Ian Runs

This week I decided to return to making more progress towards completing all events in Essex by visiting Brentwood. The area While the modern town of Brentwood is a popular commuter town, being served by the Elizabeth line, it is also where the first events of the Peasants Revolt took place. Locals refused to pay a poll tax imposed on them, and instead rioted, threatening to kill the commissioner trying to collect the tax. Word of these riots spread to the wider country, initiating the wider revolt, including at Littleport , Billericay and North Walsham . The town is surrounded by countryside, and in the west lies Weald Park; the remains of a former country estate. The park was originally considered as a possible location for the mountain biking course during the 2012 Olympics, before the committee ultimately decided that Hadleigh would prove a more challenging course. The course Owing to the wet weather, today's run followed an alternative route nicknamed "The B...

After venturing into Suffolk last week at Clare Castle parkrun, this week I decided to return to Essex to continue making progress towards completing the region. The area Great Notley is a garden village situated in Braintree. The village was constructed with the ideas of instant community and instant maturity in mind. While the hamlet of White Court predates the modern development, the area as a whole has been designed to act as a single coherent community while supporting three new hamlets in addition to White Court. Like Kesgrave on the outskirts of Ipswich , Great Notley offered local planners a means of increasing residental capacity in the area without redeveloping existing infrastructure. The course Great Notley parkrun's course is run on a mixture of gravel and grass, over two laps of the country park. The route is mostly flat, although the second lap does start with a small hill which offers great views over the park and surrounding area! Paid parking is...

Continuing with my focus on Essex events started last week at Billericay parkrun , this week I decided to attend Chelmsford Central parkrun. The area Chelmsford is a very young city, having only recived its letters patent in 2012 (6 June 2012), although this does mean it could technically claim to be the oldest city in Essex, ahead of both Southend (1 March 2022) and Colchester ( 23 November 2022 ). Chelmsford Central parkrun takes places in three of Chelmsford's main parks - starting in Central Park, before heading along the River Can, joining Admirals park and Tower Gardens, before returning to Central Park. An 18-arch Victorian Railway viaduct crosses through central park. The course The route follows a mixture of tarmac paths and grass walks through Central Park, Admirals Park, and Tower Gardens, using the River Can to connect them. The route is mostly flat, with only one minor hill at around the half way point. A number of pay and display car parks are availab...

After the hustle and bustle of Gunpowder parkrun last week on Guy Fawkes day, I decided that I'd focus on some more time on the remaining Essex parkruns in the coming weeks. My aim is to complete the Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex regions within a few weeks of each other, and so my next few events will all be focussed on those regions. The area Billericay is a small town in Essex, near to both Wickford Memorial parkrun , as well as Basildon parkrun . The town is popular with commuters given the easy access to London. Lake Meadows park, home of Billericay parkrun, has an interesting history of its own. Originally owned by Barking Abbey before the dissolution of the monestaries, the land eventually found its way into the hands of the Spitty family. The Spittys became a prominant family in the area, serving in many public offices, as well as the Essex Militia. The family were known to sponsor many local events and developments, with the park's lake being constructed to p...

The decision as to which parkrun I'd attend today was a simple one - I couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend Gunpowder parkrun on Guy Fawkes day! The area Gunpowder parkrun takes place in Gunpowder Park, situated just south of the M25 near Waltham Abbey. Waltham Abbey is part of Epping Forest, which also includes Roding Valley parkrun . Gunpowder park takes its name from the gunpowder mills which were located in the area, while the park itself is a former munitions test site. While the site has transitioned to more of a nature reserve in modern times, there are lots of reminders of it's former life scattered throughout the park. The course The route follows just over two laps of the meadows in the northern half of the park, all on tarmac, with only one left turn per lap. The parkland undulates throughout, while the paths generally weave around it. A small paid car park is available at the main entrance, which also houses toilets, and there are a numb...

I had originally considered visiting Thurrock parkrun on New Year's Day when I was focussed on the East of England alphabet, but car parking challenges at the time ultimately nudged me to attend Thomas Mills parkrun instead. With the parking situation now under control, I decided that today would be the day I finally visited! The area Modern Thurrock is a mostly residential town located just outside the M25. Due to both it's transport connections as well as its proximity to London, it is a popular place for commuters to live, as well as its ports providing many local employment opportunities. The London Gateway development project, which includes both Tilbury dock as well as London Gateway port share the primary goal of enabling the transport of goods for consumption within the Greater London region. The course The route follows two laps of the playing fields, all on grass, and there is no significant elevation, so you can see runners elsewhere on the course for the ...