Rural escape in the real Essex
When you think of Essex, images of night life and colourful seaside resorts may spring to mind. However, there is a lot more to this rural county, which also offers green countryside and picturesque villages. Luke Dodd finds out more.
Groups visiting Essex may be pleasantly surprised when they discover the wealth of visitor attractions, historic houses and boat tour options, which are available. Along with historical connections to American presidents and to royalty, groups should also be interested to know that the county has a number of gardens created by famous landscape gardeners. With a history also rich in maritime and agricultural tradition, a visit to Essex offers a relaxing and educational trip away.
The heart of the county
In the middle of Essex, groups have a number of outdoor and indoor attractions to discover.
Starting in the town of Chelmsford, groups are offered plenty to see and do. If your group wishes to go shopping, visit the traffic-free High Street, which boasts stores such as Habitat and Monsoon as well as Moulsham Street and the West End, which offer specialist individual shops.
Many come for musical events such as the ‘V’ Music Festival, which attracts thousands every August to hear performers such as Oasis, Franz Ferdinand and the Scissor Sisters or the Chelmsford Cathedral Festival in May with its 10-day programme of music, drama and cultural events. Theatres, cinemas, restaurants, pubs and bars in the town also ensure that the nightlife is as lively as the daytime hours.
For a cultural visit on the outskirts of Chelmsford, take your groups to the Hylands Estate, which boasts 574 acres of parkland with Hylands House, a Grade II listed building, located in the middle. The parkland itself was designed by Humphrey Repton, an internationally significant landscape designer, and his work at the Estate includes the Pleasure Gardens, which extend over 15 acres and have recently been rejuvenated to include plantings of flowers found in Edwardian and Victorian times. The Stables Centre located next to the House has recently been restored and converted into a new Visitor Centre. Guided tours for groups are available upon pre-booking and groups also receive discounted entry to the Estate.
Moving eastwards to the seaside town of Maldon, groups may be interested to know that President George Washington’s great grandfather’s resting place is here within All Saints Church and there is a commemorative window dedicated to him.
Whilst travelling down the High Street, groups will notice that there is a wide mix of architectural styles and pastel coloured buildings, which make ideal viewing on a leisurely stroll.
Heading to the waterfront, which overlooks the Black Water Estuary, there are a number of things for groups to see and do.
For those with nautical interests, Topsail Charters, a sailing barge cruise operator, is located conveniently adjacent to the docks themselves. Groups of 10 or more can enjoy discounts on special day packages aboard a vessel, including the ‘Maldon & The Blackwater History Cruise’, which features local experts documenting Maldon’s history as a port, Thames barges themselves and the history of the River Thames. GTOs also have the option of hiring a private vessel for their group with a maximum of 60 passengers onboard.
Staying by the dockside, groups can also wander around Promenade Park, which dates back to Edwardian times and has recently undergone a redesign with added landscaped gardens, perfect for a group picnic. Also of interest here is the statue of Brythnoth, Earl of Essex, dating from the 10th century. It commemorates the Battle of Maldon in 991BC and overlooks the Black Water Estuary with the iron figure raising his sword aloft. Additionally, within the Park, the Maldon District Museum houses a host of temporary exhibitions associated with the area and people of Maldon. Admission is free, however, groups should pre-warn of a visit.
Just outside Maldon, in the village of Purleigh, groups can find the New Hall Vineyards, which are set over 92 acres. Groups of 16 or more can enjoy guided tours around the Vineyard with complimentary tasting of wine included.
Moving northwards, along the coastline, the village of Tiptree is famous for its production of jams and marmalades. This village is ideal for a meal stop as the Tiptree Tea Rooms are home to a gift shop, a museum documenting the area’s history of jam production and a restaurant, which offers cream teas and hot and cold dishes to pre-booked groups of up to 60. The Tiptree jam-producing factory is found next to the Tea Rooms; however it is not accessible to visitors. Additionally, Tiptree has some famous connections. In one of Ian Flemming’s James Bond novels, 007 states “I couldn’t have breakfast without Little Scarlet,” referring to a type of Tiptree jam and a scene for an episode of ITV’s ‘Midsomer Murders’ was filmed in the Tea Rooms.
