Family Walks and Buggy Friendly Walks in Essex
- Essex Parks
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 11 hours ago
Finding the perfect walking routes in Essex that suit children and are easy to navigate with a buggy can be a challenge. Families want safe, enjoyable paths where little ones can explore nature without the hassle of rough terrain or steep hills. This guide highlights some of the best toddler and child friendly walking routes in Essex.
Essex offers a variety of landscapes, from coastal paths to woodland trails. However, not all are suitable for young children or buggies. These family friendly walking routes primarily have
Smooth, even surfaces for easy buggy pushing. We have also included some more muddy, woodland walks if you have a more sturdy buggy.
Shorter distances to match little legs’ stamina
Interesting sights and stops to keep children engaged
Safe environments away from busy roads
To make your family walk enjoyable, keep these tips in mind:
Check the weather and dress accordingly.
Choose routes under 3 miles to match toddler energy levels
Bring snacks, water, and sun protection
Use a sturdy buggy with good wheels for gravel or uneven paths.
Plan breaks at playgrounds or picnic areas
Consider timing walks around nap schedules to avoid fussiness
Choosing the right walk means less stress for parents and more fun for kids. It encourages outdoor play, fresh air, and family bonding.
Top Buggy Walks in Essex for Families
Here are some of the best walking routes in Essex that are perfect for toddlers and buggies. Here we have buggy walks across Essex including buggy walks in Brentwood, Basildon, Billericiay, Maldon, Great Notley, Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Epping Forest.
Great Notley Country Park
If you are looking for a buggy friendly walk that combines play areas, head to Great Notley Park and check out the brilliant play trail. In fact Great Notley Country Park is home to the Longest Play Trail in Essex.
The trail is a 1.2km (3/4 of a mile) loop, perfect for little legs who may want to hop out of the buggy. The pathways are flat, accessible and buggy friendly. Dotted along the route there is lots of different play equipment such as climbing frames, swings, a zip wire, seesaws and slides. There is also a small toddler playground with slides and little wooden houses. There is a sand pit play area, with a large rope climbing frame. The variety of play equipment make it suitable for children of all ages.
The Great Notley Play Trail is also a popular spot for children to scooter and cycle. This is a great place to scooter and cycle with kids in Essex.
As well as the play trail, there are plenty of things to do at Great Notley Country Park. You can feed the ducks and in the school holidays enjoy inflatable fun days or experience Sky Ropes!
Epping Forest
Epping Forest is a vast ancient woodland with many flat, well-maintained paths. There is a great loop route suitable for little legs from the Epping Forest Visitor Centre and Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge to Connaught Water, around the lake and back. The route consists of wide gravel paths suitable for buggies and plenty of benches and picnic spots. There are plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife and enjoy the forest atmosphere.
Along the route look out for the beautiful wooden sculptures from the Brambly Hedge stories. The FREE Brambly Hedge trail opened here in Autumn 2025. Checkout our Brambly Hedge Trail Guide for everything you need to know including parking and facilities including cafe. The Hunting Lodge also offers a fun historical stop.
Weald Country Park
Weald Country Park is a large park in Brentwood, which consists of over 500 acres of land. The country park is full of plenty of walking trails and buggy friendly walks in Brentwood.
Weald Country Park is popular with Essex families as it is the home of the "Stick Man" trail, based on the Julia Donaldson classic. The FREE Stick Man character trail is also buggy friendly and accessible. The trail consists of several characters, which are primarily positioned around the lake. The pathway is gravel and mainly flat, other than the path from the car park to the lake at the start/end of the trail has a large slope. We have a full Stick Man Trail Guide.
As well as the buggy friendly trail, there are two themed play areas for children at Weald Country Park. One play area close to the car park and the other play area is next to the lake along the Stick Man route. Weald Park is also home to deer! There is an enclosed deer park where deer can be fed through chutes.
Chappel Viaduct
A walk and play area with a view - Chappel Viaduct! Chappel Viaduct is an impressive structure. The Viaduct was built in 1849 and is a Grade II listed building. It is a great spot for a walk interesting photos and the small playground is a huge bonus.
There is a buggy friendly walk at Chappel Viaduct along a wooden boardwalk. The boardwalk runs around the base of the historic Chappel Viaduct. The boardwalk provides a path for visitors to view the viaduct's arches and explore the surrounding natural area,
The playground is suitable for smaller children. There is a climbing frame with slide, swings, sit on ride equipment, merry-go-round. The playground is not enclosed. There is also climbing structures and spinning equipment for bigger children.
Thames Chase
This Forestry England park has so much going on and is great for families. The cafe and visitor centre with toilets are conveniently located close to the inclusive playground. There are also walking and cycle trails through the woods and meadows. There are accessible trail loops throughout Thames Chase, perfect for buggy walks.
