The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Thaxted

St Mary the Virgin is an unusual church, built in three stages with completely different styles. The 13th-century nave is the oldest section, with a wonderful main window. The porch is 17th century, with the tower added in the 18th century. The brick extension was added in the Victorian period.

Little antique shop that does coffee and limited cakes. Seats outside but no toilets. Thaxted is limited to here or across road at Dorringtons for coffee. Dorringtons has wider choice as its a bakers but no seats. However there is a bench near the post office.

Not the most exciting walk unless solar farms are your thing. Otherwise, wouldn't bother.

Wear swimming trunks!

The pillar is located beside the footpath to Ringer’s Farm and visible from quite a ways off. It’s in generally good condition with all it’s metalwork in place. The view is wide open but only cultivated farmland.

Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin stands N. of the village. The walls are of flint and pebble rubble with dressings of limestone; the roofs are covered with tiles and slate. The plan of the church is probably that of the early 12th-century building, but the only remaining detail of that date is a window in the N. wall of the Chancel. The Nave was possibly rebuilt in the 15th century, and the North Vestry was added during the same period. The church was completely restored in 1872, when the West Tower was rebuilt and the South Porch added. ¶Architectural Description—The Chancel (25 ft. by 14½ ft.) with the axis inclined slightly to the S., has a late 13th or early 14th-century E. window, partly restored and of three cinquefoiled lights with intersecting tracery in a two-centred head, under a plain external label; the splays and rear arch are hollow-chamfered and have broach-stops. In the N. wall are two windows, both towards the W. end of the wall; the eastern is of early 12th-century date and of a single light with a flattened round head; the western window is of the 15th century, and of two cinquefoiled lights under a segmental head with a moulded external label, which has grotesque beast-stops now defaced, and a foliated finial; the jambs are moulded and the mullion has an attached shaft with moulded capital and base; the moulded rear arch projects and forms a label with a foliated finial not in situ; E. of the eastern window, opening into the vestry, is a 15th-century doorway with chamfered jambs, two-centred arch and a segmental-pointed rear arch facing the vestry. In the S. wall are two windows; the eastern is of the 14th century and much restored, and of two trefoiled ogee lights with tracery under a two-centred head; the splays are of c. 1280 and have attached shafts with moulded bases and carved capitals set between two lines of dog-tooth ornament; the junctions of the bases and splays are carved with small grotesque heads, and the E. capital has foliage and fruit, with a bird eating fruit partly on the adjoining splay; on the splay adjoining the W. capital is a grotesque head with foliage issuing from the mouth; the western window is of the 15th century, and of two trefoiled ogee lights with modern tracery under a segmental-pointed head. The chancel-arch is modern. The North Vestry has a window in the E. wall and a doorway in the W. wall, both modern. The Nave (40½ ft. by 21 ft.) has one window in the N. wall, all modern, except the splays and chamfered, two-centred rear arch, which are of the 15th century. Further W. is a blocked doorway with a two-centred arch and a chamfered segmental-pointed rear arch, probably also of the 15th century. In the S. wall are two windows; both are modern except the 15th-century moulded splays and pointed rear arch of the western window. W. of the windows is the 15th-century S. doorway, partly restored, with moulded jambs, two-centred arch, plain label, and chamfered segmental rear arch. Fittings—Brass: In nave—on N. wall, of a civilian, c. 1460, in loose belted cloak, feet missing. Door: In S. doorway—of oak, in two leaves, each leaf having three V-shaped battens with hollow-chamfered fillets between them, plain strap-hinges, circular scutcheon and trefoiled handle, back of each leaf with fillets in cross-pattern, probably 15th-century. Glass: In chancel—in N.W. window, hanging inside, two shields of old France and England quarterly, 14th-century, and one medallion with a sundial, hour-glass and crown, dated 1664. Niche: In chancel—in E. wall N. of window, shallow, with moulded jambs and the springing of a four-centred arch, rest of head mutilated, but probably canopied, 15th-century. Piscina: In chancel—with chamfered jambs, moulded stops, moulded and trefoiled head flanked by quatrefoiled panels, circular quatrefoiled basin, late 13th-century. Plate: includes cup of 1562, with two bands of ornament round the bowl; cover-paten, probably late 17th-century, with Elizabethan rim; and alms-dish, probably late 17th-century. Source: british-history.ac.uk

Widdington is a village and a civil parish near Saffron Walden, in the Uttlesford district.

Debden is a small rural village in the Uttlesford district of Essex. RAF Debden is nearby and played a role in the Second World War. Since 2007 the village has shared twin status with the village of Tang Ting in rural Nepal.