​Bradwell Abbey Family Friendly Walk 

​Start in front of the chapel
This walk begins at the medieval site of Bradwell Abbey. Standing on the road / path in Bradwell Abbey, with St Mary’s Chapel in front of you, turn left and exit the grounds of MKCDC through the gate. Go straight over the bridlepath and then turn right on to the redway, passing underneath the railway. 
 
Left before the brook
Just before the bridge over the brook, turn left on to a track / pathway. Following this track, with the brook on your right, the track leads you underneath the A422 where you will see the famous Concrete Cows to your left, in a grassy area, in clear view to motorists travelling east along the Monks Way. After admiring the cows, continue along the path, away from the brook, the path then curves to the right. 
 
Follow the railway line
The railway line will be on your left and a field to your right. After walking for a few minutes, the path will curve to the right once more, taking you away from the railway line and towards the northern part of the Loughton Valley Park. Keep walking along this path, as it winds, do not cross over the brook, and eventually you will meet a redway where the path emerges from the trees. 
 
Turn right towards the villa
Turn right at this path and walk down the hill. You will now be able to see the Bancroft Roman Villa to the left of this path, the stones set in the ground show where the original structure of the villa exists underground. 
 
Follow the path down the hill
After exploring the villa, re-join the same pathway, with the villa behind you, turn left and continue walking slightly downhill. The path then becomes a wooden walkway that crosses over the brook.
 
Follow the brook
Immediately after crossing over the brook, turn right and go down the steps to join another pathway that runs alongside the brook, which will now be on your right. Follow this winding path, with the brook to your right, heading in the direction of Loughton Valley Park South. As you near the A422 again, you will see the Concrete Cows, now on your right and on the other side of the brook. After going under the A422 the pathway then meets the redway where you first turned off to walk to the Concrete Cows. 
 
Left towards the village
Turn left here, away from the brook and follow the redway around the edge of the Bradwell recreation ground, until it meets Abbey Road. 
 
Along Abbey Road
Turn right and continue along Abbey Road, still following the curve of Bradwell recreation ground, which is always on your right. 
 
Right onto the redway
Before Abbey Road ends and becomes Vicarage Road, turn right on to the redway, to continue following the recreation ground, always on your right. Continue downhill along the path which will lead you underneath the railway line, through the tunnel and along a wooden bridge, with the brook below, following signs for Loughton Valley Park South. 
 
Right through the gate
Shortly after exiting the tunnel, the pathway turns left to run alongside the brook but instead of following the pathway, turn right through a gate that leads you into the grounds of Bradwell Abbey. Walk past the ponds along the pathway and you will arrive back to St Mary’s Chapel and the medieval site of Bradwell Abbey.