When Peter Caton set out to walk the Essex coast he had no idea of the beauty, wildlife and stories that he would find on the way. He takes the reader up and down the many creeks and estuaries of the longest coastline of any English county, through nature reserves, seaside resorts, unspoilt villages, sailing centres and alongside industry past and present. We learn of the county's varied history; stories of battles with Vikings, of invading Romans bringing elephants, a fort where the only casualty occurred in a cricket match, burning Zeppelins and of Jack the Ripper.

Whist a narrative, not a guidebook, Essex Coast Walk contains a wealth of information, including many little-known facts and stories. With gentle humour to match the coastline's gentle beauty the book makes for easy reading.

Detailed route finding instructions and maps are not included in this book, but there is sufficient directional information for you to follow the route with an OS Explorer map. The journey is described in 28 chapters, each intended as a day's walk, usually of between about 8 an 12 miles. The author's intention is that the route would be walked as a series of separate day walks at different times and in most cases it is possible to return to the day's starting point by public transport. For anyone interested in exploring the Essex coast this book would be an invaluable companion.