Essex Visitor Travel Guide Page

We have compiled a travel and holiday information guide to help with your holiday stay in Essex.

About Essex

Essex is situated in the east of England and is listed as one of the 'home counties'. Despite having a reputation of being a large urban area due to its close distance to London, it actually enjoys an expansive rural area with some beautiful sights and sounds. This is mainly thanks to the Metropolitan Green Belt. Stansted Airport allows Essex to be accessible to the world whilst the Lakeside Shopping Centre gives residents the chance to experience world class shopping facilities without having to travel into London. The county town is Chelmsford which plays home to some international cricket and there are a high number of fascinating buildings to discover such as Hedingham Castle, the church of St Peter-on-the-wall and Audley End House. These are just a few of the 1,000 plus Grade I or Grade II listed buildings within the county of Essex. It is also a county that has a coastline with some of Britain's best loved seaside resorts. Clacton-on-Sea and Southend are family favourites from years gone by and remain popular to this day for both locals and tourists.

Attractions & Heritage Sites within Essex

1. Highwoods Country Park - Visitors Centre, Turner Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5JR Three hundred and seventy acres of beautiful landscaped parkland that includes picturesque woods, wetland, and grassland. The park offers visitors wonderful walks and pathways to enjoy. There is a visitor's centre, gift shop, indoor and outdoor seating, children's play area, exhibits and events. 2. Colchester Zoo - Stanway, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0SL One of the most popular and picturesque zoos in all of Europe with over two hundred and sixty different species to see, among these are leopards, orangutans, ostriches, sea lions and Komodo dragons. 3. Colchester Castle - Castle Park, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1TJ This Norman castle has the largest keep of any castle in England. The castle was built upon Claudius Roman temple. Since the Castles creation it has served a variety of purposes from a royal palace to a county prison. See Full List of Attractions in Essex See Full List of History and Heritage Sites in Essex

Towns and Villages in Essex

Essex has some lovely towns and villages to explore, below is a list with a short summary and link to more information about it and pictures. Barking - lies on the banks of the confluence of the River Thames and Roding River... More... Basildon - was little more than a village surrounding Holy Cross Church... More... Billericay - today is home to more than 40,000 residents... More... Braintree - is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1085 as Branchetreu a settlement of just 30 acres... More... Brentwood - hosts a large variety of activities and attractions for the visitor... More... Canvey Island - is internationally famous for its serene coastline... More... Chelmsford - since the time of Roman occupation has been a thoroughfare to Colchester and London... More... Chigwell - is quite often frequented by day trippers from the city and first time travellers alike... More... Clacton-on-Sea - Pier is probably the town's primary holiday attraction to this very day... More... Colchester - is without a doubt the most well travelled and most ancient city in Essex... More... Dagenham - visitors may be surprised to discover so many listed buildings in town... More... Epping - lies on the western edge of the well-known Epping Forest... More... Frinton-on-Sea - is one of the most desired destinations on the coast of Essex... More... Grays - boasts prime retail shopping with Lakeside Shopping Centre... More... Harlow - was not officially established until after World War II... More... Harwich - is steeped in maritime history... More... Hornchurch - once was nothing more than a parish town like any other in Essex... More... Ilford - restaurants run the full gambit of culinary tastes... More... Leigh-on-Sea - remains one of the top seaside destinations in Essex... More... Loughton - was considered the playground for the wealthy, who regularly escaped into the country from London... More... Ongar - received a charter to hold weekly markets sometime during the twelfth century... More... Romford - is an industrious small town northeast of London... More... Southend-on-Sea - is a lively seaside resort town with the longest pleasure pier in the world... More... Stansted - is probably best known for its airport but the village also boasts an interesting history... More... Tilbury - is ancient port town that lies beside the banks of the River Thames in Essex... More... Upminster - at one time contained four windmills for grinding grain... More... Waltham Abbey - is an old market town that lies along the western border of Essex... More... Westcliff-on-Sea - is considered a suburb of the energetic seaside resort town of Southend-on-Sea... More... Witham - population grew significantly during the 1960s as new housing developments emerged... More... Woodford Green - continues attracting those seeking the serene atmosphere of the countryside... More...

Useful Contact Information for Essex

Braintree Tourist Information Centre Market Place, Braintree, Essex, CM7 6YG Tel No: 01376 550066 Brentwood Tourist Information Centre High Street, Brentwood, Essex, CM14 4AJ Tel No: 01277 200300 Chelmsford Travel and Visitor Information Centre Duke Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1HT Tel No: 01245 283400 Clacton-on-Sea Tourist Information Centre Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex CO15 1SE Tel No: 01255 686633 Colchester Visitor Information Centre Queen Street, Colchester, CO1 2PG Tel No: 01206 282920 Harwich Tourist Information Centre Iconfield Park, Parkeston, Harwich, CO12 4EN Tel No: 01255 506139 Maldon Tourist Information Centre High Street, Maldon, Essex, CM9 5AD Tel No: 01621 856503 Saffron Walden Tourist Information Centre Market Place, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1HR Tel No: 01799 524002 Southend-on-Sea Visitor Information Centre Southend Pier, Western Esplanade, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1EE Tel No: 01702 215120 Waltham Abbey Tourist Information Centre Highbridge Street, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1DG Tel No: 01992 652295 Witham Information Centre Newland Street, Witham, Essex, CM8 2FE Tel No: 01376 502674

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