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ON-LINE GUIDE TO ESSEX
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This brief guide provides
summary information on towns, villages and places to visit
in Essex as well as some interesting
facts and anecdotes on the local area. To find a specific
place either scroll down the page or use the find
facility on your browser. Much more information can be
found in our
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Bordering the north bank of the River Thames, southern Essex has long been a gateway
to London, and while it contains much heavy industry, it also encompasses some
very important marshland wildlife habitats.
History, too, abounds in this part of the county -
Henry VIII built the riverside Block Houses at East
and West Tilbury, which later became Coalhouse and Tilbury Forts. Southend-on-Sea is one of
the country's best-loved venues for a family
holiday or a day trip from London, and there are numerous nature reserves, the ancient
royal hunting ground of Epping Forest and the yachting centre at Burnham-on-Crouch.
Maldon remains famous for its traditionally produced
sea salt.
Although Chelmsford is the county town, Colchester, which was first established in the
7th century BC, has the greater character. The country's oldest recorded town was the capital
of Roman Britain until Queen Boudicca (Boadicea) burned the town to the ground. Other
ancient towns abound in the county including
Tiptree, home to the famous jam factory,
Coggeshall, which is well known for its lace, and
Saffron Walden which takes its named after the
Saffron crocus that was used to make dyestuffs.
Along
the east coast, dubbed the `Sunshine Holiday Coast', are the resorts of
Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze
that were all developed in the 19th century. Seafaring, fishing and shipbuilding were all
once the mainstays of many of the settlements
along this stretch of coast and Brightlingsea has
the distinction of being the only limb of the
Cinque Ports outside Kent and Sussex.
Chelmsford
Situated at the confluence of the Rivers Chelmer and Can, the
town was first settled by Romans, who built a fort and brought
Christianity to Essex. It was not until 1914 that the diocese of Chelmsford
was created, though Chelmsford Cathedral (formerly the
Parish Church of St Mary) dates from the 15th century and was built on
the site of a much earlier church. The Marconi Company set up
the world's first radio company in Chelmsford in 1899 and
exhibits from those early days of wireless can be seen at the
Chelmsford and Essex Museum. To the east of Chelmsford, and close to
the village of Danbury (thought to take its name from the Danes
who invaded this area in the Dark Ages), is Danbury Country
Park, a pleasant stretch of open countryside with woodland, a
lake and ornamental gardens.
At Highwood, three miles southwest of Chelmsford,
lies Hylands House that was built in 1728 and has been
painstakingly restored. The beautiful grounds that surround the house host
a varied programme of outdoor events throughout the year.
Around Chelmsford
Maldon
9 miles E of Chelmsford on the A414
Situated on the busy Blackwater estuary, Maldon's most
distinctive feature is undoubtedly the 15th
century Moot Hall, where an ambitious tapestry
commemorates the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Maldon. Just outside
the town lies the site of one of the most decisive battles of
England's early history when, in AD 991, the English leader, Byrthnoth,
was killed by the invading Danes after a fierce three-day conflict.
Following the defeat, the English king, Ethelred the Unready, was
obliged to pay an annual tribute to his conquerors but the Danes
soon tired of this arrangement and, overthrowing Ethelred, they
put Canute on the throne. Maldon's Millennium
Gardens were named in commemoration of the battle.
Sea salt has been produced here for generations, and
the history of this industry is one of the topics explored in the
Maldon District Museum. To the north, at
Langford, is the Museum of Power, an ex-waterworks
pumping station that houses engines, pumps and other interesting artefacts.
To the east of Maldon is Northey Island, a small island
in the Blackwater estuary with a large area of undisturbed salt marsh;
it can be reached by a causeway.
South Woodham Ferrers
9½ miles SE of Chelmsford on the B1012
Surrounded by the empty marshland of the Crouch
estuary, South Woodham Ferrers is a successful 20th century new
town that, surprisingly, boasts a traditional market
square overlooked by buildings
constructed in the old Essex style - with brick, tile and
weatherboard. To the northwest of the town, at Hyde Hall, is the
Royal Horticultural Society Garden, which includes a woodland
garden, large rose garden, ornamental ponds, herbaceous borders and
the national collections of malus and viburnum.
Burnham-on-Crouch
16½ miles SE of Chelmsford on the B1012
An attractive old village that is the county's main yachting centre.
On the town's bustling quay is the Burnham-on-Crouch
and District Museum featuring agricultural and maritime
exhibits relating to this ancient area of Essex.
