Essex
"Oh yeah, I'm an Essex boy and proud of it" Ross Kemp
Despite being very close to London, the county of Essex maintains a bucolic atmosphere that reigns above all in the pretty hilltop villages. Take advantage of your trip to Essex to explore parks and nature reserves, alternating with historic towns and seaside resorts.
Stop off at the historic Colchester, which is said to be the oldest city in Britain. Among the oldest monuments in the city, Colchester Castle and the large Roman walls are not to be missed. Among the most modern, the award-winning Colchester Zoo, the splendid Beth Chatto Gardens and the Firstsite modern art gallery are worth a visit.
Places to Stay:
Activities
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Ingatestone Hall, Essex, England
This 16th-century Tudor manor house was built by Sir William Petre, whose descendants still live there, 15 generations later.
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Layer Marney Tower, Essex, England
This terracotta Tudor tower was built in the 1520s for Lord Henry Marney. It’s now owned by Gerald and Susan Charrington.
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Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum, Colchester
Marks Hall Estate is a lovely heritage landscape that extends to more than 2,200 acres of Essex countryside. It includes tenanted farm holdings, residential and commercial property, broadleaved woodlands of high nature conservation value, an 18th century Coach House event venue and at its heart an arboretum; a handsome collection of trees.
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RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Chelmsford
It is one of five public gardens run by the Society, alongside Wisley in Surrey, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, Rosemoor in Devon, and Bridgewater in Greater Manchester.Read more
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The Beth Chatto Gardens, Colchester
The Beth Chatto Gardens was established in 1960. From an overgrown wasteland with poor gravel soil and boggy hollows, it has been transformed into an informal garden harmonising with the surrounding East Anglian countryside.
