Great Baddow brings together technical history, church architecture and routes for walking or cycling. The Chain Home Tower tells the story of a structure that was moved to its present location; St Mary offers a distinct architectural focus. There is also the Great Baddow Hoard and the Great Baddow Walk. When planning, it helps to consider these themes separately and decide which you would like to make the focus of your stay.
Chain Home Tower: technical history and a change of location
The Great Baddow Chain Home Tower is the only completely intact Chain Home transmitting tower in the British Isles. It is 109.12 metres tall and still has all six working platforms. These dimensions and surviving features give the tower a clear technical profile. Its history also includes a change of location: it was originally built near RAF Canewdon in 1937, then moved to Great Baddow in 1956. The two dates therefore mark different stages in the tower’s history, not the same location. The tower is a Grade II listed building.
Church, coin hoard and historic buildings
The Church of St Mary is a Grade I listed building. It probably dates from the 12th century; the nave arcades and chancel date from the 13th century. This distinguishes the church’s different dates: its probable origins and its later, specifically dated features. Anyone interested in architectural history will find a different perspective here than at the technical Chain Home Tower.
The Great Baddow Hoard is an extraordinary find of national significance. It consists of 933 Iron Age gold coins. Its size and period give the hoard a distinct place alongside the historic buildings. Several buildings also offer different clues to the area’s history: 47 and 49 Church Street form a Grade II listed building. Numbers 66 and 68 High Street were originally a single plastered timber-framed house dating from the 15th to 16th century. The Beehive Inn at 346 Baddow Road is regarded as a prominent landmark at the corner of Beehive Lane and Baddow Road.
Russells Restaurant is housed in a splendid timber-framed tithe barn, which is a Grade II listed building. Experts date the barn to 1372. If you would like to include Russells in your plans, check current restaurant information in advance, as details may change.
Great Baddow Walk and cycling route
The Great Baddow Walk runs mostly through Great Baddow Recreation Ground. The route follows paved paths and some nearby footpaths. It starts at the car park of Great Baddow Millennium Centre on Baddow Road. For the walk, you can get off at The Blue Lion or Longfield Road; both are served by bus routes 31 and 336. Check current information on bus routes and stops before travelling. Route details and the meeting point may change.
The Great Baddow Cycling Route offers a different perspective: there is a spot on Vicarage Road from which you can see the Great Baddow Mast. The two activities therefore have different points of focus: the walk centres on its route, paths and starting point, while the cycling route offers a view of the mast from Vicarage Road. When choosing between them, consider whether you would prefer to plan a walking route through the Recreation Ground or a cycling route with this view of the mast.
Discover more destinations: Gosfield, Waltham Abbey, Rochford, Braintree, Great Easton, Hempstead, Sible Hedingham, Stock.
For the broader travel overview: Essex.
