If you love hiking and want to experience a unique combination of stellar views, countryside adventures, sea air, luxury hotels and delicious dining, then step into The Milsom Way experience package. Andrew Millham did just that...
August was at her peak when my brother and I headed to north Essex to begin this walking holiday. We were feeling relaxed, despite the heat, as our whole three-day itinerary had already been organised by the fabulous team at Milsom Hotels. It laid out a glorious walk along the River Stour, across to Suffolk, and up the River Deben, a journey which includes three luxury hotels, three award-winning restaurants and two significant walks. We couldn’t wait.
Day 1 – Stepping Out…
Dinner: Talbooth Restaurant (3 AA Rosettes)
Overnight: Talbooth House & Spa (4 AA Red Star Hotel)
First, we arrived in the chocolate-box village of Dedham, located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and once famous for its woollen trade. After exploring the grand 15th century St. Mary’s Church, it was time to check in at our first hotel – Talbooth House & Spa.
From the moment we pulled into the gravel driveway, everything about the hotel was luxurious – from the neatly mowed lawns, to the well-kept tennis court, to the friendly welcome as soon as we entered the lobby. No wonder it was voted Essex’s best hotel of the year. I left my car beneath an enormous sycamore tree, and waved goodbye to it for the next two days as, included in the package, a member of staff would drive it to the final hotel in Suffolk.
We were shown to the Newbolt Room, with each boutique room named after an English poet, and quickly settled in. My brother studied a map of the walk which we were given during check-in.
After a delightful spa session, which included a swim, sauna and hot tub set within a manicured garden, it was time for dinner.
A Milsom car was parked out front ready to take us the short 5-minute drive to Talbooth Restaurant, a riverside eatery awarded three AA Rosettes. In both food and setting, this was a sublime dining experience. The staff attentively lead us through the historic timber-framed building and sat us outside, next to the River Stour, a gently flowing border between Essex and Suffolk.
As the wine was poured, I watched kayakers paddle downstream and kept a keen look out for the royal flashes of blue and gold from elusive kingfishers. The banks were verdant, and the low sun dazzled off the water and cutlery in equal measure.
Both my brother and I began with pan seared Orkney scallops with lime and coriander dressing. This was followed by a main of roast fillet of British beef and smoked cheddar croquette, with pommes anna, barbeque braised little gem, crispy shallot and Madeira jus. For dessert, I enjoyed a Talbooth Welsh rarebit and quince jelly which I had never tried before!
This golden sunset hour was a culinary treat from start to finish and I ate slowly to prolong the magic moments. No picture could do it justice.
After our meal, we were returned to the hotel. Just before bed – I read aloud the Newbolt poem, Drake’s Drum, framed on the wall. A few lines seemed particularly apt for the journey that lay ahead. Tomorrow we would reach the historic port-town of Harwich and, beyond that, the sea.
Yarnder lumes the Island, yarnder lie the ships,
Wi’ sailor lads a-dancing’ heel-an’toe,
An’ the shore-lights flashin’, an’ the night-tide dashin’,
He sees et arl so plainly as he saw et long ago.
Day 2: Beyond the Vale – Dedham to Harwich
Distance of walk: 15 miles, mainly flat terrain
Estimated duration: 4 ½ hours
Dinner & overnight: The Pier, Harwich (AA 4 Star Hotel)
The next morning we had breakfast delivered to our room with steaming coffee and chilled juice, including a bacon sandwich and avocado on toast – we were going to need it!
We set out from Talbooth House at 10am, leaving our luggage in the room to be transferred onwards. Almost instantly we were away from the town of Dedham and into Dedham Vale – the epitome of Constable Country, where John Constable was born, lived and painted the rolling farmland and quaint villages during the early 19th century. Willows stretched out their limp branches and caressed the river, the course of which we followed, accompanied by rowboats for hire.
Flatford Mill soon came into view, a grade I listed watermill built in 1733. We enjoyed lunch in the National Trust café and walked a few paces down the lane to Willy Lott’s Cottage, a building made famous by Constable’s painting, The Hay Wain (1821). It is clear to see that this landscape has not changed for centuries and the old, slower walking pace of life still prevails. Walking from town to town, we stood in the footsteps of ancestors who did just the same, back when the Stour was a working river.
