The county of ESSEX has been in existence for some 400,000 years and is home to a number of towns and villages including Basildon, Braintree, Billericay, Brentwood, Chelmsford and Southend-on-sea. Whether you want to explore the vast countryside or discover the sea, the county of Essex has something to offer everyone. Essex is renowned for being the driest seaside county in England UK.

County Information:

Essex is home to the seaside resorts of Davencourt, Frinton, Walton, Clacton-on-sea, St.Osyth, and Southend.

The largest of the seaside resorts being Southend, boasting a large sandy beach, a splendid pier and various amusements.
Essex has a rich and varied landscape comprising of valleys, rivers and estuaries. The forests of Epping and Hainault that once covered much of Essex are wonderful places to explore and discover the beauty of nature.

Essex is easily accessible by all major road, rail and coach networks. Four railway networks serve Essex working from London. London-Norwich main line from Liverpool Street.
London-Southend lines from Fenchurch Street.
London-Cambridge main line from Liverpool Street and London-Epping Tube Line. - Central Line.
Roads give top-class access to the county.

Six main roads cut across Essex:

The M25 London Orbital Motorway from Kent to Hertfordshire via Thurrock and Brentwood.

The M25 links into the A13, the A127, the A12 and the M11 London to Cambridge.

The A12 from London to Ipswich. The A127 from London to Southend, and finally the A13 from London to Rayleigh

This rich, fertile landscape is crossed by river valleys, creeks and estuaries with a scattering of villages and towns. The gentle landscape has provided the inspiration for many famous artists, including the celebrated landscape painter John Constable. Many of the churches, lanes, meadows, mills and farms which appear in his paintings of the Stour Valley can still be seen today. Characteristic of the undeveloped coastline are the creeks and estuaries, and the large low-lying islands which lie near their mouths.

The larger islands of Mersea, Foulness and Canvey are inhabited but still retain a separate identity. They are of particular value as wildlife habitats. The great forests which once covered much of Essex were preserved by successive kings as royal hunting grounds. Significant areas still survive in the Forests of Epping, Hatfield and Hainault. Smaller areas of woodland and coppice add variety and once provided timber for domestic and church buildings. Today there are many ways to enjoy country life. There are country parks, woods, nature reserves and open farms to visit.

Essex has an interlinking network of long distance footpaths such as the Essex Way, Three Forests Way, Harcamlow Way and St Peters Way. It is possible to walk by fieldpaths across the county from the outskirts of London to the sea at Harwich or Bradwell-on-Sea, or to the historic city of Cambridge.
In addition there are some 3,000 miles of footpaths and 400 miles of green lanes waiting to be explored.
It is possible to get into the heart of the countryside by staying in a farmhouse or country cottage belonging to the Essex Farm and Country Accommodation Group. The village inn is a focus of country life: a welcoming log fire in winter, relaxing outside in the garden or watching cricket on the green in the warmer weather. The Victorian Ridleys Brewery at Felsted is famous for its real ale.

The many villages of Essex are too numerous to describe. Here is just a sample.

Great Bardfield has been variously labelled the Montmartre or Chelsea of Essex since it was the home of several well known artists, among them Edward Bawden, examples of whose work can be seen at the Bardfield Centre.
The village has many attractive pargetted (decorative plaster work) houses, a green and church with a rare 14th century carved stone screen. Visit the tiny Cottage Museum with its fascinating collection of rural bygones.

Dovercourt, Frinton and Walton, Clacton-on-Sea, St. Osyth and Brightlingsea are known collectively as the `Essex Sunshine Coast'.

Clacton-on-Sea, the `capital' of the Sunshine Coast, has a long sandy beach, safe sea bathing, water sports, a pier with amusements and a splendid lido. Away from the seafront there are beautiful gardens, bowling greens, two theatres, golf course and a Sports and Leisure Centre.
Clacton Common, a major factory outlet shopping village will open in the autumn of 1998. Frinton Frinton-on-Sea's tree-lined residential avenues sweep down to the Esplanade and extensive cliff-top greensward. With a reputation as an exclusive resort it retains an atmosphere of the 1920s and 30s.

