20 Attractions to Explore Near Essex Way

Hadleigh Country Park in the South of Essex provides the perfect landscape for activities such as walking, cycling and even water sports in the summer months. With magnificent views, historical aspects, and one of the UK’s top mountain biking courses, Hadleigh is the ideal place to blow away the cobwebs. A good trekking destination that will rejuvenate your mind and body.

Hadleigh Castle was built about 1215 by Hubert de Burgh but extensively refortified by Edward III during the Hundred Years War, becoming a favourite residence of the ageing king. The castle stands on a bluff overlooking the Leigh Marshes and Thames estuary with a single, large 50ft tower with a 2nd tower and curtain walls about up to their full height. The remains are now preserved by English Heritage and protected under UK law as a Grade I listed building and scheduled monument.

Wat Tyler Country Park is a country park located to the south of Pitsea, Essex, which was inhabited from the Bronze Age onwards and at one time was the location of the Pitsea Explosives Factory. It offers around 125 acres of country walks, wildlife spotting, adventure play for kids and some of the best business and event venues in Essex.

Marsh Farm Country Park is a great place for walks and superb river views. Its 300 acres of grazing marsh together with over 10 miles of footpaths is ideal for walking, running, cycling and dog-walking, and it is a great site for wildlife-spotting opportunities. An exciting array of activities and experiences await visitors including tractor and trailer rides, a bouncy castle, ride on tractors, craft activities, and a magic show.

Barleylands Farm Park in Billericay is Essex's real family farm park experience. With adorable farm animals, kids play areas and fun farmyard activites. Barleylands has a range of farm animals, reptiles, birds of prey, craft workshops and restaurants. They are well known for their animal care, popular children's birthday parties and events such as Lambing Live, Easter and Toddler Fireworks.

Hanningfield Reservoir is a 402.9 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Billericay and Chelmsford in Essex. It is owned by Essex and Suffolk Water and run by them in conjunction with the Essex Wildlife Trust. The reservoir is covered by a Bird Sanctuary Order. The Nature Discovery Centre is set in mature woodland and has proved a popular bat roost, with a beautiful carpet of Bluebells in the spring.

RHS Garden Hyde Hall is a public display garden run by the Royal Horticultural Society in the English county of Essex. It is one of five public gardens run by the Society, alongside Wisley in Surrey, Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, Rosemoor in Devon, and Bridgewater in Greater Manchester. The 360-acre Hyde Hall site encompasses a range of garden styles, from the Dry Garden with drought-resistant plants to the Hilltop Garden with roses and herbaceous borders.

A beautiful nature discovery centre with some fantastic walks through ancient woodland and historic deer parks which lie close alongside recently planted woodland and a landscape of small pastures. It has 500 acres of beautiful woods and parkland with meadows and ponds. It's an ideal place for family visits as well as spotting wildlife. The Childerditch area is particularly good for birds and butterflies.

Danbury Country Park is a Green Flag award-winning and grade II listed park and garden set in the remains of the 13th century Danbury Palace. It offers ornamental gardens and lakes, woodland and meadows. Surviving historic structures include an ice house where before refrigerators, ice was collected from the lakes in winter and stored for the palace kitchens. One of the nice trekking destination and also you can spend some beautiful time here.

Shorne Wood Country Park is located between Strood and Gravesend, in the English county of Kent. It was once part of a large estate and then later passed to the county council to be used as a country park. This park was once part of the large Cobham Hall Estate. The main entrance to the Hall, leads through the park with various other carriage rides around the estate. It has large areas of ancient woodland and heathland meadows.

Wallasea Island is a magical landscape of marshland, lagoons, ditches and sea. Much of the island is farmland, and wheat is the main crop. A small settlement at its western end is linked by road to the mainland and is home to a campsite and marina. It is linked by a ferry to Burnham-on-Crouch.

Mangapps Railway Museum is a privately owned working railway and museum established on a farm at Burnham on Crouch, Essex. It houses an extensive collection of railway relics of all kinds, working steam and diesel locomotives, carriages, wagons, historic buildings and one of the largest collections of railway signalling equipment open to the public.

Jeskyns community woodland was opened in 2007 and covers 360 acres of grassland, orchards, meadows and woodland which is owned and maintained by the forestry commission. There are signposted trails, a dog activity area, an enclosed dog training area, childrens play areas, picnic benches and dog bins located all round the country park.

This 25 acre reserve is the site of a house and once famous Edwardian gardens belonging to Ellen Willmott, it is now maintained as a nature reserve by Essex Wildlife Trust. Warley Place with its show of blooming spring flowers - from snowdrops to daffodils and crocuses then bluebells - is a spectacular sight to see and also you can spend some nice time in this beautiful area.

Hylands Estate is a prestigious grade II* listed public park encompassing 574 acres of historic parkland. The beautifully renovated Neo-Classical elegant villa Hylands House can be hired for any occasion including Weddings, Celebrations and Business Events and is open to the public. Since 1966 the House and its surrounding grounds have been owned and maintained by Chelmsford City Council.

Hopefield Animal Sanctuary sits on 53 acres of beautiful countryside in the heart of Brentwood, Essex. The sanctuary currently cares for over 500 sick, unwanted, and mistreated animals. It was one of the iconic attractions in this area and attracts a lot of tourists here.

Chelmsford Museum is a majestic museum which will take you through Chelmsford's history, from the Ice Age, right through to the present day. From the chance to see a mammoth, or watch a princely Anglo-Saxon buriel, to finding out what used to be on your street, the museum has something for everyone.

One of the unique and beautiful parks which was around 100 years old. It features an ornamental lake, kids splash park, beach huts, sandpits, a galleon play-ship area, zip-wire, and several picnic areas. The park hosts events throughout the year and provides spectacular river views over the Blackwater Estuary. One of the iconic locations where you can spend a good time.

Central Park is one of the oldest public parks in Chelmsford. It also includes Central Park Memorial Gardens, Frank Whitmore Place, Bell Meadow and Sky Blue Pasture with over 35.6 acres of parkland together with a Nature Reserve. Here you can enjoy beautiful flowerbeds, riverside walks and cycle paths, a model railway, children’s play areas, a lake, a skateboard ramp, tennis courts, a multi-use games area, and table tennis.

Chelmsford Cathedral is one of the youngest cathedrals in England and stands at the heart of the newest city. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop of Chelmsford. One of the famous pilgrimage centers in this area and also a tourist attraction too.