Carole's retirement adventures

County: Cambridgeshire and Essex

Name of High Point: Great Chishill 146m (479ft)

Chrishall Common 147m (482ft)

Date completed: August 18th 2026

A road trip and a convenient campsite in Foxton, Cambridgeshire was an opportunity to complete the two county high points of Cambridgeshire and Essex in the same walk. I had found a walk from the Hundred Parishes circular walks (number 123) that would cover both – win win!!

I drove from my campsite to the start of the walk at Holy Trinity Church in Chrishall, thinking the car park would be empty. It wasn’t as I had unusually picked a day when there was an organised walk leaving from there. I was told that I could park on the grass which I did.

I had a look around the church first which was constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries and a Grade 1 listing for it’s architectural and historic value.

After leaving the church I followed the path opposite the porch with the Vicarage to the left, through a gate, keeping straight ahead down a grassy path to the bottom of the hill, crossing a footbridge to reach the B1039. I crossed the road, turned left and then right onto the Harcamlow Way (a waymarked 114 mile long distance walking trail between Harlow and Cambridge) towards Chiswick Hall built around 1600AD

Following the driveway towards the hall I passed a paddock and turned right at the end of the fencing leaving the driveway across a wooden bridge and turning left along the fencing. The path then meets a track to go straight ahead.

I followed the Harcamlow Way in a southerly direction for about a mile following a wide grassy track. It was a clear day and the communication tower at Barkway could clearly be seen around 5 miles away. This tower contributed to military and civil aircraft tracking and navigation systems from WW2 to 2011. Arriving at the corner of the field and the wood you find the highest point in Essex. It was easy to miss that this was high point (another incredibly uninspiring one!!) The photos are showing where the high point is and OS Maps confirmed I was at the highest point in Essex at 147m (482ft)

After being completely underwhelmed again, I continued through the wood and emerged into a field now in Langley Parish. The path continued to the left along the field edge before reaching a crossroads of paths. Langley Church can be seen straight ahead, This church originates in the 12th Century and has a 14th Century Tower.

I turned right here leaving the Harcamlow Way and headed West, following this path to a road in the hamlet of Killem’s Green.

I continued straight ahead up the lane passing Gypsy Corner farm before leaving Essex and entering Cambridgeshire, passing Manor Farm and descending steeply into the hamlet of Little Chishill.

The church in Little Chishill is worth a slight detour to have a look at, again dating from the 12th to 14th centuries.

Back to the lane and continuing down to a byway on the right passing a small post box on the left. There were certainly signs of Autumn approaching.

A small yappy dog appeared behind me from nowhere at this point and made me jump out of my skin but it soon disappeared. The byway climbs quite steeply and the chalky base indicated being on a long chalk hill range which includes the Chilterns further west. At the top there are great views with Great Chishill Windmill to the left. This was built in 1819, restored and reopened by the singer Sam Smith who grew up in Chishill. You can just about see it in this photo.

The byway finally meets a lane and a right turn brought me to the village of Great Chishill, after passing a number of 17th century buildings before reaching the crossroads with the B1039 with the church, war memorial and village sign here. I stopped here for lunch on a well positioned bench.

St Swithun’s Church dates from the 13th century and survived a fire in 1789 that destroyed most of the village. It was at this point I had to deviate from the route to find the high point of Cambridgeshire (146m (480ft)) which was uphill along the B1039 for about half a mile to the entrance of Hall Farm. It wasn’t clear exactly which point was the highest point and OS maps suggested it was any point along the road. I walked up and down it a couple of times to make sure I had been there.

I retraced my steps back to the crossroads and turned right along Heydon Road. Just after the church, great views could be seen from the entrance to Rectory Farmhouse.

There were many interesting buildings along this road including the old village lock up built in the 19th century and many buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The King William pub which is now a coffee house claims it has 17th century origins and named after the monarch who reigned during the Beerhouse Act of 1830 when tax on beer was abolished and opening hours of public houses extended. Holy Trinity Church dates from the 15th century but rebuilt in the 20th century after WW2 bomb damage that caused the tower to collapse into the nave.

I followed the road around past more old buildings to reach a small pond. The lack of recent rain was obvious to see.

Opposite was a track signposted the Icknield Way, an ancient trackway following chalk escarpments between Wiltshire and Norfolk. This track meandered left and right and I did see a deer in the distance just off the path. The giant aircraft hangar at Duxford Airfield could just about be seen as well as the outskirts of Cambridge.

At the end of the field I turned left and then right across a wooden footbridge and returning over the Essex border, following a gravel drive before reaching a lane. A left turn and immediate right brought me out on Palmers Lane, passing a school, the old Telephone Exchange and a road junction at the Chrishall sign and the War Memorial .

I followed the road along High Street passing the Red Cow pub (with a thatched cow on the roof)

The lane descended gently passing some lovely cottages dating mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries. A left turn opposite the Hollow Road sign took me back past a cottage and water pump, crossing over the Harcamlow Way path and arriving back at the church. Opposite the junction is a 16th / 17th century timber framed thatched farmhouse.

I returned to the car park which was now empty and made a donation in the box in the church porch

It was an enjoyable 9.5 mile walk with plenty of pretty villages and history along the way even if the two county high points were underwhelming. At least there were two more ticked off.