Top 10 PRETTIEST Towns in ESSEX
What are the 10 prettiest towns in the county of Essex? To determine this, I visited them all. Here's what I found out.
As a disclaimer, this list is neither a social commentary, nor a guide on which are the nicest towns to live, but purely a judgement on the aesthetics of each respective town centre.
All footage is my own, and originates from my flagship channel, 4K Explorer, which you can check out here: --
Thanks for watching, and be sure to tap that like button! And feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, whether you agree or disagree with the selections.
Explore nature spots in Essex
Travel with c2c trains to Essex and explore some of the beautiful nature spots we have along our route. This video give you a preview of some of the best places for walks close to c2c stations.
Take a picnic to Hadleigh Castle, ramble around Two Tree Island nature reserve, sit in the parks overlooking the sea, watch the boats bobbing in the estuary... there's masses to see and do. Finish it off with a tasty lunch at The Roslin Beach Hotel in Thorpe Bay! Make the most of our special offers on train tickets, with a third off when you book online in advance and Kids for £2. A great way to spend the summer holidays.
Places to see in ( Maldon - UK )
Places to see in ( Maldon - UK )
Maldon is a town on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. Maldon is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is most renowned for Maldon Sea Salt which is produced in the area.
Maldon is a town of circa 15000 people on the tidal River Chelmer by the Blackwater Estuary in Essex. It is on the A414 10 miles (16 km) east of Chelmsford, and 49 miles (79 km) north east of Charing Cross, London, using the A13.
Essex is a county built on London clay, overlain with pockets of gravel deposited by riperian action, the lowest land is made up of river alluvium and salt marsh. At Maldon the railway cutting (now a road cutting) provided a reference section for geologists. There are three landslips on the north-facing river cliff of the Blackwater at Maldon. The middle slip is called the West Maldon Landslip, which was caused by repeated rotational slips of the bedrock London Clay, which is trying to reach a stable angle.
Hythe Quay at the confluence of the Chelmer and Blackwater, which flanks the northern edge of the town, was an important port, and Cooks Yard remains significant for Thames barges. The River Blackwater, that was diverted into the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, re-emerges into the Blackwater Estuary, through locks at the Heybridge Basin, the stream bed passes down Heybridge Creek. and this delinearates the border between Maldon Town and Heybridge Parish Council.
Maldon's first railway link was a branch line to Witham opened in 1846. Later a second line linked Maldon with Woodham Ferrers on the Crouch Valley Line between Southminster and Wickford line. Whilst Wickford is itself on the line between Shenfield and Southend (thus providing Maldon with another route into London Liverpool Street), a short-lived spur line at Wickford also gave direct access towards Southend.
Maldon West railway station was opened in 1889 by the Great Eastern Railway. The line between Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers closed to passengers in 1939, the Maldon and Witham line closed in 1966. The nearest railway stations to Maldon are now Hatfield Peverel, Witham and North Fambridge. Hatfield Peverel is the closest railway station to the north of the town, whilst North Fambridge is closest to southern parts of the town.
( Maldon - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Maldon . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Maldon - UK
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Discover Constable Country, Harwich and Essex countryside on The Mayflower Line
There is so much to see and do along the beautiful Mayflower Line railway from Manningtree to Harwich in Essex - and when you travel by train you have a 'room with a view' while you explore.
Plan your trip at
Greater Anglia's top destinations - outside London in 2019
Greater Anglia's top leisure destinations in 2019, outside of London, were Norwich, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich. What's your favourite destination on our network?
Visit Historic Harwich, England
Historic Harwich, possibly the most hospitable town in England. On our recent trip, several members of The Harwich Society greeted us at the train station. Peter Chandler, Harwich Society tour guide, gave us a walking tour of many of the town's historical sites. Next, Ray Plummer, archivist, showed us the old jail and provided much history of it. Finally, Dave McLeod, Mayor of Harwich, and many town officials greeted us in the Guildhall with tea and much hospitality. Indeed, our visit to Harwich was the highlight of our cruise vacation. Ron and Jan Phillips, North Carolina
Places to see in ( Braintree - UK )
Places to see in ( Braintree - UK )
Braintree is a town in Essex, England. The principal settlement of Braintree District, it is located 10 miles northeast of Chelmsford and 15 miles west of Colchester.
