A NEW book detailing the best 40 walks in Essex has hit the shelves and it was penned by a former Gazette journalist.   

Pocket Mountain Guides released a series of books which soon expanded from walks in Scotland to England, with Suffolk and Norfolk walking books already published.

When it came to Essex’s walking pocketbook, Colchester’s Neil Jones was their first choice for writer.

The former Gazette employee wrote about walks for the newspaper before leaving in 2019, and he’s enjoyed writing, teaching, and theatre work ever since.  

Gazette: Nature- This walk in Hadleigh showcases Essex countryside and historic structures. Nature- This walk in Hadleigh showcases Essex countryside and historic structures. (Image: Neil Jones)

“I started it in March to April last year, and it pretty much took me six months to do,” Neil said.

“I spent spring and summer curating the walks, and it was a real labour of love.”

Neil split Essex into five areas - west, south, central, northeast, and south east - with eight walks in each area.

Neil said: “I know some people are going to say I’ve missed bits, but that’s because Essex is a huge county.

“But I discovered areas of the county I didn’t know about, like Rainham Marshes, Tilbury, Harlow… there’s some really beautiful walks.”

Gazette: Lovely- Neil enjoyed some walks so much he did them more than once. Lovely- Neil enjoyed some walks so much he did them more than once. (Image: Neil Jones)

Neil said one of his favourite walks was Burnham as it “mixed the very best of Essex, the industrial landscape with the natural landscape”.

“It was spectacular,” Neil said. “I also had that experience at Rochford, as I was walking through this incredible picturesque wooden creek and could hear so many birds, and literally over the other side of the hedge was a car breaker’s yard and I could hear cranes cranking.

“If I couldn’t hear them and I didn’t know that was beyond the fence, I felt like I could be in the middle of the Lake District. It was so secluded and magical and stunning.”

Neil is touring indie bookshops around the county in the coming weeks, such as in Wivenhoe, Walton, Leigh on Sea, Saffron Walden, and Great Bardfield.

This week he’ll be at Colchester’s Red Lion Books from 11am every day until Friday, where he’ll be taking people on a mystery walk around the city centre.

Tickets are £10, which includes all four of the walks and a copy of the book.