St Etheldreda's Church, which stands above the village of White Notley, dates mostly from the 13th century but has Roman, Saxon, and Norman elements. Roman bricks quarried from a nearby villa show up among the flints in the outside walls and in the Norman chancel arch, while a little window now in the vestry was cut from a Saxon headstone and features medieval glass depicting a crowned saint holding a book.
From the village, the route passes through crop fields and meadows to the neighbouring village of Faulkbourne (pronounced "Fawborn"). Just past a terrace of weatherboarded cottages on the left is a white house — the old post office — whose end wall features one of the county's curiosities: a small trap door. In the days of horse-drawn mail, letters arrived around 4:00 AM; fed up with getting out of bed at this unsociable hour, the postmaster installed the trap door right next to his pillow.
From Faulkbourne, a footbridge takes you across the River Brain. Just beyond the river is Hole Farm, one of several picturesque Tudor farmhouses in the area built in 1550 and enlarged in 1600 (restored in the late 20th century). The adjacent Hole Farm Cottage, originally two dwellings, dates from 1840 and — unusually for that period — is timber-framed.
The story of Cressing Temple begins in 1137 when Queen Matilda granted the estate to the Knights Templar. This order of warrior monks held some 7,000 estates throughout Europe, and the one at Cressing (originally around 2,000 acres) supported a range of agricultural and related activities.
In 1308 the Templar order was suppressed by the Pope on charges of heresy — though the real reason was its immense political and financial power. Their lands, including Cressing, were given to the Hospitallers, and after the Dissolution of the Monasteries the estate passed into private hands (it is now owned by Essex County Council).
The two oldest buildings on the site are Templar in origin: spectacular aisled barns, one from around 1200 and the other fifty years later, whose imposing dimensions and soaring timbers give them a cathedral-like quality. The third major structure is the Court Hall, built around 1580 to provide stables, a chaff house, and a tack room at ground level with a huge granary above.
The complex also includes a 16th-century walled garden, a 17th-century farmhouse, and a thatched waggon lodge of circa 1700. All the buildings have been expertly restored, and the site — including recreational facilities and a tea-room — is a popular draw for visitors from far and wide.
The return route to White Notley crosses fields and then follows the course of the enchanting River Brain, providing a delightful ending to the walk.