Braintree has grown contiguous with several surrounding settlements. Braintree proper lies on the River Brain and to the south of Stane Street, the Roman road from Braughing to Colchester, while Bocking lies on the River Blackwater and to the north of the road. The two are sometimes referred to together as Braintree and Bocking, and since 1934 they form the civil parish of that name.
Braintree is bypassed by the modern-day A120 and A131 roads, while trains serve two stations in the town, at the end of the Braintree Branch Line. Braintree is twinned with Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, France, and gives its name to the towns of Braintree, Massachusetts and Braintree, Vermont, in the United States.
Braintree lies in north Essex, about 46 miles (74 km) from London, with factories and housing to the south and rural areas to the north, where arable crops are grown. It lies about 150 feet (46 m) above sea level. Essex is rather flat on the whole, and the Braintree area is no exception; however, there is a general downward trend in the height of the ground from the northwest towards the coast to the southeast. Two rivers flow through Braintree in this direction. Pod's Brook approaches the western side of the town, forming a natural boundary between Braintree and the neighbouring village of Rayne about two miles (3 km) to the west.
Braintree's museum, containing displays relating to the history of the town. The Braintree Arts Theatre opened in 2009 on the Notley High School campus. The Braintree and Bocking Carnival takes place each June.
Braintree has two main market areas that link throughout the town, which are run twice weekly, on a Wednesday and a Saturday. They are based outside the Town Hall in Market Square, and also run along Bank Street and the High Street. The High street is mainly a pedestrianised area, which allows only buses to commute through the town.
Freeport is a shopping area on the outskirts of Braintree, described as a designer outlet village. It has approximately 90 departments where designer brands sell surplus stock for lower than the recommended retail price. Freeport also has its own railway station, namely Braintree Freeport railway station, which is the first stop on the journey from Braintree to London Liverpool Street via Witham.
Braintree has two railway stations, Braintree and Braintree Freeport next to the Freeport shopping area. Braintree has two railway stations, Braintree and Braintree Freeport next to the Freeport shopping area. Bocking Windmill, technically a part of Bocking, the windmill stands proud over the countryside at the North end of Braintree & Bocking. The Braintree District Museum is located opposite the Town Hall, along Manor Street, and was originally the Manor Street School.
( Braintree - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Braintree . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Braintree - UK
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Highlights of Norfolk, UK
Unique man-made Broads, seaside Great Yarmouth, stunning north Norfolk coast, Royal West Norfolk, tranquil south Norfolk, eco-adventure in Breckland, Norwich - 'East Anglia's hippest hangout'
Manningtree Walk: Town Centre | England's Smallest Town (by area)【4K】
Located in the county of Essex, and roughly equidistant between Colchester and Ipswich, is the town of Manningtree.
Geographically, Manningtree is situated on the south bank of the River Stour, which almost entirely defines the natural border between Essex and Suffolk. In the 13th century a market charter was granted to Manningtree.
From the 17th century the town became associated with Matthew Hopkins, also known as the Witchfinder General. Hopkins moved here in the early 1640s shortly before the outbreak of the English Civil War. According to his book 'The Discovery of Witches', he began his infamous witchfinding practice after overhearing women discussing their meetings with the devil in 1644 here in Manningtree. Across a three-year period up to his death in 1647, Hopkins is estimated to have been responsible for sending around 300 alleged witches to their death across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk.
Between the 15th and 18th centuries Manningtree had a thriving wool trade. In the 18th century plans had been made to turn it, along with the neighbouring village of Mistley to its immediate east, into a spa resort, although these fell through in the end. Mistley has been home to a port for several centuries with many barges transporting grain to London at its peak, prior to the arrival of the railways.
In 1846 Manningtree Railway Station opened courtesy of the Eastern Union Railway. The station is actually not technically located in Manningtree, but rather the neighbouring village of Lawford to its immediate west, although the town centre is just under a mile away. The station is situated on the Great Eastern Main Line which runs between London Liverpool Street and Norwich. It is also a junction station, serving as the western terminus of the Mayflower Line to Harwich.