Mangapps Farm Railway Museum on the edge of
town houses an extensive collection of railway relics, historic buildings
and one of the largest collections of signalling equipment. Train
rides are available when the museum is open.
To the northeast of Burnham, on the northern shore of
the Dengie Peninsula, lies Bradwell-on-Sea,
a village whose name is derived from the Saxon words
`brad pall' meaning `broad wall'. Here is
the site of Bradwell Bay Secret Airfield, which was used
during World War II by aircraft that were unable to return to their
original base. The village also has what could be the country's
oldest church. St Peter's-on-the-Wall, built by St Cedd in the 7th
century, was abandoned in the 14th century and forgotten for 600 years; it
has been restored and reconsecrated.
Southend-on-Sea
17 miles SE of Chelmsford on the A127
One of the country's best loved family resorts, Southend-on-Sea
has seven miles of beaches, endless amusements and the
longest pleasure pier in the world, served by its own electric railway.
The Central Museum and Planetarium is the
only planetarium in the southeast outside London and it also features
local history exhibits. Several museums and galleries provide ample
culture, and other attractions include the Sealife Centre
and the renowned Kursall entertainment
complex. One of the most important archaeological finds of recent
years is the burial chamber of a Saxon king, unearthed near the
railway line at Prittlewell on the western edge of Southend. The
chamber, dating from the early 7th century, is remarkably intact, and among
the treasures recovered are glass vessels, gilded wooden
drinking cups, gold foil crosses and solid gold buckles and brooches.
Canvey Island has two unusual museums, the
Dutch
Cottage Museum with many traditional Flemish features, and
the Castle Point Transport Museum, housed in a 1930s bus garage,
with a fascinating collection of historic and modern buses and coaches.
Stanford-le-Hope
15 miles S of Chelmsford on the A1014
Lying between the town and the Thames estuary are
Stanford Marshes, an ideal location for birdwatching and also the home
to various species of wildlife. Close by is Langdon Hills
Country Park, some 400 acres of ancient woodland and meadows that
is home to many rare trees and from where there are spectacular
views out over the Essex countryside.
Tilbury
19 miles SW of Chelmsford on the A1089
Chosen as the site for the Camp Royal in 1588 when the threat
of invasion by Spain was imminent, West Tilbury (northeast of
Tilbury) remains a quiet and hidden away backwater overlooking the
Thames estuary whereas its larger neighbour is a busy, industrial centre.
However, Tilbury Fort, the unusual 17th century building
with a double moat, acts as a reminder of the past and it stands on the
site of a military Block House built during the reign of Henry VIII.
Close by, at the town's power station, is the Tilbury Energy
and Environment Centre that includes a nature reserve.
Another fortification, Coalhouse Fort, was constructed as a primary
defence
against invasion of the Thames area and it is now home to
the Thameside Aviation Museum.
Despite the industry that lines the Thames estuary, the
area around Tilbury is also rural, and the Mardyke Valley, which runs
from Aveley to Orsett Fen, provides pleasant views and open spaces.
Brentwood
10½ miles SW of Chelmsford on the A1016
Attractions in this town on the old pilgrim and coaching routes to
and from London include a classically-styled modern cathedral,
a picturesque cottage museum and a top entertainment venue.
Just southeast of the town centre is Thorndon Country Park
and Hartswood, formerly a Royal deer park. To the northwest, at
South Weald, is the Weald Country
Park, a former estate which was partially landscaped in the
18th century and features a lake, woodland and an ancient deer
park. To the northeast of Brentwood and situated beside a Roman road
is Mountnessing Post Mill, a traditional weatherboarded
mill dating from 1807 that was restored to working order in the 1980s.
Waltham Abbey
Originally a Roman settlement and home to a hunting lodge
belonging to the early Saxon kings, the town grew up around this and
an Augustinian Abbey that was built in
1177 by Henry II. The Abbey's Crypt Centre explains the
history of both the town and the Abbey, which was once one of the
largest in the country and was the last to fall victim to the Dissolution
in 1540. The Greenwich Meridian runs through the town's
main thoroughfare, Sun Street, and is marked out on the pavement
and also through the Abbey Gardens.
Gunpowder production started here in the 17th century and by
the 19th century the Royal Gunpowder Mills employed
500 workers. The once secret buildings and the surrounding parkland
are now open to the public. The town's Dragonfly Sanctuary
is home to over half the native British
species of dragonfly and damselfly. West of
the town, the Lee Navigation Canal provides opportunities
for anglers, walkers and birdwatchers, and the Lee Valley Regional Park
is an important area of high biodiversity that sustains a
large range of wildlife and birds.
