[1] Start on Bridge End (TL521346), a small side road off B1383 at the north end of Newport. Head south along Bridge End and just before railway bridge go to the left of this along narrow track; after 15 yards turn sharp left onto concrete road. Follow this road, and then the track into which it leads, with a World War II pillbox (almost hidden by overgrowth) over to your right and then sewage works on your left. Keep going along the valley, ignore path left up hill, and bear slightly right with wood on left. Enter wooded path, and ignore path with footbridge to the right. Emerge onto open field over (or round) a dodgy stile, ignore path up hill to left, and head straight forward over grassy path.
Where the mown path eventually turns right over a culvert, the actual footpath bears left (not waymarked) and enters a thicket. Follow this shrub/tree lined path to the end of the thicket, keeping ahead when it emerges into field. Follow path round to the left, over a stile (noting pillbox on opposite side of the stream) and along left-hand field edge to go through a gate-way, here turn right and head for stile to rear of recently restored farmhouse.
Over the stile, and onto the drive of the house: at the end of the drive go over stile and turn sharp left uphill along drive towards another farm, turning right before the farm at clear waymark; uphill with pond on left, turn left along field edge, then right onto track which follows power line poles; a radar scanner coming into view in the distance straight ahead.
[2] At T-junction turn right, and follow the bridleway (not the wires) down hill, and carefully cross the road to enter woodland. Follow the track down hill, through kissing gate, up the tree-lined avenue, and keeping ahead over cattle grid follow track downhill through pony paddocks towards a stream, with Debden Church coming into view ahead. Shortly before reaching the stream and lake turn sharp left, with enormous brick farm buildings on your left, to reach churchyard. Go through kissing gate and up past church [open every day].
(A) St Mary the Virgin and All Saints dates from the 13th century. Major renovations, including the construction of the present chancel, were completed towards the end of the 18th century. The church boasts a number of interesting features, among which is a Codestone Font and a 14th century iron clad chest.
Emerge from top of churchyard to meet a skirting footpath. Walk a short distance up the hill, turn right on gravel drive towards walled garden, but very soon turning left across the field, and head for gap in hedge at the bottom labeled Footpath. Through the gap, and turn right along a lovely wooded path. Continue through and out of the wood, and on nearly reaching a large barn, turn right over a footbridge and then left along field edge.
[3] Soon you reach a quiet tarmac road, turn right, passing a pillbox on the left (almost hidden by bushes and ivy), a thatched cottage on the right and then, at another thatched cottage with a flagpole, turn right onto a byway. Follow this, with slight swing left and right, past woodland to your right and then through fields. Eventually you reach a road: bear left along it for a short while, then bear right onto a byway as road swings to the left. Follow byway as this curves to the right and then left, then turn right at Footpath sign (which can at times be obscured by hedge), and head for old style Trig point, from which (unsurprisingly) you get great views; the radar scanner can now be seen over to the right. Track continues, going through a stackyard, at the end turn right to emerge onto a road. Turn left onto this road, down hill and round some dodgy bends, until you turn right off the road (black finger post almost obscured) down hill through narrow track hedged on both sides.
[4] Down hill [note: this is quite steep and can get very muddy, in which case via slight right turn take alternative path which runs downhill vaguely parallel to the main track] and through woodland. Immediately after emerging from the woodland, turn sharp left, with wood on the left, and head for track between woods, which soon becomes field edge path. Follow this for some distance, with the tower of Newport Church at times coming into view ahead, and then turn right into poplar woodland at the point where the main track turns left uphill to pass another pillbox. Through the poplars, turning left to cross over a footbridge, then right after this; under the railway, to bear left through houses to meet the B1383 beside the pub. Turn right and quite soon, over the little toll bridge and opposite Newport Free Grammar School, turn right into Bridge End and back under the railway bridge to reach the start.