beach, Leigh up to Thorpe Bay, and beyond…

There’s a good chance you are aware of the wonderful little beaches of Leigh, Chalkwell, Westcliff Bay, etc.

But there’s nothing quite like blowing the cobwebs away and doing the full stretch from Bell Wharf Beach to Thorpe Bay Yacht Club, which will take on average about an hour and 40 minutes.

Of course you could go even further if you’ve got the gumption, around to East Beach in Shoeburyness, which is a wonderful stretch and away from the hustle and bustle of the Golden Mile.

Danbury Woods

Explore the ancient woodland by walking a series of marked paths through the commons. You can follow a trail from Blakes Wood to Lingwood Common where there are amazing views over the Essex countryside.

Wivenhoe Trail

This popular route starts from the industrial Hythe and gently winds its way to the picturesque estuary town.

The route takes in Wivenhoe itself and on to Alresford Creek.

Burnham on Crouch and the Dengie

Bounded by the North Sea and the rivers Crouch and Blackwater, the Dengie is a beguiling mix of the country's richest arable farming, thatched and weatherboarded villages like the sublime Tillingham, and moody end-of-the-earth saltmarshes.

Harwich Maritime Trail

The maritime town of Harwich stands at the tip of a peninsula in north east Essex commanding the entrance to a magnificent harbour, where the Orwell flows down from Ipswich to meet the waters of the Stour that flow from Constable Country.

There are fine views over the busy harbour, especially from The Ha'penny Pier, with vessels of all shapes and sizes constantly moving.