With the days steadily getting longer and the skies staying clearer, what better way to blow away the cobwebs than a bracing winter walk through some of the Essex countryside. 

1. Benfleet to Leigh 

This seems like a barren and bleak landscape. It can appear grey and lifeless, even on a sunny day. But it is actually a dramatic and constantly changing environment. On this five and a half mile walk from Benfleet to Leigh, you can explore the tidal creeks, salt marshes, mudflats on the edge of the estuary. 

2. Burnham on Crouch and the Dengie

Bounded by the North Sea and the rivers Crouch and Blackwater, the Dengie is a beguiling mix of the country's richest arable farming, thatched and weatherboarded villages like the sublime Tillingham, and moody end-of-the-earth saltmarshes. 

3. Harwich Maritime Trail 

The maritime town of Harwich stands at the tip of a peninsula in north east Essex commanding the entrance to a magnificent harbour, where the Orwell flows down from Ipswich to meet the waters of the Stour that flow from Constable Country. There are fine views over the busy harbour, especially from The Ha'penny Pier, with vessels of all shapes and sizes constantly moving. 

4. Mersea Island

Mersea Island is the most easterly inhabited island in the UK, located 9 miles to the southeast of Colchester. It is situated in the estuary area of the rivers Blackwater and Colne and the only way onto the island is via the Strood, the only Anglo-Saxon causeway in England. There are various nature reserves dotted around the island and at low tide you can collect cockles, mussels, winkles and sea shells.

5. Roach Valley

The Roach Valley Way, a 23 mile circular waymarked walk passes through a variety of landscapes, from the ancient woodlands of Hockley in the west to the coastal margins of the Roach and Crouch estuaries in the south and north.

  • To see more suggestions, and routes, go to the Visit Essex website

- Where is your favourite place to walk and why? Add your suggestions in the comments below.