Around Waltham Abbey
Harlow
10 miles NE of Waltham Abbey on the A414
Though much of it is modern, Harlow has several sites of
historic interest. Harlow Museum occupies a Georgian manor
house set in picturesque gardens, while Harlow Study and
Visitors Centre is set in a medieval tithe barn and adjacent 13th
century church. At Chingford stands the Queen Elizabeth
Hunting Lodge, a timber-framed building first used by Henry VIII.
This unique Tudor survivor is situated in Epping
Forest, the magnificent and expansive tract of
ancient hornbeam coppice that offers miles of leafy walks and bridle
paths along with some rough grazing and the occasional distant view.
Chipping Ongar
8 miles SE of Harlow on the A414
In 1155, Richard de Lucy built a castle here, of which only
the mound and moat remain today. However, a contemporary
building, the Church of St Martin of Tours, still stands. It was here that
the explorer David Livingstone spent time as a pupil pastor
before
beginning his missionary work in Africa.
The town is surrounded by rural Essex and several
ancient villages, including Fyfield, home
to Fyfield Hall, the oldest inhabited timber-framed building in
England; Blackmore, a village that was almost totally destroyed by
the plague; and Greensted, which became the home of several of
the Tolpuddle martyrs after their sentences had been commuted.
To the south of Chipping Ongar, at Kelvedon
Hatch, a rural bungalow is the deceptively ordinary
exterior of the Kelvedon Secret Nuclear
Bunker, which was built in 1952 as a base from which the
Government and military commanders could run operations in the event of a
nuclear war; it is now open to the public. To the west of the town lies
North Weald Airfield Museum, which details the history of flying in
this area from 1916 to the present day.
Colchester
First established in the 7th century BC and England's oldest
recorded town, Colchester was an obvious target for the Romans, and
the Emperor Claudius took the surrender of 11 British kings here.
However, in AD 60 Queen Boudicca took revenge on
the invaders and burned the town to the ground before going on
to destroy London and St Albans. The walls, the oldest in the country,
still surround the ancient part of the town and
Balkerne Gate is the largest surviving Roman gateway
in
the country.
A thousand years later the Normans built Colchester
Castle on the foundations of the Roman temple of Claudius and it
boasts the largest Norman keep ever built in Europe. The Castle
Museum, housed in the keep, is now one of the most exciting
hands-on historical attractions in the country. Located in a fine Georgian
building, the Hollytrees Museum displays a fine collection of toys,
costumes, curios and antiquities from the last two centuries; the
Natural History Museum concerns itself with
the flora and fauna of Essex; and Tymperleys Clock
Museum in Queen Street is home to a magnificent collection of 18th
and 19th century Colchester-made clocks.
Colchester is famous for its Zoo and even more famous for
its oysters which are still cultivated on beds in the lower reaches of
the River Colne - a visit to the Oyster
Fisheries is a fascinating experience.
To the east of Colchester, at Elmstead
Market, are the Beth Chatto Gardens that
were designed and are still presided over by the famous gardener. Close
by is the Rolts Nursery Butterfly Farm.
Around Colchester
Manningtree
7 miles NE of Colchester on the B1352
Situated on the River Stour, this ancient market town was a
centre
of the cloth trade in Tudor times before becoming a port serving
the barges taking their wares to London. Manningtree is a
centre for sailing, and from The Walls there are unrivalled views of
the Stour estuary - a favourite subject of artists down the years.
Dedham
6 miles N of Colchester off the A14
This is Constable country, and the church at Dedham featured in
many of the artist's paintings. Here, too, are a fascinating Arts and
Crafts Centre; a Toy Museum; and Dedham Vale Family
Farm with a comprehensive collection of British farm animals. Another
artist associated with this area is Sir Alfred Munnings and, just
outside the village, his former home, Castle House, now contains the
Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum.
Harwich
16 miles NE of Colchester on the A120
This town has an important maritime history, the legacy
of which continues through to the present day. The
Elizabethan seafarers Hawkins, Frobisher and Drake sailed from
here, Christopher Jones, master of The
Mayflower, lived here and Samuel Pepys, the diarist, was an MP
for the town in the 1660s.
When the town's two lighthouses, built in 1818,
were aligned they indicated a safe shipping channel into
Harwich harbour. The High Lighthouse is now home to the
National Vintage Wireless and Television
Museum, while the Maritime Museum can be found in the
Low Lighthouse. Two other worthwhile museums in Harwich are
the Lifeboat Museum and the Ha'penny Pier Visitor
Centre on the Quay. Harwich's importance as a port in the 19th century
is confirmed by The Redoubt, a huge grey fort similar in style to
the Martello Towers, which has been opened as a museum.
