Things to do in Essex

This was especially fun riding the hills and river valleys, rivers, creeks and reservoirs teeming with wildlife, which surround the Essex countryside, and all of a sudden, the whole area opens up to magnificent blue skies. This is the same area captured in paintings by Constable and Gainsborough if you remember.

As you tour this area, you'll see timbered houses, moats around manors, and fine church towers that enrich towns and villages which prospered from wool and weaving way back in medieval times.

Colchester in the north east of the county and is Britain's oldest recorded town, dating back to before the Roman conquest, when it was known as Camulodunum, and was sufficiently well-developed to have its own mint.

Subsequently the Kingdom of Essex was subsumed into the Kingdom of England and Essex eventually became a county. Interestngly, the name Essex came from the Anglo-Saxon period in the Middle Ages, its roots came from the East Saxons can you believe.

The village of Finchingfield, as well as the town of Epping are well worth visiting. I should mention, the name "Epping Forest" was first recorded in the 17th century and just prior to this it was known as Waltham Forest. This name is now used as the present-day London Borough of Waltham Forest in north east London.

Essex is located to the northeast of Greater London, and borders with Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, and Kent to the South, just south of the river Thames Estuary.

Essex runs a gamut of settlements from the clone-like conurbations near London such as Romford, Leyton, Walthamstow and Ilford (but also Epping and 13th-century Waltham Abbey) to the most romantic thatched and half-timbered villages deep in landscape that is often very beautiful and varied.

To find the real Essex you will need to get away from main roads and into the countryside proper, not far off, yet a world away from the hurry of the high road. So, the real Essex could be in the coastal resorts or in the London sprawl, but is more likely to be tucked in between the two.

Colchester is an old and fascinating town set high on a ridge. It was a port and important city under the Romans and preserves many traces of those days from an entrance gate to bits of a theatre which can be glimpsed just by the Norman castle.

This was an army headquarters and the strength of the two can be gauged from the vast Roman foundations of a temple and the fort where Boadicea herded the luckless Roman residents at the height of her success.

This city has crooked lanes lined with old buildings and rows of pleasant Georgian houses mounting up to the town centre, while a number of earlier cottages are grouped above the old walls. You get a fine view from these over to the abbey porch of St. John whose abbot refused to give up his church and was beheaded at the entry.

Along the coast of Essex, the resorts include Southend-on-Sea and Leigh-on-Sea with its cockle boats, Clacton-on-Sea and Frinton close by on the coast. In the northwest of the county is Braintree with its frescoed town hall, and also attractive Dunmow, once famous for crocus flower flavouring and dyes, and later for hollyhocks and I've heard, even an ealing comedy.

Thaxted has a handsome church beside an ancient wooden guildhall, while Halstead on the Colne has a Queen Anne house where Alexander Pope visited. West of here is a cluster of splendid typical villages, including Finchingfield, Great Sampford, Great Bardfield and Wethersfield.

Chelmsford:
Chelmsford is the county town. It's railway viaduct is a true monument to Victorian daring and engineering genius. It took over 10 million bricks to build.

Barking:
This town is east and is in the southern part of Essex. The 7th-century description of Barking describes the town as having fishermen whose boats, called smacks, lie at the mouth of a creek and then take fish up to Billingsgate in London.

Castle Hedingham:
This is a pretty village with an ancient inn, the Bell. The village itself is dominated by toweringNorman keep of Hedington Castle. The castle was built around 1140 by the De Vere family who lived here for 500 years or more. There's a well preserved banqueting hall and minstrels gallery worth taking time to review.

Colchester:
Colchester is an ancient town on the site of a Roman City, founded in AD 50. The museum here is a must-see and you should include the fine zoo while here. Check out the massive Norman castle keep which was built in 1076 on the base of the Roman Temple of Claudius which houses a collection of Roman antiquities. Also here is the impressive ruins of St. Botoph's Priory. Look for oysters to eat in this town while you're here too!

Maldon:
Maldon is a small town rich with centures of British history. Maldon makes sea salt from its flats. The oysters from around here were famous and first consumed by the Romans, The Roman historian and scientist, Pliny, records that the shellfish were one of the few good things about cold and clouded Britain!

