Essex
   
  INTRODUCTION

Sandwiched between East Anglia (Norfolk & Suffolk) and London is the county of Essex. The coast is a mysterious edge of England and one could imagine smugglers still hiding in the creeks and inlets. The river estuary towns are centres of maritime heritage and yachting, and the quay at Maldon is home to several Thames sailing barges. The 'secret waters' of Arthur Ransome's stories were here in the backwaters, while the flat saltmarshes and mudflats are a precious habitat for wildlife.

Bordering Suffolk, the landscape and wide skies of the Stour valley are well known from the paintings of John Constable. Perhaps the pastel washed cottages and houses of Dedham, and indeed anywhere else in East Anglia, might inspire you to paint! A short distance south is the major town of Colchester with its Norman castle built on the base of the Roman temple to Claudius set in magnificent gardens.

Inland one can find the saffron crocus in Saffron Walden, an ancient town with many timber framed buildings and reputedly the biggest church in Essex. Thaxted boasts that Gustav Holst wrote the Planet Suite here, and he was the organist at the church whose tall spire soars above the town. It also has a windmill and an unusually wedge-shaped Guildhall. Dick Turpin was once a butcher here until, because of debt, he turned to cattle stealing and eventually became the most notorious highwayman on the busy coaching routes from London to Norwich and Cambridge.
   
 

 SEVEN WONDERS

  • Braintree Silk Museum
  • Fressingfield
  • Dedham - Munnings
  • Flatford Mill
  • Audley End
  • Finchingfield Village
  • Thaxted
 
 

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Colchester was the Roman capital of England.
  • Southend Pier is the longest in the world.
  • The nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty" reputedly originates from Colchester.
  • The nursery rhyme "Twinkle twinkle little star" was written by two sisters living in Colchester.
    
 

WHAT'S YOUR HOBBY?

  • Golf.
  • Sailing (dinghy, yacht, motorboat, rivers, tidal creeks, sea).
  • Fishing (rivers, beach, and sea).
  • Walking.
  • Photograph/Painting/drawing - Stour Valley to emulate Constable and Gainsborough.
  • Bird-watching.
   
  PHOTO LINKS

Colchester castle.
Castle gardens.
Fressingfield.
Dedham.
Essex Photo Gallery.
   
 

USEFUL WEBLINKS

www.essexcc.gov.uk
www.visitbritain.com
   
 

 SAMPLE ITINERARIES

  • Essex picturesque village tour.
  • Countryside treasures tour.
  • Essex coast & countryside tour.
  • Tendring peninsula.
  • Finchingfield, Braintree & Thaxted.
   
   Why not plan your visit to coincide with any of the events that take place East Anglia throughout the year? We can make all the arrangements for you.
   
 

 All our tours are tailor made to meet our customers' exact requirements.
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For a competitive quotation please email us



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