Old and New
The Flitch Way is a linear country park passing through fifteen
miles of countryside along the former Bishop’s Stortford to
Braintree railway, you could travel between Braintree and
Bishop’s Stortford in around 45 minutes. The passenger
service was closed in 1952, but steam, and later diesel locos
continued with goods traffic until the line finally closed in
1969.
Open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, the Flitch Way is flat
and mostly traffic free. This will take you through wildlife-rich
railway cuttings, Victorian stations and bridges, with views across
impressive farmland, nearby villages and woods. There are many
public footpaths exploring the countryside just off the
route.
The route name comes from the Flitch Trial, a folk custom still
surviving today which originated in Little Dunmow, in 1104. The
custom was mentioned in Chaucer’s Wife of Bath’s Tale.
Every four years a married couple stands before a mock court - if
they can prove to the satisfaction of the judge and jury that they
have, for a year and a day, ‘not wished’ themselves
unwed, they are awarded half a pig known as a ‘flitch' (side)
of bacon.
The A120 is an important trunk road in southern England. It
follows the course of Stane Street, a Roman road from Standon,
Hertfordshire at its western terminus to Colchester. From
Colchester the A120 leads roughly east to Harwich, on the way
carrying much traffic from Stansted Airport.
Stane is simply an old spelling of "stone" (Norse: steinn) which
was commonly used to differentiate paved roads from muddy native
track ways.
You are looking for a 450ml. lock top box, stealth is required. I
measured the bridge and it is 390m long so there could be a cache
at either end and one in the middle!.