Another interesting building is the Electric Palace
Cinema that dates from 1911 and is the oldest
purpose-built cinema in Britain.
Walton-on-the-Naze
16½ miles E of Colchester off the B1034
A traditional resort that is focused on its
Pier, which was first built in wood in 1830, and the
Marine Parade, which dates from the same period. The
Old Lifeboat House Museum houses an
interpretative museum of local history.
The wind-blown expanse of The Naze, to the north of
Walton, is constantly changing shape as it is eroded by the wind and the tide
but it remains a pleasant place for walking and for picnics. The
Naze Tower was originally built as a beacon in 1720 to warn seamen
off the West Rocks just offshore.
To the southwest lies the former fishing village of
Frinton-on-Sea that was developed as a select resort and which expanded
in the 1880s into the genteel family town of today.
Clacton-on-Sea
13 miles SE of Colchester on the A133
First settled by hunters in the Stone Age, Clacton is another
traditional family resort with a Victorian
Pier, long sandy south-facing beach and lovely gardens, including
the Clifftop Public Gardens. Close by are the ancient ruins of
St Osyth Priory that was founded by Augustinian Canons and
named after St Osytha, the martyred daughter of Frithenwald, the
first Christian King of the East Angles, who was himself beheaded by
the Danes in AD 653. In a Martello Tower at Point Clear is the
East Essex Aviation Museum that contains interesting displays
of wartime aviation, military and naval photographs, uniforms and
other memorabilia with local and USAAF connections. To the north
of Clacton is the Holland Haven Country
Park that is an ideal place for watching the marine birds
and other wildlife of this region.
Brightlingsea
7½ miles SE of Colchester on the B1029
As well as a long tradition of shipbuilding and
seafaring, Brightlingsea has the distinction of being the only limb of the
Cinque Ports outside Kent and Sussex. It is also home to one of the
oldest occupied buildings in Essex - the 13th century
Jacobes Hall - that was used as a meeting hall
during the reign of Henry III. There are numerous walks along Brightlingsea Creek and the River Colne which provide the opportunity to
watch the birdlife on the saltings. Across the water from
Brightlingsea, reached by a causeway, is
Mersea
Island, much of which is now a National Nature Reserve.
Tolleshunt D'Arcy
9½ miles SW of Colchester on the B1026
The birthplace of Dodie Smith, the author of
101 Dalmatians, this modest village lies close to
the Maldon District Agricultural and Domestic
Museum at Goldhanger, featuring a large collection of vintage farm tools
and machinery as well as printing machinery and domestic artefacts.
Tiptree
8½ miles SW of Colchester on the B1022
This town is famous as being the home of the
Wilkin and Sons Jam Factory, a Victorian establishment that now boasts
a fascinating visitors' centre in the grounds of the original factory.
Just to the east lies Layer Marney where a mansion to rival
Hampton Court was planned but never completed. However, the
massive eight-storey Tudor gatehouse was finished in 1525,
and provides spectacular views out over the
estate's formal gardens and across the surrounding countryside.
Coggeshall
9½ miles W of Colchester on the A120
An ancient town whose prosperity was based on cloth and lace in
the Middle Ages. Its attractions include the delightful
half-timbered Paycockes House that dates
from around 1500 and features unusually rich panelling, wood carvings and
a display of Coggeshall lace. The National Trust also owns
the restored Coggeshall Grange Barn, which dates from
around 1140 and is the oldest surviving timber-framed barn in Europe.
To the south is the Feering and Kelvedon
Museum, which is dedicated to manorial history
and houses artefacts from the Roman settlement of Canonium; to
the west are the Cressing Temple Barns which were
commissioned in the 12th century by the Knights Templar and contain the timber
of over 1,000 oak trees.
Halstead
12 miles NW of Colchester on the A1124
Like Coggeshall and Braintree, Halstead was once an
important weaving centre. The picturesque Townsford
Mill is a reminder of the town's industrial heritage
and this three-storey mill beside the River Colne, once a landmark
site for the Courtauld empire. is now an antiques centre. Halstead's
most famous product was once life-sized, mechanical elephants
built by W Hunwicks; they could carry a load of eight adults and
four children at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour!
To the east, at Chappel, is the East Anglian Railway Museum, where a comprehensive
collection of period railway architecture, engineering and memorabilia can
be seen. Railway enthusiasts should also visit the
Colne Valley Railway and Museum at
Castle Hedingham, where a mile of the Colne Valley and Halstead line
has been restored to run steam trains. The village itself is dominated
by its Norman Castle that was, in the 11th century, one of the
country's strongest fortresses.
