Stock and Galleywood Circular Walk (with pub stop & dog friendly)
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Once upon a time in 2015 I decided to become an OutdoorLads walk leader. Having completed my assessment I set up my first walk to lead - slightly nervous, very excited and happy to be able to take a group of guys on a lovely route, this route, which is one of my favourite Essex Walks, so I'm really looking forward to re-leading it. For anyone thinking about becoming a walk leader this would be the perfect opportunity to co-lead with me, hold the map and get some experience so feel free to drop me a message if you'd like to.
This walk starts and ends in the sleepy village of Stock and includes the village of Galleywood, which is located between Billericay and Chelmsford. Although it involves a little road walking it's a nice walk that we can treat as more of a ramble around some lovely Autumn time countryside.
As mentioned, I've done this walk once before and it's a really nice day out without being too demanding and at just under 7 miles it's a hearty, but not too lenghty-a route and I like to keep my walks at a pace that suit everyone in the group - dogs are also welcome providing they're on leads when they need to be. The White Hart pub towards the end of the route is perfect for some refreshments / food and there are also a number of pubs in Stock itself that will be happy to serve you a pint of something local.
**Transport - Please note**
For those of your using public transport, this walk route uses buses rather than the railway network. It starts and ends at the centre of Stock on the 100 bus route from Chelmsford -20 mins to Stock (you can also do this from Billericay but please be warned there is a rail replacement service on the Liverpool St to Billericay line that day)
For drivers, these is no specific parking area but there are nearby roads you can park on. Advice would be to see if you can lift share so please use the comments
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
We have 2 options on this walk:
Pub lunch - Towards the latter part of the walk we'll stop at The White Hart pub where the food is lovely and the ale is lovelier, or outside the pub is a big green where you can sit and enjoy a packed lunch, and they'll even let you take a pint out there too.
Always worth bringing snacks and refreshment as we'll stop for some breaks along the route.