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I dread to think how many laps of that viper circuit I've done!Loads of them at the cafe yesterday. Both the clubs local to me seem to use it as a stop on their rides.
If you can afford it then definitely worth a look, Cranham's worth a look as well.Upminster might be worth checking out
Sure .... well look... if Cav can make north of Brentwood his base... anyone can right?
So road riding ... you'll not really find any south of A127, you'll find some between the A127 and A12 and as much as you want north of the A12.... as long as you like flat to rolling... it's nice but you never really get a proper view ... 🙁
. if Cav can make north of Brentwood his base... anyone can right?
Getting out of the county as quick as possible has vastly improved his sprinting.
I take it you went to Coopers then 🙂Good access into London and good schools (including my old one)
Bullseye Lazybike! Back in the last ice age it was about the only good school in da hood, but these days there is a bit more competition and think the lustre of the place has faded somewhat. Good shout though!
There's 1 or 2 out there waiting to take you by surprise..it's nice but you never really get a proper view ...
🙂 My nephew has just left..It's still a decent school! Afraid it was Hall Mead for me.. 🙂
Haha, snap. Niece just finished 6th. Small world.
And well done you for learning to read and write after leaving Hall Mead!
[QuoteThere's] a lovely pub called the viper near ingatestone which serves beer with bits in it but doesn't serve fosters and so on so the chavs count is zero.
Yes. Nice 5 mile XC route from Chelmsford, but it's nowhere near Grays....
Try also the Wheatsheaf in Writtle. A bit "local",mind.
😆 nice one! I bet you went Oglethorpe as well!And well done you for learning to read and write after leaving Hall Mead!
Wheatsheaf and Viper are both nice. I also like the White Hart in Margaretting Tye, they usually have a decent selection of beers.
ETA: and The Hoop in Stock is nice, they hold quite a nice beer festival too.
Nice food in the White Hart.
Few decent pubs in Ingrave, too... The Old Dog.
@ OP look at Ingrave to live. Near to Brentwood, but not Brentwood and a commute to Grays wouldn't be too painful and doable with the bike. Right next to Thorndon, too.
Yes the Hoop...!
nice one! I bet you went Oglethorpe as well!
I'm actually a Hornchurch boy so your luck has run out lazybike. All a bit different now. Must confess I can't wait to get home after a day or so back that way. Which probably doesn't bode well for somebody from Malvern moving into the area, poor sod.
epicsteve - Member
I live 6 miles North of BrentwoodI take it that's somewhere around the Blackmore area. I've done a bit of cycling and walking round there and it is very nice. Lots of nice pubs as well.
Yes, the next village Hook End, just one mile from Blackmore. As you say the cafe in Blackmore is very popular and has expanded in the last year or so to accommodate the myriad of cyclists who head there. We only use it in the Winter/Spring time because it is too near!
If you want a nice alternative which is relatively close try The Bakehouse which is just off the Blackmore Road towards Chelmsford
http://www.foxandgoosepub.co.uk/bakehouse/
lazybike - MemberLoads of them at the cafe yesterday. Both the clubs local to me seem to use it as a stop on their rides.
I dread to think how many laps of that viper circuit I've done!
I use that for my 2x20 interval workouts!
If he can get the right spot he'll be ok..mind you I'm in Sth Ockendon! Upminster's like the promised land!I'm actually a Hornchurch boy so your luck has run out lazybike. All a bit different now. Must confess I can't wait to get home after a day or so back that way. Which probably doesn't bode well for somebody from Malvern moving into the area, poor sod.
es, the next village Hook End, just one mile from Blackmore.
I've road biked through there - seems a nice area.
epicsteve - Member
Yes, the next village Hook End, just one mile from Blackmore.I've road biked through there - seems a nice area.
It is nice and rural and lots of country roads with nice villages heading North especially. We have quite few destinations up to a 100 miles round trip quite regularly.
Where do you ride from to get out this way?
Or the transport cafe at Norton Heath, or the cafe at Writtle nr the college, or the Green cafe at Dunmow, or the snug at High Easter, or Booking Hall cafe or the Blue Egg....club cycling....it's all about the cafe stop.If you want a nice alternative which is relatively close try The Bakehouse which is just off the Blackmore Road towards Chelmsford
Or the transport cafe at Norton Heath, or the cafe at Writtle nr the college, or the Green cafe at Dunmow, or the snug at High Easter, or Booking Hall cafe or the Blue Egg....club cycling....it's all about the cafe stop.
The Blue Egg? That's for Rapha wearing poseurs who just want to hang out with Mark or Alex! 😉
The transport cafe at Norton Heath - now you're talking!
Bang on time, they've just done a feature on grammar vs state schools in South Essex on the BBC News at Six, interviewing the leader of Thurrock Council...
That's a midweek favourite of mine! If you want to bump into Jodie Marsh the cafe at White Roding is for you, she lives near by 🙂 The fruit farm a bit further north has a good cafe, shut in winter though. If you like a transport cafe Dee's at Hatfield Peveral is worth a visit.The transport cafe at Norton Heath - now you're talking!
Hall mead sounds posh, I went to laindon high road, coughs... So I am afraid I can't help you regarding goods schools. I can't think of anywhere to ride either. I did used to ride on Langdon hills, but there are no real trails there. I haven't been on it, but I have seen the Olympic course and it looks ok for the occasional leg stretch. Have heard other people say Epping is ok too. These chaps may know more... http://www.essexhertsmtb.co.uk
Epping and Olympic...