Saffron Walden:
The saffron crocus gave this town its name and its fortune until the 1700s; 30,000 flowers made one pound of spice for dye, medicine, perfume and flavouring. A pattern of medieval streets and merchant houses reflect this old wealth. Unspoilt town dominated by 193 ft. spire of Essex's largest church. Saffron crocus brought prosperity for 400 years; grown for yellow dye used to colour cloth and cakes. Tangle of 15th and 16th century timber-framed buildings, decorated with elaborate plaster-work known as 'pargeting'.

Audley End:
This historic Village is mainly Georgian, with Jacobean almshouses. The House at number 1603 is worth seeing, it was built for 1st Earl of Suffolk. It has a grand entrance hall and with a fashionable staircase of its time. You will notice most of the fine decorative work was done by Adam; elegant 18th century furniture. The whole family will enjoy a day trip just exploring the classical grounds.

Stansted Mountfitchet:
This town is Commonly known as Stansted, home to Stanstead, London's third airport and a magificent wildlife park. It's a busy town where a Norman family built Motte-and-Bailey castle.

The town was destroyed by King John, now recreated with a giant catapult, thatched falconry and a white-washed Grand Hall. There's a row of well preserved 16th century houses too.Also, you should visit the restored tower windmill built in 1787 at the top of Chapel Hill.

Tilbury:
The docks, opened in the 1880s, and are the largest in the country and now handle timber, grain and general cargo bound for Britain.

Braintree:
This historic town has a lively market which gained its wealth from wool and textiles. The story about this is told in the Town Hall's Heritage Centre. There are ancient houses in every street in this town, and a striking courtyard in the partly medieval Swan Hotel.

Finchingfield:
Finchingfield is a photgrapher's delight. The village has groupngs of medieval cottages and Georgian houses all grouped together in a haphazed fashion in winding lanes and a magnificent village green. There is a Norman Church at the top of the hill that overlooks this very picturesque village.

The Rodings:
There are eight picturesque villages and hamlets worth visiting here in Essex. You can find these in the valley of the River Roding. You'll find interesting churches, moated halls and half timbered cottages mixed in with really nice pubs. These villages and hamlets have interesting name: White Roding, Margaret Roding, Leaden Roding, High Roding, Berners Roding, Beauchamp Roding, Aythorpe Roding and Abbess Roding.

Walton On The Naze:
Walton on the Naze was a childhood favourite of mine. I seem to remember this coastal resort as having a sand and pebble beach with an 800 foot pier. It's especially popular for fishing and the bird life and salt marshes behind this seaside town which add to this very interesting area.

Clacton On Sea:
Clacton on sea was a Victorian resort with long sandy beaches and an interesting pier with a wide range of entertainment, including a living ocean with sharks, rays, octopus,sealions and to top it off, a Lifeboat Station. The olsder building in this area include three Martello towers, built to ward off Napoleonic invasions.

Brightlingsea:
The medieval port of Brightlingsea on the Colne estuary, was once an associate member of the Cinque Ports and now it's a yachting centre. Medieval Jacobs Hall is here, but now it's a private house. There's a church with a 94 foot tower that contains tiled plaques in memory of local men who died at sea. Also in town is the headquarters of the Smack Preservation Society and fine old Essex fishing boats that race here each year in September.

Medieval cobbled street's and a 17th century treadmill crane on The Green. Restored 19th century fortress, Harwich fortification, was defence against invasion by Napoleon. This historic port and North Sea ferry terminal has the country's first purpose-built cinema (1911) and it's still flickering.

Chipping Ongar:
Chipping Ongar is home to the 1000 year old Saxon Greenstead Church with nave wall made of oak logs. You can actually see holes made in the logs to allow the lepors outside to hear the services. In town, there is a 50 foot mound that marks site of the 11th century castle. The towns historic main street is fronted by houses that date back to the 16th century.

Manningtree:
Manningtree is a very picturesque Georgian town which is famous for its swans and sailing barges, just up river from Harwich on the Essex coast. This town was once a busy port and the headquarters of Matthew Hopkins, the "Witch Finder General" who terrorised East Anglia in the 17th century.

Waltham Abbey:
The huge Waltham Abbey founded by King Harold is long gone and all that remains is the Church. The Norman nave and aisles and 14th century south chapel plus the 16th century west tower. Inside the chapel is a plain slab said to mark the tomb of King Harold.

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