Nearby, groups can visit Layer Marney Tower, a family-owned Tudor Gatehouse built around 1520, with views over the Blackwater Estuary. Groups can enjoy the surrounding garden, which boasts a number of flowers and scented plants including roses and myrtle. Inside the Gatehouse itself, groups can view various displays and portraiture and, located in the grounds, there is also a chapel, which can be visited upon pre-arrangement. Groups can also enjoy private catering facilities within the Long Gallery building and can enjoy private guided tours of the Gatehouse, which can be focused upon a specialist theme.
Moving northward, you will arrive in the town of Coggeshall. Its centre is made up of nearly 200 listed buildings, many of which are timber-framed dating as far back as the 14th century. Like many of the towns in the area, Coggeshall had a wool and cloth trade and then subsequently industries of silk and velvet weaving, tambour lace making and brewing. By 1900, the decline of these industries had left a relatively undisturbed town. The town is also well-known for ley lines, powerful beams of energy linked to the Earth’s magnetic field, which have attracted the investigations of ghost busters from across the country. Local people believe the stories are myths, but they certainly inspire the imagination.
Within the town, groups can visit the Coggeshall Grange Barn, a National Trust property, which dates from the 12th century and was constructed by the monks of the nearby Cistercian abbey. The Barn houses an exhibition on its history as well as a collection of farm wagons and carts. Guided tours for groups are available upon pre-arrangement.
Also in Coggeshall, groups can visit Paycockes House, which dates back to 1509. Within the House, groups can view various wood panellings and carvings as well as various decorative arts on display and enjoy a picturesque garden. This National Trust property also offers private guided tours to groups of 15 or more.
Located five minutes drive away, is Marks Hall, a 120-acre garden. Here, the 17th century Walled Gardens have recently been refurbished and groups can see newly designed sections, which include Mediterranean species of plants. Groups can also enjoy the Millennium Walk, which offers groups the chance to view flora found beside the lake including dogwood and rebus stems as well as miscanthus rustles and Himalayan birches. Groups of up to 70 can also enjoy catering options within the site’s Visitor Centre.
In nearby Cressing, groups with a historical interest will be interested in visiting the Cressing Temple Barns. The site was once home to the elite warrior monks, The Knights Templar, and was founded in 1119
to protect pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. Pre-booked groups of 15 or more receive a discount on admission.
The northern side of Essex
In the north of the county, groups can find several villages, towns and historical attractions to keep them entertained.
Beginning in Halstead, groups will find a traditional market town with a wealth of shops and restaurants. The town has prehistoric origins and was once a Roman settlement that included a villa complex. Wool and weaving provided the majority of business over the centuries and the surviving Townsford Mill, which straddles the River Colne, was built in 1788. The Mill now houses a large antiques centre. Within the Townsford Mill Antiques Centre, groups can find thousands of items of furniture, porcelain, collectables, glass and lace. Groups can enjoy group catering within the onsite restaurant Dickens.
Moving to Castle Hedingham, groups may be interested to know how, in the industrial age, straw weaving and hop growing became important to local employers and that Edward Bingham produced his highly collectable pottery from workshops in what is now Pottery Lane. Today, the winding lanes of this medieval village are lined with timber-framed buildings and elegant Georgian houses, where through small streets and squares, you will catch glimpses of Headingham Castle, which has seen visits from royalty including Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Groups will also be interested to know that the Norman Keep was built around 1140 by the De Vere family, who played a prominent part in the country’s history and fought in most of the important medieval battles including Crecy, Poitiers and Bosworth. It boasts a tudor bridge, a dovecote and an ornamental lake in its grounds and hosts a wide programme of events throughout the year including medieval festivals and jousting tournaments. Groups of 10 or more can enjoy discounts on admission and guided tours.