To the west of Halstead is the Gosfield Lake Leisure
Resort, the county's largest freshwater lake, which lies in the grounds
of Gosfield Hall, a Tudor mansion remodelled in the 19th century
by its then owner, Samuel Courtauld. In the village church
at Gestingthorp is a handsome memorial to Captain LEG
Oates, who died in an attempt to save the lives of his companions on
Scott's ill-fated Antarctic expedition in 1912.
Saffron Walden
This typical market town is named after the saffron crocus that
was ground in the area to make dyestuffs and fulfil a variety
of other uses in the Middle Ages. Saffron Walden
Museum contains a wide range of exhibitions
and displays, and among the many fascinating items are the
gloves worn by Mary, Queen of Scots on the day that she died; here, too,
are
the ruins of historic Walden Castle. On the Common, once
Castle Green, is the largest surviving Turf
Maze in England, believed to be some 800 years old. Once
the home of the 1st Earl of Suffolk and of Charles II, 17th
century Audley End House, with its two large courtyards, was a rival
in magnificence to Hampton Court. Though much of the house
was demolished as it fell into disrepair, it remains one of the
country's most impressive Jacobean mansions and its distinguished stone façade
is set off perfectly by Capability Brown's lake.
To the north of Saffron Walden is the village of
Hadstock whose parish Church of St
Botolph claims to have the oldest church door in England - it
is Saxon. The village of Hempstead was the birthplace in 1578
of William Harvey, the chief physician to Charles I and the discoverer
of the circulation of the blood, and in 1705 of the highwayman
Dick Turpin, whose parents kept the Bell Inn.
Around Saffron Walden
Thaxted
6 miles SE of Saffron Walden on the B184
Originally a Saxon settlement, this small and thriving country town
has numerous attractively pargeted and timber-framed houses along with
a magnificent Guildhall that dates from around 1390. Built as
a meeting place for cutlers, it later became an administrative
centre,
then part of a school. Built in 1804 by John Webb, the
town's famous Tower Windmill remained in use until 1907 and now
contains a rural life museum.
Finchingfield
10 miles SE of Saffron Walden on the B1053
A charming village of thatched cottages around a sloping
village green, this is one of the most photographed villages in Essex.
To the southwest lies the old market town of Great
Bardfield whose most notable feature is its
restored windmill that goes by the name of `Gibraltar'.
Braintree
16½ miles SE of Saffron Walden on the A131
Situated at the crossing of two Roman roads, Braintree and
its close neighbour Bocking were brought together by the
cloth industry when Flemish and then Huguenot weavers settled here.
One Huguenot, Samuel Courtauld, established a silk mill here in
1816 and the Working Silk Museum features demonstrations of
silk production on the original handlooms. The
town's magnificent former Town Hall is another legacy of the
Courtauld family, and the Braintree District
Museum tells the story of the town's diverse industrial
heritage and traditions.
To the southwest of Braintree can be found the
Great Leighs Great Maze, one of the most challenging in the world, while
to the northwest, at Great Saling, is the charming Saling Hall Garden.
Great Dunmow
12 miles SE of Saffron Walden on the A120
This town is famous for the `Flitch of Bacon', an ancient
ceremony that dates back to the early 12th century when a flitch, or side,
of bacon is awarded to the local man who "does not repent of
his marriage nor quarrel, differ or dispute with his wife within a
year and a day after marriage." In the parish church at
Broxted a window commemorating the captivity
and release of John McCarthy and the other Beirut hostages was
dedicated in 1993.
Stansted Mountfichet
9 miles SW of Saffron Walden on the B1383
Though close to Stansted Airport, this village is worth a visit as it
is home to a Norman Village, complete with domestic
animals and the reconstructed Mountfichet
Castle. Next to the castle is the House on the
Hill Toy Museum, reputedly the largest in the world, with over
80,000 items on display, and nearby is Stansted
Windmill, which dates from 1787 and is one of the
best-preserved tower mills in the country. To the north,
at Widdington, lies Mole Hall Wildlife
Park where visitors can see a range of wild and
domestic animals along with butterflies,
snakes and insects; the village is also home to
Prior's Hall Barn, a fine medieval `aisled' barn.
Between Stansted Mountfichet and Hatfield Broad Oak
lies Hatfield Forest, a former Royal hunting forest where many
features of a medieval forest can still be seen.
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