Our guide to luxury Essex holidays

Bordering Greater London, Essex is the capital’s neighbour. Depending on where you travel from, it can take between 30 and 45 minutes to get to Chelmsford or Colchester by train or car. Beware the traffic at rush hour, since Essex is popular for commuters.

Colchester is Britain’s oldest town and was the first ever capital of the country, proclaimed under Roman rule as Camulodunum. Now awarded ‘city’ status once again, Colchester is steeped in history with Roman ruins throughout; the magnificent Norman keep of Colchester Castle stands on the foundations of a Roman temple, its museum hosting artefacts some 2,500 years old, and the remains of a Roman theatre lay peacefully in the Dutch Quarter. Meandre through its cobbled South Lanes and you’ll find treasures in independent shops.

Over 350 miles of scenic coastline and Blue Flag beaches line the shore in Essex, so choosing one is near impossible. Albion Beach at Walton-on-the-Naze is a local’s favourite, with golden sand underfoot and colourful beach huts, whereas neighbouring Naze Beach is one for intrepid fossil hunters; its clay and geological formation hides sharks teeth and all. Jaywick Beach is another favourite, old Napoleonic forts keeping watch over a sandy stretch between Clacton-on-Sea and Colne Point. For those looking to get out onto the water, try Thorpe Bay; this Blue Flag and Quality Coast award-winner draws kayakers, sailors and windsurfers all day-long.

There are many – but Dedham is regarded as the postcard-prettiest of them all. Nestled alongside the River Stour in northern Essex, charming cottages and historic buildings line the streets and make for a waterside idyll that feels quintessentially English. In the middle of ‘Constable Country’, the surrounding area of Dedham Vale was famously depicted in the landscape paintings of renowned artist John Constable. There’s a local arts and crafts centre in a converted church to be discovered and half-timbered pubs that host free beer festivals with live music.

What better way to entertain the children than a magical trip to the zoo? Colchester Zoo has a large and diverse collection of animals from across the world, from majestic African elephants to powerful lions and tigers. You’ll find playful gorillas, penguins, meerkats, and lemurs, alongside cheetahs, zebras, rhinoceroses, flamingos, red pandas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and a variety of reptiles. With a strong focus on conservation, the zoo emphasises an educational and immersive experience – we’re sure this is one science lesson they won’t forget.