Thanks for the welcome.
Although essex is quite flat there are some lovely places to walk. For me north essex is my favourite and the essex /suffolk border in my opinion is stunning.If you look at a map i go anywhere from chelmsford up to ipswich and accross from manningtree over to saffron walden. The dedham vale is beautiful and is an AONB area, dedham,flatford,stoke by nayland and polstead are a few places which i go to frequently but you also have so much more around.loads of little hamlets and plenty of tiny little country pubs hidden away from most passing trade. bures,toppesfield,long melford, the belchamps are nice which are west of my area,then you have maningtree ,bradfield wix,shotley,chelmondiston all east.also around chelmsford and colchester themselves there are lovely places just 10 minutes out of the town centres themselves. i am from chelmsford but now live in witham and go to at least one of the above mentioned places every weekend walking. NICK,i am a member of hike essex and also the stour walking group,these cover both my areas and hike essex also do south essex, southend,romford and some of the outer london areas.
hope you find this info usefull, simon.