Be prepared for the second proposed thames crossing going through Orsett or nearby ancient woodland sometime
[url= http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/492564/highways-agency-evict-couple-dream-home-days-after-moving-in-John-Venables-Alex-Hayden ]Motorway coming through![/url]
Some one may put me right, but I think the a128 isn't a bad route to commute in on to Gray's and should link up to the nicer places further north. Isn't stock a nice place? Maybe expensive though.
It was your bog standard Essex comprehensive, it's where you ended up if you failed your 11+....mind you if you're comparing it to Laindon... 🙂Hall mead sounds posh
Maybe by car..too much fast traffic for me on a bike.Some one may put me right, but I think the a128 isn't a bad route to commute in on to Gray's
stock is very nice - couple of nice pubs there - the hoop has a beer festival and does ok food and there used to be a pub called the cock inn on back lane. plenty of carry on cock inn the hoop opportunities there. we would like to move somewhere like stock but dont have the eleventy million quid required they want for a house there
Thinking about it, if Travis uses the A130/A13 (by car) he can look at Sth Woodham/Wickford/Hanningfield, some nice places out there.
Have you considered looking for a different job? You don't say what you'll be paid but any nice local villages you'll be competing with city money etc. Have heard that the A127 is a nightmare for commuting, would expect A13 to be more of the same. Bulphan? Knew someone at college who lived there and it seemed OK. Parts of Benfleet are very nice but again expensive. Plus you can see Canvey but are not close enough to hit it with an RPG.
Local boy here too (and ex Coopers' Company) A128 is an excellent fast route in from North of Bandit country (Anywhere south of A127). Good luck. Traffic is terrible if you are travelling into London morning and then out afternoon. So buy East of where you are working. A127 was 20 miles of solid traffic this evening from London.
Where do you ride from to get out this way?
I'm in Woodford Green - a lot of my road rides so far have been out into the area around Toot Hill, Chipping Ongar and Blackmore. Yesterday we did a walk from Mill Green to Blackmore (pint at the Leather Bottle) then back to the Cricketers for lunch and very nice it was to.
Grays is a shithole, and I speak (or type) as one who was born there and lived there for 30 years.
Last time we went back there, a couple of years ago, we couldn't believe how run down it was. Even the upmarket parts of the town, the further north you go, the better, looked uncared for.
Find somewhere else if at all possible.
epicsteve - MemberI'm in Woodford Green - a lot of my road rides so far have been out into the area around Toot Hill, Chipping Ongar and Blackmore. Yesterday we did a walk from Mill Green to Blackmore (pint at the Leather Bottle) then back to the Cricketers for lunch and very nice it was to.
That is a nice walk. We usually do it in the opposite direction and sup at the Viper. Food is better in the Cricketers though. We haven't been in the Leather Bottle since it was done up recently.
Cheers Everyone.
I've been putting a map together, and when I'm over shall have a good look around.
Is it not worth looking at South of the River?
Nope. When the traffic plays up, which is more often than not, it'll take you forever to cross the river.
I'm in South Ockendon (Brandon Groves, decent estate), which is very close to grays, and can still take an age to get near grays at times.
Thorndon and Epping riding is ok.
Is it not worth looking at South of the River?
Not unless you can work from home.
I've spent some time working/living in Southend & Basildon.
I still need therapy.
Shudders.
I live in Hextable, between dartford and swanley. It is 5 minutes from m25 but feels like miles away.
Off road riding is good, from xc to jumps etc...
Road riding is good too, so easy access to hills near Sevenoaks.
Lots of good schools around, Dartford Grammar and Saint olalf if your kids are very bright.
And I'll have a 4 bed to rent come March.
Only traffic can be a pain. It seems to be jammed a lot of the time. And it is expensive.
I don't cross very often, occasionally going to Decathlon in Thurrock but North Kent looks a lot nicer.
OP; without knowing a rough budget it's hard to recommend anywhere, for some of the places mentioned here you are going to need 400-500k as a starting price(you said you have kids so you'd probably want a 3 bedroom house?).
There's some decent areas of Grays if you look for them north/ north east of the town, but personally I would live outside of there. Lots of nice little villages if you can afford them, some of the more populated areas are OK as well if you find the right one.
Personally I would avoid Kent, there are some great places to live over there but when the Dartford crossing goes pear shaped you'll be extending your commute by a couple of hours usually, late November and all of December is bad because of the shoppers going to Bluewater and Lakeside. If you would be cycling every day the Tilbury-Gravesend ferry is a good way to cross the river with a bike.
Upminster = the promised land 🙂 This is so true for those of us in Ockendon!
Is it not worth looking at South of the River?
I went out with a girl from Dartford when I lived in Grays.
It worked out cheaper to marry her and buy a house in Grays than keep paying the tunnel crossing fees, and it was only 25 pence each way then.
Still paying for that decision now though 🙂
Time has come around fast.
Today (10th) is my 14th year in China.
On Friday, I shall be landing in London, then making my way to Essex to start the next chapter in my life.
Can't wait.
Travis - MemberTime has come around fast.
Today (10th) is my 14th year in China.
On Friday, I shall be landing in London, then making my way to Essex to start the next chapter in my life.
Can't wait.
Is there anyway you can stay in China? I lived in Grays for 15 years, my folks only moved away two years ago. It's a proper shit hole. 🙁
Also lived in Chatham. It's a proper shit hole too. There's a common denominator here... I now live in Bromley. It seems quite nice.