Thaxted is one of Essex’s most beautiful small towns — a medieval guildhall, a magnificent church and a famous windmill perched on a hill above gently rolling countryside. The surrounding north-west Essex countryside is quiet, well-pathed and largely unknown to walkers from beyond the county.

A genuinely lovely small town often overlooked by walkers heading further afield, Thaxted offers easy, relaxing walking through one of the most historically rich corners of rural England.