Walks In Essex: The Flitch Way (Braintree To Rayne Station)

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One of my favourite walks in Essex is along the Flitch Way! The full walking track is just under 15 miles in length, going from Braintree to (almost) Bishops Stortford. Once upon a time the Flitch Way was a rail line which first opened in 1869. After passenger services stopped in 1952, it continued as a freight line until 1971, with the track being removed shortly after. The original rail line did continue into Bishops Stortford, another 3 miles on, but this section was chopped off when the M11 was built in 1975.

Essex Walks: The Flitch Way

The Flitch Way Country Park opened in 1994 and since then much of the route has been paved. The route is perfect for walkers, bikes, push chairs and even horse riders use the trail. It’s safe for children too as it’s very well protected from traffic, mainly using bridges to cross sections of road. There’s just one short section at Dunmow where you’ll need to leave the trail and re-join it.

A really nice, easy section, is the stretch from Braintree Station to Rayne Station. It’s 2 miles in length and takes around 45 minutes at a leisurely pace. The Flitch Way starts in the ‘Station Approach’ car park, so this is a good option for somewhere to park. If you visit on a Sunday, all day parking is only 50p (£2 all day on Saturday and hourly rates apply during the week).

The first section of the Flitch Way does have a couple of steep hills, where foot bridges cross the main roads, but once you’re past those, it’s then flat and straight all the way to Rayne.

It’s pretty impossible to get lost, but there’s plenty of sign posts. A nice touch are the information boards along the route displaying the history of the Flitch Way.

The Booking Hall Cafe at Rayne

The absolute BEST part of this section of the Flitch Way is the Booking Hall Cafe. It’s located in the old Rayne Station with most of the seating being outside on the old platform. They provide a basket of blankets when it’s cold outside and there’s a giant Connect 4 game for the kids.

On the menu you’ll find a selection of different sandwiches, served on giant doorstep bread. The sandwiches are so big you could easily share it with someone else (me and my mum have done this before). I usually head straight for the cake fridge, full of homemade cakes which are delicious.

Once you’ve had your coffee and cake fill, the Carriage Museum may be open! It’s closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays but does still rely on volunteers so opening times may vary. Inside is a model railway and a display about the history of the rail line. There are also toilets at Rayne Station which are really handy!

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After a stop at the Booking Hall Cafe, you could either continue on in the direction of Dunmow, or turn around and head back towards Braintree. The Braintree to Rayne return trip is a total of 4 miles and a walking time of around 1hr 30. (Not including time spent a the cafe).

Geocaching Along The Flitch Way

For those that haven’t heard of Geocaching, it’s similar to a treasure hunt and is completely free to play. The idea being that the Geocaches lead the searcher to interesting places or areas of natural beauty. Simply download the app and create at account. From there, you can use your location to see if there are any ‘Geocaches’ hidden around nearby. Spoiler alert, there are Geocaches along the whole of the Flitch Way walking path!

Geocaches can be all different shapes and sizes but are often quite small. Old fashioned camera film canisters make good geocache containers. They can also be tricky to find so they aren’t stumbled upon accidentally. For example, the first one that I found along the Flitch Way had me crawling around inside a bush! Depending on the size of the container, you’ll often find a log that you sign. Some will have trackers or trinkets that you can take, replace or move to a different Geocache location.

When you’ve found a Geocache, go back onto the app and log the find.

Flitch Way To Great Notley Country Park

From the Flitch Way, you can also walk to the Great Notley Country Park (aka the Notley Discovery Centre). Rayne Station to the Discovery Centre is approximately 1 mile away (20-minute walk). Head along New Road and turn down Fairy Hall Lane, you’ll go by the Rayne Riding Centre. When you reach the end of the road, a track turns alongside the A120. Take the pedestrian bridge over the A120 and you’ll then reach a back entrance to the Great Notley Country Park!

Recently there was talk about creating a rail link between Braintree and London Stansted. That would be brilliant, however, I’d like to think that the Flitch Way would be protected, even though it’s a ready-made rail route. If the idea was to come to life, I believe a second Braintree station would be created instead.

*There is currently a short detour along the Flitch Way at Rayne, while maintenance is being carried out*

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