Paper Mill Lock is halfway along the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation which runs for 14 miles from the centre of Chelmsford to the sea at Heybridge Basin. The lock is very popular because of its excellent tearoom with tables lining the river, and access to easy walks along the canal bank. I say 'river' and 'canal' interchangeably because some of this waterway is 'river' and some is 'canal'. The Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation began life in 1793 to provide a navigable waterway from Chelmsford to Heybridge Basin. In the mid 19th century it would carry up to 60,000 tons of freight, passing through 12 locks. In those days, every parish had its own waterside wharf. But when the Great Eastern Railway came to Chelmsford, the waterway was doomed. And since the 1970s, the waterway is used purely for leisure, and river trips can be booked from Essex Waterways at Paper Mill.
As we walked along the canal bank, we saw a path across the field towards St. Mary the Virgin church (St. Mary's Parish Church) in Little Baddow and decided to stop there on our drive back to Great Baddow. It took over 400 years to complete this church, with the nave being extended in the 14th century to create a chapel for the Filliol family. Sir John Filliol was born in ~1280 and lived for some time in Little Baddow. According to a genealogy website (https://www.geni.com/people/Sir-John-Filliol-of-Essex/6000000006101437716) there are records for the Filliol family from 1175 when they were fined for breach of forest law. They seem to have led a litigious life with many disputes over inheritance of land. The Filliol family included Catherine Filliol, Duchess of Somerset, the first wife of the future Lord Protector of England Sir Edward Seymour, uncle of King Edward VI (1547-1553). Sadly the church was locked so we could not see inside, but I understand that the Little Baddow History Centre is worth a visit.
