2015 media - top essex historic sites and...
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Top Essex historic sites and gardens Audley End House and Gardens
Audley End is one of England’s most magnificent stately
homes. It was given by Henry VIII to his Lord Chancellor
Sir Thomas Audley who transformed it into this grand
Jacobean mansion. It was built to entertain kings and in
1668 Charles II bought it as somewhere to stay when
he attended the races at Newmarket. During the 18th
century Robert Adam added an impressive suite of
reception rooms on the ground floor and 'Capability'
Brown was brought in to landscape the parkland.
In more recent years the Victorian service wing was
restored to its former heyday and during special events you can experience the team at work as they would
have done all those years ago. More of the history and life upstairs is revealed in the nursery suite where you
can see how Victorian children played and grew up. You can also visit the Coal Gallery, once a hive of
activity, as we recreate the hustle and bustle of servants' daily routines. Don’t miss visiting the stunning
formal gardens including the Organic Kitchen Garden with a variety of fruit and vegetables, as well as
various other herbs, flowers and grasses in keeping with those grown and used in the house around 1880.
Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/audley
Layer Marney Tower
Layer Marney Tower, constructed in the first half of the
reign of Henry VIII, is not only the tallest Tudor Gatehouse
in Britain; it is also one of the country’s most dramatic
buildings. The building is principally the creation of Henry
1st Lord Marney, In building on this scale the Marneys
were following the example of their monarch, Henry VIII,
who believed that a building should reflect the
magnificence of its owner. Henry Marney as Lord Privy
Seal, Captain of the Bodyguard and many other influential
positions clearly intended to display his status through his new building. This beautiful Tudor building, with
16th century Italianate terracotta, is surrounded by formal gardens and parkland with magnificent views to
the Blackwater Estuary. Visitors can climb the tower and enjoy light lunches, teas and cakes in The Tea
Room in the old stable. Website: www.layermarneytower.co.uk
Colchester Castle
Once the capital of Roman Britain, Colchester is
Britain’s oldest recorded town, which is why heritage
fans should include a visit to the castle during their trip.
Since the 16th century, the Castle has been a ruin, a
library and a gaol for witches. Following recent
refurbishments a visit to Colchester Castle is now
bigger, brighter and better than ever before, with brand
new interactive displays including new finds and star
exhibits like the Colchester Vase and the Colchester
Mercury statuette. Visitors can try out some exciting
new experiences like building a Norman archway, excavating a Roman doctor’s grave or steering a chariot
around Colchester’s recently uncovered Roman Circus! Website: www.cimuseums.org.uk
Hylands House
Hylands House is a stunning Grade II listed property built
in 1730 as a modest red brick Queen Anne style house.
Over the years it has changed and developed
considerably throughout its history. Following extensive
restoration it has now returned to its former glory. It is
situated in 574 acres of historic parkland landscaped in
the 18th century by Humphry Repton, one of England's
most famous landscape architects. Visitors can explore
the park for free or visit the house for a small entry fee.
Various events are held here regularly. The park is the
venue for the renowned annual V-Festival which has seen world class singers perform here year after year.
Website: www.chelmsford.gov.uk/hylands
Ingatestone Hall
This 16th century manor house built by Sir William Petre,
Secretary of State to four Tudor monarchs, and still
occupied by his descendants. The house substantially
retains its original Tudor form and appearance with its
mullioned windows, high chimneys, crow-step gables
and oak-panelled rooms containing furniture, pictures
and memorabilia accumulated over the centuries. The
Hall stands in open countryside, one mile from the
village of Ingatestone and is surrounded by ten acres of
enclosed gardens comprising extensive lawns, walled garden and stew pond.