Reedbeds and blackberry-laden brambles turned to buildings and the honks of Canada geese melted into the honks of car horns as the outskirts of Manningtree grew up around us. We steamed through the town, not even stopping for a shandy at The Crown on the waterfront and quickly reached Mistley Towers. This striking Gothic-style landmark was once part of a church, demolished in 1870, but the porticoed towers have been preserved as a seamark.
From here we followed a public footpath through large Victorian factory buildings and picked up part of the 82-mile Essex Way through the little village of Bradfield and Wrabness Nature Reserve where just a year before I had heard my very first turtle dove purring. A very short but worthwhile diversion was taken to see ‘A House for Essex’, an architectural artwork by Grayson Perry, Turner Prize-winning Essex artist. Biodiverse nature reserve then gave way to farmland and the trail eventually released us onto an attractive beach.
The final part of the hike skirted around the edge of Copperas Bay, so named because it was once dredged for Copperas, or iron sulphate, a vital ingredient in cloth production. It shares its name with Copperas Wood, an Essex Wildlife Trust reserve, which was the last barrier between us and the small town of Ramsey. As we followed a footpath through paddocks, right by Ramsey Windmill – built in Suffolk and moved to Ramsey in 1842 – we eventually made it to The Castle pub. Milsom organised a lift from here to The Pier Hotel in Harwich.
This was my second time staying at The Pier, and it never disappoints. We stayed in the Mayflower Suite, complete with a ship’s figurehead protruding from the wall and ginormous waterside views of Shotley Point and the busy working port of Felixstowe across the confluence of the Stour and Orwell estuaries. It even has a working telescope by the window!
A three-course dinner of scallops, lamb chops and tiramisu was enjoyed on the balcony as the sun set, gilding the clouds. As we retired, green and red illuminations dotted the port, shifting with cargo ships and shining like fairy lights.
Day 3: The Deben Awaits – Harwich to Waldringfield
Distance of walk: 12 miles, mostly flat terrain
Estimated duration: 4 ½ hours
Dinner & overnight: Kesgrave Hall (4-star boutique hotel)
A full English breakfast fuelled our day’s adventure. We crossed the road to Ha’Penny pier and boarded the 10:10am Harwich Harbour Ferry to Felixstowe. Eclipsed by large container ships, we landed on Suffolk sand right next to Landguard Fort.
As kettles brewed in beach huts, families hammered their colourful windbreaks into the sand. We walked along the wide promenade, past Felixstowe Pier and the Spa Pavilion until the mouth of the River Deben revealed itself. Behind us, the Naze Tower was still just visible like a flag on the watery horizon, as if Essex were waving us goodbye.
White sails floated through the landscape, partially obscured by the riverbank and, turning away from the sea, we walked inland with the Deben. The final section of the walk from Felixstowe to Waldringfield, a small riverside settlement, is arguably the most impressive. It is wholly remote, and we only passed three others during our trek through this wilderness. It was a world away from the busy seascape we had found ourselves in that morning.
A member of Milsom staff picked us up and drove us to Kesgrave Hall, a boutique hotel set in beautiful countryside where the lawns are mowed in stripes like a professional sports ground. We were shown to The Gatehouse, a separate luxury apartment with state-of-the-art furnishings, a full kitchen and even an enclosed woodland beyond a private terrace. This was more than a hotel room! We settled down on the giant leather sofa and watched part of the 2024 Paris Olympics, feeling like we had just walked a marathon ourselves.
Dinner was once again eaten outside, this time next to the lawn. The main course of Gressingham duck was pink and juicy and was followed with a dark chocolate delice which made for a perfect end to an all-round flawless Milsom dining experience.
As we ate a hearty buffet breakfast the next morning, a young family played on the lawn. All seemed right with the world. Whether you are an experienced hiker or a Sunday stroller, I urge you to push the boat out and experience this unique mixture of luxury and adventure.
My car, as promised, had been delivered. We hopped in and made for Essex with tired legs and the pleasant sounds of Suffolk ringing in our ears.
milsomhotels.com/experiences/walk-the-milsom-way/