Manningtree is said to be the smallest town in England. Bear in mind that this is based on geographic area, rather than population. It is around 0.2 square kilometres (or 20 hectares) by parish area, or alternatively, around 0.4 square kilometres by built-up area.
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Filmed: 31st July 2023
Link to the walk on Google Maps:
Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 The Walls (Suffolk on the horizon)
0:12 The Walls
1:52 Quay Street
3:02 High Street
6:09 South Street
10:22 High Street
11:53 Station Road
Around Mistley & Manningtree - Essex
In north Essex is the delightful village and town of Mistley and Manningtree. These are bounded by the River Stour and the Tendring peninsular. Shakespeare wrote about and the Wichfinder General was based here in England's smallest and one of its oldest town.
90 second view of.... Manningtree & Mistley, Essex, U.K. - 4K
This is the first of my '90 second view of' videos I have been able to do in a while. Obviously due to the current situation with lockdowns and social distancing etc.
It really felt good to get out there with my Mavic 2 Pro Drone though and fly for the first time in ages. I was keeping WELL within all social distancing guidelines and seeing as drone flying is a solitary pursuit I am pretty sure this is ok.
Went to Manningtree and Mistley in Essex which are both places I used to frequent when I was younger but its been a while since I have been back.
It was certainly a glorious day weather wise so I feel very lucky for that fact.
I hope to get back to a much more regular schedule again of these videos and more importantly I really hope you enjoy watching them.
If you do then please like and subscribe.
Thank you
Visiting Britain's most mediocre towns
Welcome to Exploring Britain, a new series where I investigate the lesser visited parts of our fair nation. In the first episode I go to Manningtree in Essex with @awaydaysfootball aka Ellis Platten.
Let me know in the comments where you think I should visit next.
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Weekend Drive to Manningtree England
Destination: Dedham England. We passed lots of sheep on the countryside on the way toward Dedham, the River Stou,r and St. Mary's Church ( Walked from Manningtree to Dedham)
An afternoon at Manningtree Station - Greater Anglia Trains, Freightliners and a station cafe/bar.
Welcome to Out With Em
Join me for a lovely afternoon at the beautiful Manningtree Station. Check out the Greater Anglia Trains, Freightliners, station art, the platform bar/cafe and all that this wonderful station has to offer.
Enjoy the video and please remember to like and hit that subscribe button for more videos and to help this channel grow.
Music by Epidemic Sound -
The Essex Way: Manningtree Station To Harwich 28 August 2015
The final 15 miles of the Essex Way long distance footpath between Manningtree Station and Harwich. The walk went via Mistley, Bradfield, Wrabness and Ramsey. The final stretch of the walk into Harwich has spectacular coastal views from the sea wall. The walk took place in sunny weather on Friday 28 August 2015.
The Essex Way: West Bergholt To Manningtree Station 22 Aug 2015
A walk along the 15 odd mile section of the Essex Way between West Bergholt and Manningtree station. The walk passed through the villages of Great Horkesley, Boxted and Dedham. The walk took place on Saturday 22 August 2015 on a very hot sunny day.
swcwalks, book 1, walk 39a, Manningtree Circular. 10/1/20.
This is an updated version of a walk previously done in 2009, but the slightly shortened version at 9 miles.
This Stour Valley Walk passes through 'Constable Country', now the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the inspiration for many of the artist's landscape paintings.
Lunch is had at St Mary's Church, Dedham. Shortly past this is the grammar school where the artist was educated.
After Dedham Mill and Lock, this version of the walk then follows the River Stour, over Fen Bridge and so onto Flatford Mill, the inspiration for 'The Haywain'. Flatford Lock, the subject of another painting, is passed, as are recently breached river banks.
Thereafter, it's on in the fading evening light back to Manningtree station..
A very nice, shorter walk that can, obviously, be prone to flooding.
Witchy England 🧹🔮 Discovering Essex & Norfolk in Autumn
Hello sweet friends,
This time I'm taking you on a witchy tour of Essex, England!
This short walk on the Stour Estuary between Essex and Suffolk is inspired by the 17th-century East Anglian witch trials. During this dark period of English history, around 300 people were tried for witchcraft, and close to 100 were executed as ‘witches’.