Website: www.ingatestonehall.com
RHS Garden Hyde Hall
With sweeping panoramas, big open skies and far reaching
views this Essex garden provides somewhere to watch the
changing seasons and get closer to nature. In spring, Hyde
Hall erupts with a range of flowering bulbs in a plethora of
shapes and sizes. Summer arrives with an exuberant display
of colour in the herbaceous border, the heady scent of a
thousand rose blooms and the Mediterranean brought to
Essex in the purple haze of the Dry Garden. Autumn is a
subtle delight with flowering grasses, structural seed heads,
turning leaves and Winter provides magical scenes of rolling frost tinged fields, wide open skies and the
reflection of skeletal trees and coloured stems. Must see areas include the quintessential hilltop garden with
its ponds, roses, herbaceous borders and lush green lawns. Website: www.rhs.org.uk/hydehall
Beth Chatto Gardens
Created from an overgrown wasteland, with poor soil and
boggy hollows, these informal gardens are a triumph of
planting in every condition. Garden-writer Beth Chatto
began her garden on this unpromising site in 1960, and set
about finding plants to suit the difficult conditions. The
large Gravel Garden has been filled with drought-loving
plants; a soggy hollow has been transformed into a
dramatic Water Garden, where the impact of lush green
growth is almost overpowering. Huge upturned parasols of
gunnera tower above a hundred shades of emerald, creating a scene of harmony and tranquillity. The cool
shade of the woodland has also been exploited to the full with spring bulbs illuminating the woodland floor for
weeks. Website: www.bethchatto.co.uk
Tilbury Fort
Tilbury Fort on the Thames Estuary has protected London’s
seaward approach from the 16th century through to the
Second World War. The present fort is much the best
example of its type in England, with its circuit of moats and
bastioned outworks. Henry VIII built the first fort here, and
Queen Elizabeth I famously rallied her army nearby to face
the threat of the Armada. Explore the magazine houses
used to store vast quantities of gunpowder or enter the
bastion magazine passages and feel what it was like for the
soldiers who lived here. The exhibition traces the role of the fort in the defence of London.
Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/tilburyfort
Hedingham Castle
A Norman keep built 1140 and visited by King Henry
VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. There are
four floors to explore, including the Banqueting Hall
spanned by a 28 foot arch, one of the largest Norman
arches in England. A good view of this splendid room
can be obtained from the Minstrels' Gallery. To
commemorate 800 years since the sealing of the Magna
Carta, and the close involvement of Robert de Vere,
third Earl of Oxford and Lord of Hedingham Castle with
the rebel Barons, there will be a spectacular day full of
history, rebellion and battles on the 14 June 2015. Website: www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk
Paycocke’s House and Gardens
Paycocke's is a National Trust Property built in 1509/10.
It’s a stunning Tudor half-timbered merchant's house with
uncommonly intricate carved woodwork and panelling.
Built for Thomas Paycocke it shows off the wealth
generated by the cloth trade in Coggeshall and in Essex.
Paycocke's House has lots of stories to tell, from riches to
rags and back again. It was saved from neglect by a
descendant of Paycocke, Noel Buxton, who in 1904 began
a twenty year restoration project, including the creation of
a delightful Arts and Crafts garden.
Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/paycockes
The Gibberd Gardens
Considered be one of the most important post-war
gardens in the country, the garden, pure theatre in its
planting and design, includes formal lawns, ornate
terraces, a dramatic mature lime avenue, pools,
streams and glades, and a fascinating collection of
sculpture and architectural pieces. Sir Frederick
Gibberd (1908-1984) an uncompromising modern
architect and pioneering landscape designer, not only
successfully master planned the new town of Harlow,
but was committed to bringing art to the lives of its
residents. From 1972 until his death in 1984, Sir Frederick set about buying and commissioning sculptures
and other works for the garden. The result is a highly individual creation which is now recognised as an
important contribution to 20th-century garden design. Website: www.thegibberdgarden.co.uk
Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum
The Gardens and Arboretum feature a tree collection
from all the temperate areas of the world set in more
than 200 acres of historic landscape providing interest
and enjoyment throughout the year. You can follow the
paths through the Arboretum, where you can see
beautiful vistas and a host of exotic trees from around
the world. The 17th century Walled Garden, alongside
the upper lake, is a favourite spot. The five gardens on
the main terrace have been designed to inspire and
entertain young and old alike through a mix of
contemporary landscaping and vibrant planting. Each garden comes to its peak in succession throughout
the summer, the hot tones of one contrasting with the freshness of foliage and grasses in another. The 21st
century design compliments the longest traditional double border in Essex. Mediterranean species thrive in
the microclimate created by the warm brick walls, extending the range of plants grown.
Website: www.markshall.org.uk
Stow Maries WW1 Aerodrome
Built by the RAF during WW1, the aerodrome with the
majority of its original buildings still intact, is designated
a Conservation Area. The aerodrome is now the subject
of a sympathetic restoration project to return it to its
former state. Experience the aircraft, buildings and
ambience of 100 years ago. Of the 47 original structures,
22 still exist at least in part and seven have already been
restored. During 2015, thanks to grants from WREN and
English Heritage, work will begin on conserving several
more. As you explore the site, visit the Blacksmith's
Shed, the Pilots' Ready Room and the Airmen's Mess, now operating as a tea room. From Easter the
museum and shop will be greatly expanded, using a newly available building, and there will be a hangar with
a ground display of some aircraft types flown from the aerodrome to defend London from German Zeppelin
and Gotha bomber raids. A number of events and Fly-ins take place throughout the year.
Website: www.stowmaries.org.uk