Hadleigh is a town in Essex, not too far from Southend, with a population of just over 18,000 people. The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon word hæðleage meaning Heath-Lea. In the 13th century, during the reign of Henry III, the Manor of Hadleigh belonged to Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent, and Chief Justiciar (equivalent to the modern day position of Prime Minister), who built the original Hadleigh Castle which is the town's most well known feature. It was seized by the king a few years later and retained as a royal castle.
The castle suffered subsidence due it being built on an unstable outcrop of London Clay. Over the years it was rebuilt and expanded by various monarchs and, in later years, was owned by various Earls and Dukes. In 1544 the estate was broken up and much of the land sold off. The castle itself was purchased in 1551 and over the next 24 years, the valuable stone was sold off leaving a ruin.
What remained of the castle was sketched by John Constable in 1814 and the finished painting is considered to be 'one of his most monumental works'. In 1891, the castle and the remaining 900 acres of land were bought by a William Booth who established Hadleigh Farm as part of his 'Darkest England' scheme where the extremely poor were offered work and shelter. During the second world war, the farm provided accommodation to around 70 Jewish refugees from Germany and Eastern Europe, and being close to the Thames, formed part of the key defensive ring around London.
The modern day Hadleigh Farm is owned and run by the Salvation Army and continues the work started by William Booth by offering training to disadvantaged people to help them find employment. Much of this training involved producing food on the farm. However there were also three onsite brickyards, which at their peak were producing around a quarter-of-a-million bricks per week. The close proximity to the River Thames meant they could easily be shipped into London, and the site once had its own narrow-gauge railway which led down to the wharf. The farm was used as the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games Mountain Biking events (chosen over the nearby Weald Country Park, which also now has a parkrun - Brentwood parkrun).
Post Olympics, the Active Essex team at Essex County Council have preserved this sporting legacy by creating a world class mountain biking facility called 'Hadleigh Park' which is adjacent to the farm land. The remaining area of land is a conservation area called 'Hadleigh Country Park' or 'Hadleigh Castle Country Park'. In addition to the mountain bike trails, Hadleigh Park has a pump track, a playground, walking trails, and a cafe. On 22nd October 2016 the park became home to a free, weekly, 5km event called Hadleigh parkrun which is open to all abilities including those who wish to walk.
We first visited the venue on 5 November 2016 to take part in event number 3 and parked in the large on-site car park (400 spaces) where the fee was £1.50 per hour - this was capped to a maximum of £6. When we revisited on 7 September 2024 the tariff had increased to £2.80 for an hour, £4 for up to two hours, £5.20 for up to four hours or £6.30 for the entire day. Payment can be made by using the MiPermit app or website, or by using the onsite payment machines - however my understanding is that the machines are due to be removed in September 2024. For anybody wishing to avoid the car parking charges, most of the residential roads to the north of the park seem to be restriction-free, but of course you'll have a bit further to walk to reach the park.
As you'd expect from a world class cycling facility, cyclists are well catered for here and there is an abundance of bicycle racks located at the main visitor centre building.
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| switchback from 2016 [photos: andy kenyon] |
Those travelling by train will need to head for Benfleet Station which is just to the west of the country park. In fact the walk to the country park is only 200 metres. However the entrance near the station is at the opposite end to the parkrun meeting point which means there are 3 uphill kilometres to cover on foot before reaching the start area. By bus, the main local bus stops are on the A13 (London Road) and appear to be served by a decent range of buses including the number 1, 7, 21, 21A, 21C, 21S, 27, 27A, 28, 827 and the Z3. London Road and the bus stops are just over 1 kilometre from the park.
There are on-site toilet facilities just next to the car park and the visitor centre. During my most recent visit in 2024, the toilets had not been opened by 8.30am which is when I made my way over to the parkrun meeting area. I'm not entirely sure if they ended up opening pre-parkrun or not. However, they were open after the event. The actual meeting point for the parkrun is past the playground, through the gate next to the cattle grid and across a small field - the point is in eyesight from the cafe and playground area. The park is home to a herd of Red Poll cows so expect to find some curious cows hanging around this point. I will note here that if you are afraid of cows or just do not want to be in close proximity to them, it may be best to avoid visiting this venue.
The briefings both take place here and the participants are then sent off on a 5km lollipop-style route around the park. At this point I will note that there are two course configurations at this venue and I have now taken part on both of them. The start and finish points of the two courses are in slightly different places but they both head off in the same direction and follow the same route for the first 3.5 kilometres or so. It is only after this that the courses vary, with the original course taking a turn and cutting across a field, and the newer one avoids it. Both of the courses then meet at the same point at around 4.3 kilometres in, and the final section is the same. However the newer course actually finishes quite a bit before the original course finishes.
