We are properly, unashamedly, deep into festive mode now. The advent calendar is on the wall, the fairy-light timer is set, and yesterday we did the two things that officially flip the switch from autumn to Christmas in the MT AdventuresUK household:
- A gloriously muddy dog walk in pouring rain (because Essex).
- Driving straight from the woods to a Christmas-tree farm to cut down our own 7-foot Nordmann Fir before the light disappeared.
Grab a brew (or a mince pie), settle in, and come with us on the wettest, happiest, most Christmassy Saturday we’ve had in ages.
Part 1 – Belfairs Woods Nature Reserve: 6 km of pure autumn therapy (even in the rain)
Belfairs Woods in Hadleigh (just outside Leigh-on-Sea) is one of those places we keep coming back to. It’s only 30 minutes from home, it’s free, the car park is huge, and the network of paths gives you everything from wide gravel tracks to proper squelchy single-track through ancient woodland.
We arrived at 10 a.m. on a Saturday in late November and the rain was already coming down in rods. Waterproofs on, Luna (our sprocker spaniel) basically vibrating with excitement, and off we went on the 6 km circular route that takes in the best of the reserve.
Route highlights (full GPX map at the end of the post):
- Started at the main car park off Eastwood Road North
- Took the red arrow way-marked trail past the golf course
- Dropped down into the deep, dark, gorgeous oak and hornbeam woodland
- Followed the little stream that becomes a proper muddy splash-fest after rain
- Looped round the pond (Luna tried to swim, obviously)
- Back via the horse-riding track and the open meadow
The autumn colours were still hanging on for dear life – glowing oranges, reds and yellows that somehow look even more saturated when everything is wet. The smell of damp leaves and woodsmoke from someone’s distant bonfire was pure nostalgia in the air.
The “lost dog” mini-drama
About halfway round we heard frantic calling. A lovely cocker spaniel called Milo had slipped his lead and vanished into the undergrowth. Luna immediately appointed herself search-and-rescue deputy. Ten minutes, a lot of whistling, and one very relieved owner later – happy reunion! Moments like that remind you how kind the walking community is.
Dog-friendly rating: 10/10
Bins everywhere, water bowls at the visitor centre (when it’s open), and so many friendly dogs that Luna made about six new best friends in two hours.
Practical stuff
- Parking: £3 all day (card only now)
- Toilets: yes, by the golf club
- Café: The Belfairs Golf Club clubhouse does a cracking bacon roll
- Terrain: mostly flat, but gets VERY muddy after rain – wellies or grippy boots essential
Part 2 – Hurley’s Christmas Tree Farm, Wickford: the most satisfying chainsaw moment of the year
By the time we squelched back to the car we looked like we’d been mud-wrestling. Perfect. Because phase two of the day was heading straight to Hurley’s Christmas Tree Farm in Battlesbridge, Wickford – one of the very few places left in Essex where you actually choose and cut your own tree.
We’ve been going to Hurley’s for the last four years and it never gets old. You rock up, they hand you a saw (or you can ask for the chainsaw treatment if you’re feeling dramatic), and you wander rows and rows of Nordmann Firs until you spot “the one”.
Our 2025 tree stats
- Height: exactly 7 ft once the stump was trimmed
- Type: non-drop Nordmann Fir (the Rolls-Royce of Christmas trees)
- Price: £65 (2025 price – still brilliant value)
- Time taken to choose: 22 minutes (a new personal record)
- Level of mud on trousers by the end: professional
There is something ridiculously satisfying about watching a man in a high-vis jacket fire up a chainsaw and drop your chosen tree in about four seconds flat. Luna sat like a perfect lady the entire time – clearly she knows the importance of the occasion.
Then comes the classic “will it fit on the car?” moment. The Audi A4 roof rails and a couple of ratchet straps later, we had a 7-foot tree strapped on top, pine needles already working their way into every crevice of the car. The drive home smelled like Narnia.
Top tips if you’re planning your own cut-your-own adventure at Hurley’s
- Go in the week if you can – weekends are rammed
- Take cash (although they do take card now)
- Wear boots – the field is a quagmire after rain
- Measure your living-room height before you leave (we learned this the hard way in 2022)
- They net the tree for you and help tie it on – legends
Bringing the magic home
By 4 p.m. we were back home, soaked, muddy, and grinning like kids. The tree went straight up in the bay window (yes, it fits perfectly this year), the fairy lights went on, and the whole house now smells like a Scandinavian forest.
There really is nothing like a real tree. Yeah, you get a few needles on the floor. Yeah, you have to water it. But the scent, the tradition, the fact you chose it yourself in a muddy field while a spaniel tries to steal the sawdust… nothing beats it.
Team Real Tree or Team Artificial? Drop a 🎄 in the comments if you’re with us!
Watch the full vlog here
We filmed the entire soggy, festive day – from the rain-lashed woods to the chainsaw moment and the tree coming home. Watch it below and please give us a thumbs-up and subscribe if you enjoy it – it really helps the channel grow!
Route map & GPX download
Want to walk the exact 6 km Belfairs Woods loop yourself? Here’s the route we took (including the sneaky little detour to the pond): ALLTRAILS ROUTE
Christmas Tree Farm, Hawkwell, Hockley, Essex, England, United Kingdom
Real Christmas Trees and Pumpkin Farm for Halloween Highly Recommended Super Service
Belfairs Park Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 4TW, United Kingdom
Castle Lane, Hadleigh, Benfleet, SS7 2AL, United Kingdom
Craig Goch Dam
The famous three bridges
Britain’s Roswell – drone flight straight onto the marker at dusk
Final thoughts
Some days are just magic, even when (especially when) they’re wet and grey. Yesterday was one of those. Muddy boots, wet dog, a boot full of pine needles, and the official start of Christmas 2025.
We hope you enjoyed coming along with us. If you did, hit that subscribe button (here and on YouTube), share this post with your walking group or your fellow real-tree obsessives, and let us know in the comments where YOU get your tree!
See you on the next adventure – probably somewhere equally muddy.
MT AdventuresUK , Luna & the 7-foot Nordmann 🎄✨