🔮 Footpath connecting Manningtree and Mistley
The path back to Manningtree is part of the Essex Way and this section is an ancient trackway connecting the village to nearby Mistley. It passes the site of St Mary’s Church at Mistley Heath, where Matthew Hopkins is buried. It’s hard to imagine now as nothing remains of the church or its graveyard today, its flint and rubble ruins totally overgrown.
We can however imagine that this path was regularly walked by some of the accused women like Anne Leech who lived at Mistley and her daughter Helen Clark from Manningtree. They would have been familiar with this way; in good times treading it between the villages to visit each other, and later during the dark days of the witch trials, perhaps fleeing along it for their lives.
🔮 Village Green, South Street:
Surrounded by large, well-kept Georgian houses and high up on a hill, today South Street is one of Manningtree’s most desirable streets. Yet it was here on July 18th, 1645 that four local women were hanged for the crime of witchcraft. Their names were: Anne West of Lawford, Helen Clark of Manningtree, Marian Hocket from Ramsey, and Anne Cooper from Great Clacton. According to historical records, 92 witnesses testified against these women and 15 others during their trial.
🔮 Hopping Bridge
This brick wall is what remains of the Hopping Bridge. The bridge itself wouldn’t have been here during the period of the witch trials as it wasn’t built until the 18th century, but bodies of water like this one were used to test the guilt or innocence of suspected witches by a process known as ‘swimming’.
The theory was that the innocent would sink, but the guilty would float. This could be used as ‘proof’ of crimes. ‘Swimming’ may also have had religious connotations. Those who had renounced God and were in league with the devil would be rejected by the purity of the water and so would float.
🔮 Gamekeepers Pond
The ghost of Matthew Hopkins, in full 17th-century costume, is said to haunt Mistley Pond. This could very well be a more colorful, local legend, but ghosts are sometimes said to haunt lakes, pools, and rivers, suggesting that water acts as a portal between the living and the dead.
Like the Hopping Bridge, this pond is another likely site for witch ‘swimming’. ‘Swimming’ was one of several euphemisms used for the witchfinders’ practices of extracting confessions or finding ‘proof’ through semi-legal means. Suspected witches were also ‘watched’ and ‘searched’ in the belief they would call on their familiars.
Continue on the road past the Hopping Bridge and pass the Mistley Towers to reach Mistley Quay. Turn right at the large industrial building (a Maltings) and follow the Essex Way signs over a railway bridge. Follow the footpath across a field and at the second T-junction of footpaths turn left towards the woods. Take the path bearing left to walk down to the pond.
cats, dogs, toads, even ferrets) for help. ‘Watching’ actually involved walking the suspect back and forth for days and nights on end until they broke down.
🔮 Old Knobbley
Known as Old Knobbley, this ancient, gnarled oak tree is thought to be around 800 years old. Over the centuries it has borne witness to wars, famines, and even a mini Ice Age as well, of course, as the 17th-century witch hunts.
Though today, with the 18th-century development of Mistley Quay nearby, we’re not far from urban development, three hundred years ago, this would have been a much wilder area, a feral forest outside the confines of the town. It’s not hard to imagine this as a place to hide and seek sanctuary from the fear and loathing, accusation and uncertainty happening in the streets. Trees like these hold a double meaning in our story of the witch trials, they represent both sanctuary for those fleeing their accusers and persecution; as the branch of a sturdy tree was sometimes used for hanging those found guilty.
Later in the video, you will discover Norwich and a lovely Sunday picking pumpkins
Sources:
Walking with witches
A walk inspired by the 17th-century East Anglian witch trials
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70013 Oliver Cromwell passes through Manningtree (2/7/11)
Here is a seperate video of Oliver Cromwell hauling the Norfolkman Railtour through Manningtree on time. The tour was organised by the Railway Touring Company to mark the 60th Anniversary to the day when the Britannia Steam Locomotives revolutionised the London to Norwich timetable.
The train departed London Liverpool St at 09:40 and ran non stop to Colchester to take on water. Then it ran onwards to Norwich where the locomotive ran around its 10 coaches (hired from West Coast Railway Company) for the return journey whilst the passengers explored Norwich.
The tour departed from Norwich at 17:03 and returned to London Liverpool St via Ely (for another water stop) and Cambridge. I hope you enjoy this video of this special train.
Trains at Manningtree
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