This Is Archaeology - The Essex Ways: a 400km walking adventure to uncover the truth of England’s most misunderstood county

How much do you know about Essex? Beyond reality TV and tabloid stereotypes, the ancient East Saxon Kingdom is a mystery to most of the country. But storyteller James Lawrence believes there are only two ways to really know a place: with its stories, and with your feet. So in 2025, James Lawrence set out on a 400km adventure to discover the stories of his home county like never before. Over 21 days of walking and camping around Essex, he found a lot more than tired media stereotypes. 

In this pre-recorded lecture, James shares some of his surprising findings from his epic adventure. He shares stories that explain how Essex is the fascinating county it is today: with important answers to the existential questions facing the future of both the county and the country. 

James Lawrence

James Lawrence, AKA Man About Country, is a storyteller, adventurer and natural historian. For over 5 years he’s led walks around some of Britain’s most fascinating places, guiding people to discover the country like never before.  

James is fresh off the Essex Ways: a 400km walking adventure around his home county to discover its stories, people and places. He set out to bust the negative media stereotypes and prove that Essex is one of the most fascinating counties in England. After a sell-out storytelling tour around Essex, a film, and a book of Essex stories on the way, James is dedicated to showing how the old stories of Essex are more relevant than ever today. 

This event was delivered by the Council for British Archaeology on 20th May 2026. The event was part of the CBA's This Is Archaeology free, monthly online lecture series during the Out and About Archaeology mini-festival.