Farm Stay East Anglia

A Day Out Around the Essex Sunshine Coast

Head for the Essex coast along the A12 and take a detour in to the Historic town of Colchester, Britain’s oldest recorded town. Here you will find plenty to occupy your time visiting The Castle and museums, themed tours of the castle and town, the shopping areas with the individual specialist shops that are unique to Colchester. Contact the VIC on 01255 282920 or www.visitcolchester.com for more up to date information on what’s on in the area.

Not far from Colchester if the stunning Layer Marney Tower - prefect for a family day out!

Taking the A137 out of Colchester head for Ardleigh and Manningtree where the High Street contains many buildings of architectural interest. Leave Manningtree on the B1352 and you come to The Walls at Mistley where you can enjoy unrivalled views from the Greensward of the Stour Estuary across to the Suffolk shore and see the swans for which the area is famous. Follow this road and you will find a lay-by where you can view the Estuary again and see an area which is an internationally important bird habitat. Continue on through the villages of Bradfield and Wrabness and stop a mile to the east of Wrabness village where there is a car park giving access to Stour Wood and Copperas Wood both important areas for nature conservation. A hide for bird watching (RSPB but open to the public) can be found by way marked paths in Stour Wood and commands a wide view of Copperas Bay.

On leaving the woods continue on the B1352 to Harwich famous for its Naval History and still a major east coast port with Ferries to and from the Continent. Drive to the Quay where you can park and take a walk around the historic town on the Harwich Maritime Heritage Trail. Here is a good place to stop and eat. The Pier at Harwich offers good food either at the Half Penny Pier or at the more ‘up market’ Pier at Harwich.

Leave Harwich on the B1352 and then take the B1414 to Clacton through the villages of Little and Great Oakley but look to your left as you now see the superb views of the Walton Backwaters and Hamford Water. Follow the road through Beaumont one of the smallest villages in the District, after 2 miles take the B1034 to Walton on the Naze. If you stay on the B1414 you come to Thorpe le Soken, at the T Juntion turn right and you find The Bell Hotel on your left, car park on the right, where good food can be found.

Looking left from the B1034 you can see more views of Hamford Water from Landermere Quay. Continue on this road through Kirby le Soken to either Frinton or Walton.

Frinton

Frinton is an exclusive seaside resort with extensive greenswards, superb sandy beaches and famous for its situation within ‘The Gates’. '''No''' amusements, arcades or ‘Kiss me Quick’ hats and no ice cream shops on the promenade! Until recently there was not a ‘Pub’ within this area however there is now a ‘Wetherspoons’ public house and many more excellent places to eat in Frinton. Drive to the greensward where free parking is available.

Walton

Walton on the Naze also offers superb sandy beaches but also offers all the other seaside attractions of a very long Pier with Ten Pin Bowling, amusements and the general razzmatazz of a seaside resort.

Drive through Walton to the Naze and you are in a different world with an extensive open space for picnicking, walking and bird watching through the country park. The cliffs here are famous for their fossil finds but in recent years have become dangerous as more and more of the cliff areas suffer from coastal erosion.

On leaving Walton head for the B1033 to Clacton/Colchester. As you enter Kirby Cross look for Parkers Garden Nursery on your right. Here you will find the Applegarth Restaurant which offers good quality lunchtime meals and snacks. Back on the B1033 at the mini roundabout take the B1032 to Clacton which takes you across Holland Marshes. On reaching the mini roundabout, just before the seafront, take the left exit which will take you along the seafront of Holland to Clacton. Parking is free anywhere along the seafront.

Clacton

Clacton on Sea is the Capital of the 'Essex Sunshine Coast' with its lovely sandy beaches, safe sea bathing and beautiful cliff top gardens. The Victorian Pier has undercover amusements and a fun fair. The town offers plenty to do with two theatres - The West Cliff Theatre and The Princes Theatre There are also plenty of pubs and restaurants to choose from.

We have B&B accommodation and holiday cottages on or near the Essex coast at Shotley, Wix near Manningtree, Stutton, St Osyth, Clacton and Tolleshunt Major near Maldon.

Back to the itineraries page