Essex rediscovered: ghosts and falcons on a rural ride

A cycle through countryside, on the trail of a great nature writer and the elusive peregrine falcon, offers fresh insights into Essex's 'dark mystery' o Plus: 5 UK birdwatching safarisI have never been any good at spotting peregrines. I don't have the knack. I consistently fail to see them amid flocks of panicking waders on the estuary, so I don't fancy my chances as I pedal downhill from Danbury village on the outskirts of Chelmsford. The plan is to follow the same route that JA Baker took when he tracked the birds across the Essex countryside for his classic work of nature writing, The Peregrine (published in 1967 but on a current shortlist, along with The Wind in the Willows and Tarka the Otter, for the UK's best-loved nature book). Continue reading...