The 40 walks in tis guidebook show Essex in all its glory while giving walkers the chance to appreciate its multiple layers: oil refineries overlooking large stretches of saltmarsh, country estates drifting into industrial estates and pounding motorways flowing beneath dense forests that thrum with wildlife.

Each walk entry begins with at-a-glance details of distance, time, terrain, parking, and public transport access where available. Clear route-finding instructions are provided together with simple overview coloured sketch maps, but OS Explorer map sheet numbers are also provided. The text also includes brief notes on features of interest along the way and there are colour photographs throughout.

The walks are arranged into five geographical sections:

West Essex
Saffron Walden - 6km
Thaxted - 8km
Hatfield Forest - 11km
Harlow Mill to Roydon - 9km
Chipping Ongar - 6km
Epping Forest - 9.5km
Snaresbrook to Buckhurst Hill - 11km
Thorndon Country Park - 7km

Mid Essex
Castle Hedingham - 6km
Finchingfield and Great Bardfield - 8km
Braintree - 8km
White Notley to Terling - 13km
Great Waltham to Pleshey - 9km
Chelmsford - 4km
Danbury - 6km
Ingatestone - 5km

South Essex
Rainham to Purfleet - 8km
Tilbury Fort and Docks - 4km
East Tilbury and Coalhouse Fort - 8.5km
Fobbing - 8.5km
Plotlands and Basildon - 13km
Canvey Island - 6km
Hadleigh - 9km
Leigh to Southend - 5.5km

Southeast Essex
Tollesbury - 9km
Heybridge Basin - 5km
Maldon - 8.5km
Bradwell-on-Sea - 10km
Burnham - 9km
Hullbridge - 4km
Rochford - 11km
The Broomway

Northeast Essex
Coggeshall - 6km
Fordham Heath to West Bergholt - 10km
Colchester - 3.5km
West Mersea - 6km
Wivenhoe - 6.5km
Mistley to Wrabness - 10km
Walton-on-the-Naze - 6km
Harwich to Dovercourt - 4km