Frinton Frinton-on-Sea's Walton-on-the-Naze is a family resort: clean sandy beaches, a pier, nature trails and grassy play areas, quaint winding streets with shops selling fascinating seaside specialities.

Dovercourt is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Today it is a holiday resort offering safe bathing beaches, park, boating lake and sports facilities. Seafront hotels offer superb views across the water where you can watch the Harwich ships come and go. St. Osyth lies to the north-west of Clacton-on-Sea. On the edge of the village is St. Osyth's Priory, the remains of an abbey founded in the 11th. Nearby at St. Osyth Beach and Point Clear there are extensive holiday caravan and chalet parks with bathing beaches and water sports facilities. Brightlingsea, at the mouth of the Colne Estuary, is a fishing and yachting centre. The 13th century Jacobes Hall is one of the oldest occupied buildings in Essex.

Superb walks along the banks of Brightlingsea Creek and the River Colne offer a chance to study bird-life on the saltings or just watch the boats. Southend-on-Sea the largest resort in the area. Chelmsford, county town of Essex, was the birthplace of the 'second industrial revolution' - that of radio communication. In 1899 Guglielmo Marconi opened the world's first radio factory in the town and established a radio link between Britain and France. Two years later a link with the USA was achieved. Another famous local firm, Crompton's, was one of the first of the world's electrical engineering companies. In 1888 it installed electric street lighting, making Chelmsford the first in Britain to have such 'leading edge' technology. However, the town's Council decided to revert to gas lighting because it was cheaper!

English Electric Valve, another important local employer, was established in the town in 1941. It is famous for the production of electronic valves and tubes used in television cameras. Modern Chelmsford is a pleasant town with good leisure facilities and a wide range of shops in the pedestrianised town centre. The museum in Oakland's Park is a good place to learn about the town's history. Hylands House, on the outskirts of the town, is currently being restored but the park hosts a number of events including the popular V98 concert and the Chelmsford Spectacular. In May, the Cathedral Festival offers a week of classical music and 'fringe' entertainment. Two theatres provide a varied programme of plays and musicals. Harwich International Port is the main terminal for North Sea ferries. Just five minutes away is the port of Old Harwich which retains a strong flavour of its medieval sea-faring past. It has associations with many famous characters including Chrisopher Jones, Master of the 'Mayflower'.

The best way to appreciate Harwich is on foot through the narrow streets, many of which are now pedestrianised. Visit the Redoubt, built as a defence against Napoleon, the High and Low Lighthouses, the Tread- wheel Crane, the Electric Palace Cinema built in 1911, the Guildhall and the church. From the Quay you can watch ferries and cruise liners in the estuary.

Wivenhoe is a riverside town, downstream from Colchester, once the haunt of smugglers. The quayside is very attractive, with boat building having replaced fishing as the main local industry. Nearby, the University of Essex stands in Wivenhoe Park. Manningtree and Mistley adjoin at the head of the Stour Estuary. From the waterfront, noted for its swans, there are lovely views. The swan fountain at Mistley represents one surviving example of local landowner Richard Rigby's attempt to develop the town as a fashionable Spa.

Manningtree is a small market town and sailing centre with some fine Georgian buildings, historic pubs and restaurants. Maldon, an attractive town and port at the head of the Blackwater estuary, dates back to the 10th century. It is an important yachting centre, famous for its unique crystal salt and the majestic Thames Sailing Barges which tie up at the Quay. The town has many interesting old buildings, including the 15th century Moot Hall, riverside walks and an arts centre.

The new Maeldune Centre houses the unique Maldon embroidery which portrays 1000 years of the town's history. Wivenhoe Matthew Hopkins, the notorious Witch Finder General, struck terror into the local community during the 17th century. His victims were hanged on Manningtree's tiny village green. Thurrock, strategically located on the River Thames, has long been an important site for the defence of London and more recently, as a port. It was here at Tilbury that Queen Elizabeth I addressed her troops as they prepared to face the Spanish Armada in 1588. The docks have developed since the 1880's and the port now includes the London International Cruise Terminal.