Just a short drive from here is the village of Finchingfield, which it has been stated, is the most photographed village in England due to its traditional thatched cottages and the Finchingfield Windmill, which groups can visit upon pre-booking and receive a guided tour. Groups can also visit the Finchingfield Guildhall and Heritage Centre whilst here and discover the history of the village and details on the lives of various artists who have visited including Lucien Pissarro. The village boasts a duck pond, a village green, a humpbacked bridge and a pub as well as Medieval Church, which can be visited upon pre-arrangement. Groups can also go bargain hunting in the Finchingfield Antiques Centre, which offers an ever changing selection of antiques and collectables presented by 45 dealers under one roof. Items featured range from 16th century period oak furniture to silver and jewellery.
Near Fichingfield, in Great Bardfield, groups can visit the Bardfield Vineyard. Once in the ownership of Anne of Cleves, the present vineyard was planted in 1990 and groups have the opportunity of having a guided tour of the vineyard and walled garden, which ends in a complimentary tasting. Group catering can also be arranged at the Vineyard.
Nearby, groups can visit the attractive historic town of Thaxted. Within the town, there are a number of timber-framed buildings decked out in pastel colours as well as a windmill. Here, groups can visit the Thaxted Guildhall, which was built in the 15th century and houses a permanent display of old photographs and objects relating
to the history of the town. Admission is free. Also worth a visit is the St. John the Baptist Church, which boasts a 180ft high steeple and is built in a Gothic style.
Moving west from Thaxted is Saffron Walden, so-called due to its production of Saffron between the 15th and 18th centuries for use as a medicine, dye and flavouring. The Saffron Walden Market was established in 1141 and is now held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. In the town, groups can visit St Mary’s Parish Church, the largest of its kind in Essex, which was built between 1470 and 1540. Admission is free.
Within the village is the Saffron Walden Museum, which was built in 1834 to house the collections of the Saffron Walden Natural History Society. In fact, it was one of the earliest purpose built museums in the country. It now contains a variety of collections and displays from Africa, the Americas, Australasia and the Pacific, as
well as decorative arts that include ceramics, glass, furniture, woodwork, costumes, needlework, dolls and toys. Admission is free.
Staying in Saffron Walden, for the plant lovers amongst your group, you can visit Bridge End Garden. The Garden was first laid out in 1840 and is divided into a number of enclosures, each with a different design including the Dutch Garden, which is set around a central fountain. There is also a fragrant Rose Garden, Sheltered Wall Garden, extensive lawns and a wilderness area. The gardens also feature a yew hedge maze, complete with viewing platform and are currently undergoing an extensive restoration programme aimed at preserving their uniqueness whilst at the same time enhancing the visitor’s enjoyment, and featured in the BBC programme ‘Hidden Gardens’.
There is also a Visitor Centre located in the heart of Saffron Walden, where you can pick up leaflets on all the surrounding local attractions as well as those further afield.
Just a mile outside Saffron Walden is Audley End House and Gardens, an English Heritage property, which boasts grounds and pastoral parkland designed by ‘Capability’ Brown. Inside the 17th century House, groups can view the State Apartments along with small and intimate dressing rooms and can also see an impressive collection of artwork by Holbein, Lely and Canaletto. Groups have the chance to wander around the 19th century parterre, which is home to numerous floral displays, and can also enjoy private historical and behind the scenes tours, as well as discounted entry.
In the village of Audley End, you can also enjoy a trip on the Audley End Miniature Railway, which, along with Audley End House, is owned by Lord Braybrooke. The 1.5 mile long railway travels through woodland adjacent to the House. Groups receive a discount on tickets.
Our thanks to Essex County Council and The Saffron Hotel in Saffron Walden for their hospitality to Luke Dodd during his visit to Essex.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Essex County Council, Essex Tourism
County Hall, Chelmsford CM1 1HQ
Telephone: +44 (0)1245 702453
Fax: +44 (0)1245 702451
Email: elli.constantatou@essexcc.gov.uk
Web: www.realessex.co.uk