A 7½-mile circular walk and buildings from several centuries give Sheering different points of interest for a stay. The Sheering Country Walk focuses on a specific walking route; the medieval St Mary the Virgin and historic maltings offer another perspective. If you would like to include the church, you can plan your trip around its service times.
Walking the Sheering Country Walk
The Sheering Country Walk is a 7½-mile circular walk away from the Stort Valley Way. Along the northern and eastern sections, the towpath of the Stort Navigation makes up most of the route. This helps define the character of the walk precisely: it is a circular walk with a clear connection to the towpath, but it is not the same as the Stort Valley Way. Its stated length makes it a distinct focus for trip planning.
Along the route, several old field maple pollards stand beside boundary ditches. The term refers to new shoots growing from a stump; the largest of these field maples has a girth of 4.8 metres. This specific measurement adds a distinctive detail about the trees along the route to the walk description. Those interested in the landscape and old tree forms will find a different perspective here from that offered by the village’s buildings.
Landscape and water management
At Marsh Lane, water meadows lie beside the River Stort. They were created by draining and digging ditches in what was formerly marshland. Their origins connect today’s meadow landscape with the area’s former terrain and the work that drained it. This offers a distinct way to explore the area: alongside the walking route and historic buildings, you can also see how water management shaped the landscape.
Feakes Lock is one of fifteen locks along the Stort Navigation. A 17th-century mill still stands beside the canal at Sheering Mill Lane. The lock and mill illustrate two different types of structures by the water: the lock as part of the navigation, and the surviving mill as a 17th-century building.
Church and brick maltings
St Mary the Virgin in Sheering dates from the medieval period. On the first four Sundays of each month, the church is open for services from 10 a.m.; the service begins at 10:30 a.m. If you are planning a visit, check the service schedule in advance, as practical details may change. This lets you plan your trip for a suitable Sunday rather than assuming that any day will work for a visit.
The Maltings in Sheering is a Grade II listed building and part of an extensive row of brick maltings dating from the mid- to late 19th century. The area around The Maltings also has antique centres for visitors to explore. As commercial tenants can change, it is worth checking current visitor information in advance. The site therefore offers both a historic architectural context and a specific visitor attraction, details of which you can check before making plans.
More architectural styles and their periods
Sheering Hall comprises hall houses dating from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Together, they form a “Unit System” group of manorial status. The stone Gate Piers of Durrington Hall date from the 18th or 19th century and stand about 100 metres west of Durrington Hall; their listing reflects their group value. Along with the medieval church and the maltings, these examples broaden the picture of different architectural styles and periods: from early modern hall houses to gate piers from later centuries.
Discover more destinations: Colchester, Chelmsford, Earls Colne, Stondon Massey, Dedham, North Weald Bassett, Brentwood, Bradwell-on-Sea
For the broader travel overview: Essex.