At present you can find the Stick Man Christmas Trail at Thames Chase. Based on Julia Donaldson’s beloved character, this trail encourages families to connect with nature through fun and engaging activities.
Abberton Reservoir
Abberton Reservoir is a great family friendly location in Essex. The Essex Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve is home to thousands of migrating birds, making it the perfect spot for little nature lovers.
The Abberton Reservoir has a flat, circular path of about 3 miles that is perfect for families with toddlers. The route is mostly paved or compacted gravel, making it easy to push a buggy. The walks consists of wonderful open views of the water and surrounding countryside
The walking trails pass several nature hides offering great vantage points for kids to watch over the reserve. There is also another Brambley Hedge woodland character trail and woodland themed playground.
Northlands Park
Northlands Park is a great park in Basildon with a playground, outdoor gym, skate ramp, cafe and beautiful lake full of ducks. The park also has free parking - perfect if you are looking for a free day out in Essex.
The lake here is beautiful and full of ducks. There is a gravel path around the lake, which is suitable for buggies. You can also buy duck food from the cafe for 50p.
Lake Meadows
There are great facilities at Lake Meadows Park including two playgrounds, cafe, swimming pool, fishing, mini golf, playground, basketball and tennis courts. As the name suggests there is a lovely Lake and Lake Meadows and it's full of ducks. There is a paved trail around the lake, great for buggy walks, cycling or scooting.
The playground has a wizard/dragon theme. You can follow along the story through the playground via prompts. Equipment at the playground includes a large climbing frame with slide suitable for older children and a smaller dragon climbing frame with slide. There are a variety of swings including baby swings, a tandem swing and a more accessible swing. There is a floor trampoline with ramp, balancing ramps with climbing mushrooms, balancing beams for older children and balance steps. There are also seesaws (one with ramp), a merry-go-round (accessible), spinning seat, frame with tunnel, musical area and spinning climb on apparatus.
Promenade Park
Maldon Promenade Park is a family favourite with a flat, paved promenade ideal for buggies. The park runs along the River Blackwater and offers a mix of play areas and green spaces. There are flat, wide paths perfect for buggies and scooters. Enjoy buggy walks with beautiful scenic river views!
There are plenty of great things to do at Maldon Promenade Park including a seasonal splash park, several playgrounds, café and picnic spots, petting zoo and mini golf. This walk combines easy terrain with plenty of activities for young children.
Southend Seafront
Southend-on-Sea is a great family friendly destination. Te pathways along the Southend seafront are great for pushing a buggy, scooting and cycling. There are over 7 miles of seafront pathways between Leigh-on-Sea and Shoebury, which pass through Chalkwell, Westcliff-on-Sea, Central Southend and Thorpe Bay. The pathways are mainly flat and the views across the Thames Estuary make for a great stroll.
There are several seafront playgrounds in Southend-on-Sea. Check out our Guide to Playgrounds Close to the Beach in Southend-on-Sea for seafront play areas, which keep walks and rides interesting for little one. There are also seafront restaurants, cafes and ice cream shops along the route. There are public toilets in Chalkwell, Westcliff and Shoebury.
Flitch Way
The Flitch Way stretches almost 15 miles along the track of the former railway line between Braintree and Bishop's Stortford. The track was originally opened in 1869 and today makes for an interesting route for a walk! The flat, relatively straight and well-surfaced route is popular with families, cyclists and dog-walkers.
We recommend starting at Rayne Station, where you can find the Booking Hall Café and Railway Carriage Museum. Stock up on coffee and treats before walking along the Flitch Way and returning the same way.
Finish/bribe you way back with the promise of a playground visit - Rayne Park is only a short walk away.
Coal House Fort
If you like a park with some history, head to Coal House Fort in Tilbury. The impressive Coalhouse Fort was built in the 19th century to protect the Thames Estuary. The Fort and moat are unique and interesting structures. The Fort itself is closed until further notice, but there are still great, buggy friendly walks around the park, including a pathway all the way around the Fort.
Our favourite part of our visit was walking right up to the Thames river. We saw lots of large tankers pass by and dock at Tilbury. This park part of the park is not buggy friendly, but worth the venture.
There is also a visited the small playground, which is pretty neglected. There is one climbing frame with a slide and some swings. The playground is enclosed. The playground needs a big update, but there are enough other interesting things to do at this park to make it worth a visit.
More Buggy Friendly Walks in Essex
Families in Essex have plenty of options for toddler friendly walking routes that are easy to navigate with a buggy. Whether you prefer woodland, water views, or parkland, there is a walk to suit your needs!
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