Chapter VI: London, Felixstowe, and Dunwich

IMPORTANT NOTE. _The route out of London Eastwards
given below under "Distances" is believed to be
incomparably the best in that direction. It is
therefore given with great particularity of
instruction, the distances having been mechanically
recorded. Without care it is easily missed on the
inward journey._

ROADS Vile, with crumbling surface of gravel, in Epping
Forest. Good from Chelmsford to Felixstowe. Fair from
Felixstowe to Saxmundham. Farm tracks were tried beyond
Saxmundham. They were found soft, rough, but not
injurious to tires.

HILLS Worthy of respect in Epping Forest, owing to bad
surface, round Colchester, on leaving Ipswich, and on
leaving Dunwich.

DISTANCES AND SPECIAL DIRECTIONS. Oxford Circus to
Epping, 22.7. Proceed via Regent Street, Langham Place,
Portland Place, Park Crescent, to Euston Road; turn to
the right and go straight on past King's Cross Station;
turn to left into York Road, which follow to tramway
lines in Camden Road; here turn to the right and follow
tramway lines across Holloway Road into Seven Sisters
Road; continue to follow tramway lines to "Manor
House," and there, taking the right-hand fork of tram
lines, go on to red brick structure in the centre of
the road. Here incline to the left and follow tram
lines through Tottenham High Road to Edmonton (9.9),
and go straight on to Ponder's End. Here at "The Two
Brewers" turn to the right, go over a level crossing at
Ponder's End. Beyond the crossing the road passes
through fields, but two gates less than 3/4 of a mile
apart must be watched for. Go straight on to Chingford
(13.8). Look out for Loughton and Epping sign-post,
which points to Whitehall Lane, and at the end of
Whitehall Lane (15.4), turn to the left and proceed to
Buckhurst Hill. Then bear to the right at the next
fork, where sign-post directs to Loughton (17.6), and
Epping.

_Epping to Felixstowe._--Epping (R.) to Ongar (R.),
7-1/2. Ongar to Chelmsford (R.), 11-3/4. Chelmsford to
Colchester (R. A.), 23-1/4. Colchester to Ipswich (R.
A.), 16-3/4. Ipswich to Felixstowe (R.), 11-1/2.

_Felixstowe to Dunwich and back._--(Distances
approximate owing to use of byways and farm tracks.)

Felixstowe to Woodbridge (R.), 10. Woodbridge to
Saxmundham (R.), 12-3/4. Saxmundham to Dunwich, 13-1/2.
Dunwich to Felixstowe, 31.

CHAPTER VI--(_continued_)

FELIXSTOWE, BAWDSEY, WOODBRIDGE, IPSWICH, DUNMOW, AND LONDON

ROADS High-roads fair throughout. Byways between
Bawdsey and Woodbridge very bad, rough, and soft.
[N.B.--Bawdsey Ferry should not be attempted,
especially at low tide, unless the car may be relied
upon to climb from a standstill up a short but very
sharp incline of quite loose gravel. The country beyond
can hardly be called worth taking risks to see.]

HILLS Insignificant.

DISTANCES Felixstowe to Woodbridge (R.), via Bawdsey
Ferry and byways, approximately 15. Woodbridge to
Ipswich (R. A.), 8. Ipswich to Braintree (R.), 35.
Braintree to Great Dunmow (R.), 8. Great Dunmow to
Takeley, 4. Takeley to Hatfield Broad Oak, 3. Hatfield
Broad Oak to High Ongar, 4 (approximately). High Ongar
to Epping (R.), 8. Epping to London, distances as
before, reversing order of places.

CHAPTER VII

COLCHESTER AND EASTWARDS

ROADS Mostly of second- or third-rate quality,
especially in wet weather. Frequently sinuous, narrow,
and overshadowed by trees, and therefore sometimes
greasy in reasonably dry weather.

HILLS Between Ardleigh and Manningtree, 1 in 13.
Between Mistley and Bradfield (_en route_ for Harwich),
1 in 13. Between Bradfield and Dovercourt, 1 in 15.

DISTANCES (1) Colchester (R. A.) to Clacton-on-Sea
(R.), 16. Clacton to Great Holland, 4. Great Holland to
St. Osyth, 8. St. Osyth to Colchester, 11-3/4.

(2) Colchester to Ardleigh, 5. Ardleigh to Manningtree
(R.), 5-1/2.

_Detour_ suggested to East Bergholt, via Dedham, 5;
back to Manningtree, 5. Manningtree to Harwich (R. A.),
via Mistley, Bradfield, and Dovercourt (R.), 11-1/2.
Harwich to Colchester, via Dovercourt, Little Oakley,
Great Oakley, Weeley, and Elmstead Market, 24.

CHAPTER VIII

COLCHESTER AND GAINSBOROUGH'S COUNTRY

ROADS Mostly of second or third class and very sinuous,
so distances are approximate.

HILLS Stoke-by-Nayland, stiff, gradient unknown.
Between Sudbury and Long Melford, 1 in 13.

DISTANCES Colchester to Lexden, 2. Lexden to
Stoke-by-Nayland, 10. Stoke-by-Nayland to Sudbury,
alternative routes (1) via Bures St. Mary, Marsh, and
Great Cornard, 10. (2) via Lavenheath, Arrington, and
Newton, 11. The former recommended as Gainsborough
painted a picture of part of the Wood at Cornard.
Sudbury to Long Melford, 3-1/4. Long Melford, via
Cavendish and Clare to Stoke-by-Clare, 8.
Stoke-by-Clare, via Ridgewell, Tilbury-juxta-Clare, to
Great Yeldham, 4. Great Yeldham to Halstead (P.), via
Castle Hedingham and Little Maplestead, 7. _Detour_ of
3-1/2 out and 3-1/2 back advised to Little Maplestead.
Halstead to Colchester, via Earl's Colne, Fordham, and
Lexden, 12-1/2.