Essex

Understand

Contrary to popular belief and stereotypes, Essex is not actually an urban wasteland. Most of the county is rural, and has some very beautiful scenery that is not widely known to outsiders. Saffron Walden, in the north-west of the county, epitomises this defiance of the classic Essex stereotype, as do many of the smaller towns and villages. Essex is bordered by Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the south via the Thames Estuary and Greater London to the south west. Many Essex residents especially in the southwest of the county work and commute in London. Most say it's like their second home. But do not tell people from Essex they're Londoners despite some southwestern parts being inside the M25 circle.

Official Tourist Site

Getting there

By plane

London Stansted Airport 1 London Stansted Airport (STN IATA) is near Stansted Mountfitchet and Great Dunmow. It is a major international airport with flights from destinations throughout the UK, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Stansted is a major hub for Ryanair. The airport lies next to the dual-carriageway between Bishop's Stortford, Great Dunmow, Braintree and Colchester. It also lies next to the motorway Junction between London, Harlow and Cambridge. Car parks are signposted. Stansted Airport railway station lies beneath the terminal building. Stansted Express fast trains call at Bishop's Stortford (change for Greater Anglia stopping services in Essex), Harlow Town, Tottenham Hale and London Liverpool Street (change for Greater Anglia services into Brentwood, Chelmsford and Southend). Greater Anglia trains call at Audley End within Essex, and continue towards Cambridge and Norwich. CrossCountry trains also serve Stansted Airport, bound for Cambridge, Peterborough, Leicester and Birmingham New Street. Stansted Airport coach station lies next to the terminal building. Routes to destinations in Essex includeː

Airlink X10 to Chelmsford, Wickford and Basildon Airlink X20 to Great Dunmow, Braintree, Coggeshall and Colchester Airlink X30 to Great Dunmow, Chelmsford, Rayleigh, Southend Airport and Southend Arriva 133 to Takeley, Great Dunmow, Felsted and Braintree Central Connect 305 to Takeley, Hatfield Broad Oak and Hatfield Heath (onward to Bishop's Stortford) Stephensons 316 to Thaxted and Saffron Walden Arriva 508/509 to Harlow (via Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth) Arriva 510 to Stansted Mountfitchet and Harlow (via Bishop's Stortford and Sawbridgeworth) National Express 717 to Colchester (onward to Ipswich)

London Southend Airport 2 London Southend Airport (SEN IATA) is near Southend-on-Sea, with a small number of routes from destinations in Europe and North Africa. It lies close to the Prince Avenue, which is a direct connec

Getting around

By train Essex's three cities and many of its towns and villages lie on the National Rail network. Some towns lie on the London Underground network. It is not easy to travel east-west across Essex by train. Some journeys require a change at London Liverpool Street or London Stratford, and it may be quicker to travel across the county by bus or car.

National Rail Greater Anglia operates several routes in West Essex, out of London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, calling atː Waltham Cross (Hertfordshire), Cheshunt (Hertfordshire), Broxbourne (Hertfordshire), Roydon, Harlow Town, Harlow Mill, Sawbridgeworth (Hertfordshire), Bishop's Stortford (Hertfordshire), Stansted Mountfitchet, Stansted Airport, Elsenham, Newport, Audley End for Saffron Walden, and Great Chesterford. Stansted Express trains call at Harlow Town, Bishop's Stortford (Hertfordshire) and Stansted Airport. Greater Anglia operates several routes throughout southern and eastern Essex, out of London Liverpool Street, calling atː Brentwood, Shenfield, Billericay, Wickford, Rayleigh, Hockley, Rochford, Southend Airport, Prittlewell, Southend Victoria, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Hatfield Peverel, Witham, White Notley, Cressing, Braintree Freeport, Braintree, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, Colchester, Colchester Town, Hythe, Wivenhoe, Alresford, Great Bentley, Weeley, Thorpe-le-Soken, Clacton-on-Sea, and Manningtree. Some journeys may require a change at Shenfield, Witham or Colchester. Several stations lie on branch lines between Wickford and Southminster (Battlesbridge, South Woodham Ferrers, North Fambridge, Althorne, and Burnham-on-Crouch), Marks Tey and Sudbury in Suffolk (Chappel and Wakes Colne, and Bures), and Manningtree and Harwich Town (Mistley, Wrabness, Harwich International, and Dovercourt). C2c operates several routes in southern Essex, out of London Fenchurch Street, calling atː Purfleet, Ockendon, Chafford Hundred for Lakeside Shopping Centre, Grays, Tilbury Town, East Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope, West

See

Seals with orange fake sun-tans: this is the mark of any seal that dwells in Hamford Water near Frinton-on-Sea: the estuary mud contains iron oxides which stain the pelt. When these seals show up on beaches miles away, they stand out from the rest and are mocked as "Essex Girls".

Do

Buy something unique from an independent shop. Most towns and cities in Essex have independent stalls, stores and boutiques selling their own collections of food, drink, clothes, books and records. Saffron Walden has had a market since 1141, held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Its historical streets are lined with thriving independent shops, from bikes and books to furniture and vinyl. Braintree, Brentwood, Colchester, Great Dunmow, Maldon and Thaxted are also popular with shoppers looking for one-off finds. Some towns and villages host Easter, May Fayre and Christmas shopping events. Shop big brands at one of Essex's major retail destinations. Lakeside (RM20 2ZP) is one of Essex's best known shopping centres, just off the M25 in Thurrock. Find big brands including Waterstones, West Ham United, Game, Hamleys, M&S and more across three floors, The Boardwalk and The Quay. Braintree Village (CM77 8YH), sometimes known by its former "Freeport" name, is an outdoor outlet shopping village, just off the A120 between Stansted Airport and Colchester. Brands sell in-season and discounted clothes, shoes, homeware and food, including Adidas, Levi's, M&S Outlet and Le Creuset. Several town and city centres also host big brands, including: Basildon (Eastgate, SS14 1AG), Chelmsford (High Chelmer, CM1 1XB), Colchester (Lion Walk, CO1 1LX), Harlow (Harvey Centre, CM20 1XR and Water Gardens, CM20 1AN) and Southend (The Victoria, SS2 5SP and The Royals, SS1 1DG). View an inspiring landscape documented in art or music. Thaxted inspired Gustav Holst to compose his melody named after the town, central to the "Jupiter" movement in his The Planets, and later adapted to fit Sir Cecil Spring Rice's poem "I Vow to Thee, My Country". John Constable's famous The Hay Wain (1821), now on display at London's National Gallery, depicts a horse pulling a hay wain in the cool River Stour, which separates Essex from Suffolk