We plan to visit Waltham Abbey in May where my friend's forbearers hailed from, but is this the best place to stay while we see all the charms of Essex? We will not drive, so will use public transport. Perhaps a larger town is a better center? Looking for gardens and English beauty and history and not necessarily Harry Potter Land. Is there in fact an Essex Chamber of Commerce to contact?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Waltham Abbey is only just inside Essex and close to London. North Essex has some very pretty villages and Colchester claims to be Britains oldest town. Getting around by public transport maybe a bit of a challenge but Colchester could be a good base
I agree- to me, Waltham Abbey is almost more greater London. Transport around Essex can be a bit of a challenge. I also agree Colchester would probably have better transport links. Some nice places in Essex I would recommend:
-Saffron Walden and nearby Audley End House- nice market town and beautiful historic home with large grounds- they also host concerts in the summer
-Dedham Vale, which is on the border with Suffolk- great place for walking, and "Constable Country" where the painter John Constable lived and painted
-I haven't been yet, but the seaside towns around Walton-on-the-Naze, Frinton-on-Sea, etc are meant to be nice
-In the Southend area you have some nice beaches like Shoeburyness
-Close to Waltham Abbey you also have Epping Forest which a wonderful place for walks- this is technically London I believe- and there's also a heritage railway (Epping Ongar Railway)
I go to Essex 2-3 times a year, having family in the county. A large portion of Essex is on the border with Greater London.
Waltham Abbey is closer to London. For picturesque Essex market town Saffron Walden might work. It was voted as one of the best places to live recently. It has good links from London Liverpool Street Station with just a short taxi ride from Audley End station. (Audley End house is also wonderful with fabulous gardens). Cambridge would be a very short stop next on the main line, which would be a great place to visit. Ely is the nexct stop on the line and has a wonderful Cathedral.
Transportation links from London also go to Colchester where you have Dedham & the Dedham Vale (Constable Country - famous painter of scenic landscapes). You would need a taxi from either Colchester or Manningtree rail stations to reach these parts. Colchester, (IMO) is not the town it used to be. It has a Norman Keep on an Old Roman site, but the market town is a little worn and not much to see (I can say this as I was born there). The coastal towns mentioned, are not very glamourous. Ok, for a day trip for locals, but not much of interest, and the North Sea is cold and brown. Chelmsford, Braintree, Witham are all serviced by trains out of London, but they are not what you are looking for. Maldon is not easy to get to. Coggershall is a nice village (train to Marks Tey towards Colchester) with Taxi to the village but after a day or two I think you would want to move on.
If you are looking for villages of England, rather than a specific area, then there are other counties a little more interesting and accessible. Essex does have charm but it is not as easy to find as some other areas.
I go along with what mpaulynsettle says. I don't do a lot in Essex although I'm not particularly far away.
As far as I'm concerned you can keep Southend despite the length of its pier - long enough to have a train running its length.
Constable country is pretty good. Audley End house and Saffron Waldon town are good. Be aware of the extremes of weather at Saffron Waldon - when there is a cold snap or heat wave it often makes the news for the coldest place in England or the hottest.
There is a RHS Garden in Essex, Hyde Hall, in the countryside fairly near to Chelmsford. I'm not convinced that it is particularly easy to get to without a car. https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall
The getting here page at https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall/plan-your-visit/how-to-get-to-hyde-hall shows two buses a day, 6 days a week (not bank holidays) or a 90 minute walk from the nearest station, or a 8 mile taxi.
If you do get there you may love it as much as we do. Our favourite parts are the rose garden on a hill, some will be out in May, and the lily pond. The veg garden is great fun too, including showing how Dahlias can be a vegetable (won't be much in May).
I spent the better part of a week in Essex last April, for a course. Some of the non-course highlights:
• Dorothy L Sayers Museum in Witham (if you are a DLS fan), in a house where she once lived
• filming locations for the wonderful Detectorists series, including the canal where Toni's boat is docked (locals enjoyed taking me around to see these sights)
• lots of birds on the Abberton Reservoir
These are all niche attractions :-) but if any appeal to you, they would be worth seeing. I wouldn't go out of your way if you aren't into DLS, Detectorists, or birds, though I loved the countryside in Essex, as well as its proximity to London (the Elizabeth Line runs to Shenfield, and I think I took a local train to & from Shenfield. Easy peasy without a car – although luckily I was not in a hurry – the local train had been temporarily replaced by a bus, for example).
Oh, yes, Saffron Walden is lovely. And it has a nice ring of 12 (bells)!
I've never heard those... have you rung there, Laura?
Oh!!!! Bells!