The surface underfoot is made up of loose gravel and stones, and this is the only surface encountered on the newer course. However if the original course is in use there is also a section that goes through a grass (dirt/mud) field. In terms of footwear, my preference is to use trail shoes which may be slightly better at dealing with the loose stones, but I'm pretty certain a lot of people would be quite happy in regular road shoes. Participants can take part with a buggy, and the official course page recommends using a trail-style running buggy. Please note that this is a tough course. My GPS data readings show a total incline of around 81-91 metres, but it feels like so much more than that! I would say that this course is not suitable for wheelchair users.
The start is at the highest point (64m) of the park and the first kilometre of the route features a hair-raising, downhill combination of switchbacks and chicanes all on a loose gravel path - my 2016 GPS data recorded a -14% gradient at the steepest section. It's worth noting that there is a pinch point about 300 metres in as the participants squeeze through a narrow gate and into the country park itself. After this, the course undulates for a bit until the parkrunners reach the far end of the country park and head down another steeper path (nice view across Hadleigh Ray here) where the the lowest point (3m) of the course is reached, at around the 3km point where it flattens out.
At about 3.5km in, the point is reached where the two courses deviate. If the original course is being used, the course turns into a grass field and starts to head back uphill for about 200 metres - my 2016 GPS data picked up a 16% incline at its steepest here. The grass field is sometimes used as a grazing area for the farm's sheep, and when they are residence, the parkrun does not cut through. Instead, the (newer) route continues along the flat section until reaching the 4.2 kilometre point. Both routes have to make their way back up to the top of the park, but the original course has this split into easier-to-manager chunks, whereas the newer route has the entire climb in one hit covering the whole of the final 800 metre stretch. It is a pretty brutal way to finish a 5k!
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| coming back up the switchbacks 2016 [photos: 7t / andy kenyon] |
Both of the courses meet up for the very final section, and this features the uphill back along the opening section of chicanes and then the switchbacks. As you head back up the switchbacks, you'll get a glimpse of the remains of the castle in the distance - which is worth taking some time to admire even though at this point you'll just be wanting the finish line to appear and will most-likely not really care about the castle. The finish line does, of course, appear shortly after this and you'll soon be discussing that last kilometre with whoever you find slumped next to you on the ground. Barcode scanning is taken care of adjacent to the finish line.
I recorded both of the courses using my Garmin and the data can be viewed on my Strava account. The original course which I ran in 2016 can be found here: Hadleigh parkrun original course GPS and the newer/alternative course data from 2024 can be found here: Hadleigh parkrun newer/alternative course GPS data. I also have Relive course fly-by video for both courses and the links are at the bottom of this page. A note on the courses: At the time of writing this update (September 2024) both courses are still effectively in use, and the team are still in the process of deciding what will happen going forward. It will either involve switching between courses depending on the status of the field, or it is possible that a permanent switch to the newer course could be made. If I hear anything I will update this page.
Once the event has finished, the team relocates to the onsite cafe called 'The Hub' which is run by the Salvation Army, for the post-event refreshments. We spent some time hanging out here during our visit in 2016, but in 2024 we had to rush off for a birthday party in nearby Thurrock so didn't have time. The Hub offers a decent selection of food and drink, but please note that they operate a cashless payment system. On both of my visits, the results were processed and available online later that morning. As far as attendance figures go, as of September 2024 the event has been attracting just over 100 participants each week on average. The two events that I have attended here had 106 (event 3) and 124 (event 330) participants. In between that the figures have largely remained fairly consistent, with the exception of a period just before the 2020 lockdown where the numbers were nudging 200.
The park would be a lovely spot for a day out, so that is worth considering if you are looking for another activity. Of course riding around the mountain biking trails would be fun, or you could go for an extended walk to take a peak at Hadleigh Castle up-close. If you're not feeling that energetic, you could just stand at the top of the park and gaze at the incredible view. Our visit in 2024 marked a special occasion for us as it was my six-year-old son's 100th different 5k parkrun venue (Cowell). A huge thanks to all of the volunteers for putting the event on and for making us feel so welcome.
Related Links:
- My GPS data from event 3 (5 November 2016) - Original course
- The Relive course fly-by from event 3 (5 November 2016)
- My GPS data from event 330 (7 September 2024) - Newer/alternative course
- The Relive course fly-by from event 330 (7 September 2024)
- The Essex parkrun venues (blog7t page)
