EssexBeautiful Country Pubs

The Vintage Inns Essex Collection

From the rural retreats of Battlesbridge and Little Burstead, to the historical hotbeds of Chelmsford and Colchester, and the bracing seaside beauty of Clacton, the hostelries that make up the Vintage Inns Essex Collection are unique places to visit – yet all have much in common!

If you’re planning a day’s walking, exploring by car, or simply visiting a local attraction in and around rural Essex, then you might like to visit us for a morning coffee or refreshing drink, a light lunch, or even a hearty evening meal to round off your outing. Most have pleasant walks from the door and many have country parks, heritage attractions and picturesque hamlets nearby to wonder at.

Each of our inns is a sympathetic restoration of an existing village pub and most have been around for over 150 years - some are even older, some newer. They have their own charm, but all offer carefully restored period features, log burning fires and a select team of friendly staff. The Vintage Inns of Essex offer a warm welcome and respite on a cold winter’s day and the ideal spot to enjoy sunshine, a cold drink and beautiful rural views on balmy summer evenings.

All our Inns serve a full menu of traditional British favourites seven days a week, plus appetizing blackboard specials, and a selection of succulent roasts on a Sunday. At the bar, meanwhile, you’ll be tempted by a fine range of real cask conditioned ales (including popular local brews) and regular guest beers. Vintage Inns also pride themselves on an excellent choice of wines with varieties of all the popular grapes on offer and a flavour and price to suit every taste, occasion and pocket. Eat, drink and be merry!

ContentsBlack Horse – Brentwood

The Greyhound – BrentwoodRunning Mare – ChelmsfordThatched House – Upminster

The Angel – ChelmsfordKings Head – Billericay

Fowlers Farm – BraintreeKings Head – EppingThe Hawk – Wickford

Fox & Raven – ChelmsfordCoach & Horses – Bishops Stortford

Robin Hood – Clacton-on-SeaThe Crown – Colchester

Countryside walksWaterside walks Heritage sites Visitor attractionsInformation National Trust sites Museums

Vintage Inn CollectionEssex

A120

A12

A12

A12A129

A120

A414

A130

A130A132

A130

A127A127

A128B187

M25

M11

Fowlers Farm

The Angel

Kings Head

Running Mare

Fox & Raven

Kings Head

Coach and Horses

Robin Hood

The Crown

The Hawk

Thatched House Southend-on-Sea

Chelmsford

Bishops Stortford Braintree

Colchester

Clacton-on-Sea

Black Horse

The Greyhound

This charming black and white timbered inn is nestled in the tranquil village of Pilgrim’s Hatch (meaning Gate) just outside Brentwood – and is a more rural antidote to its progressive and contemporary neighbour.

Dating back to the 16th century, it was built as a small hall house with a cross wing at the northern end, plus a southern wing was added in the 17th century, and was well known as a refreshment stop for pilgrims visiting the Thomas a Becket Chapel in Brentwood. Now ruined, but still a sight to behold, this tradition continues today - with locals and travellers alike decamping at The Black Horse for real cask ales, fine wines and hearty pub fayre.

They also frequent Weald Country Park nearby, which is made up of some 500 acres, and the lakes and tree-lined avenues are the result of landscaping carried out in the 18th century. It’s never really busy though as few walkers south of the M25 know about it.

Between Pilgrims Hatch and Ongar to the north is a Secret Nuclear Bunker, an ex-government shelter turned into a tourist attraction by a local farmer and listed on many internet humour sites, while just outside Ongar, is Greenstead Church - the oldest wooden church in the world (dating back to the mid 9th century) and probably the oldest wooden building in Europe still (partially) standing.

Leisure enthusiasts, meanwhile, are also well catered for with two good quality golf courses in the vicinity and also Brentwood Ski Centre offering all-year entertainment and tuition, and overlooking 50 acres of scenic woodland.

Black Horse420 Ongar Road, Pilgrims Hatch, Brentwood, CM15 9JN Tel. 01277 374946

Horses for courses...

• Access Weald Country Park by turning left from the pub onto a public footpath, in the direction of Pilgrims Hall, then South Weald Common and left to Coxtie Green.

• Crow Green Fishery in Pilgrims Hatch constitutes five impressive lakes and makes an ideal habitat for wildlife, nesting ducks and swans, plus leisurely walkers.

• Suitably invigorated, canter back to The Black Horse for a warming beverage, light lunch, refreshing drink, filling evening meal, or even a roaring log fire.

For details on more attractions around Brentwood, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/theblackhorsebrentwood 1

This quaint hostelry with its huge gardens is a ‘drive-out’ destination to be enjoyed by the whole family. The Greyhound is a real country pub in the traditional Essex weatherboard style, tucked away down a quiet lane in the peaceful hamlet of Little Warley, near Bentwood, and opposite the magnificent Thorndon Country Park.

Dating back to the 1600s, it was especially busy during the First and Second World Wars and supposedly a haven for German POWs who, held half a mile away at the Costain compound, used to sneak to the inn for a few drinks before heading back to camp. The cellar has also been used as an air raid shelter and the entrance was the trap door in the kitchen, which is still visible today.

Today, however, the secret is well and truly out - The Greyhound is a sure-fire bet for quality cask real ales, a diverse range of fine wines, delicious and consistently good pub food, plus the warmest of welcomes right at the heart of this rural community.

The Greyhound’s illustrious neighbour is Thorndon Country Park, which is three parks in one joined by the ‘Old Park’ owned by the Woodland Trust. The ancient deer park is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, while three small lakes attract fishermen and Thorndon Hall is a fine Georgian Palladian building adjacent to a good golf course.

Warley Place Nature Reserve nearby attracts a wide variety of birds and invertebrates, but also shows off exotic plants and trees from all over the world, while Hopefield Animal Sanctuary houses over 200 rescued horses, donkeys, pigs, sheep, cows and goats.

The GreyhoundMagpie Lane, Little Warley, Brentwood, CM13 3DZ Tel. 01277 249911

For details on more attractions around Brentwood, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thegreyhoundbrentwood

A racing certainty for the great outdoors...

• Under a two minute walk from The Greyhound and you are treading the ancient grounds of Thorndon Country Park.

• Childerditch Common is also very near and Warley Place Nature Reserve is but a two mile stroll away as well.

• The Greyhound is also a real banker for quality service, real honest pub grub, and a wide selection of quaffable ales and wines.

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This traditional country pub is in the quieter, southern end of the old cathedral city of Chelmsford and its pleasant gardens are a focal point for diners, drinkers and social groups seeking a temporary respite from modern urban living.

Dating back to the 18th century, it is one of only two pubs in the country bearing its name and it is believed the association is with the first racecourse in England being in the nearby village of Galleywood. It was also the only course to go around a church – St Michael’s – which still stands in the existing woodland today.

Chelmsford itself is a great place to enjoy beautiful countryside from the banks of its two scenic rivers (the Can and Chelmer) and there are also an abundance of cycleways and footpaths, including parts of the Essex way, to explore. The city’s cathedral is one of the smallest, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in warmth, light and colour, while Primrose Hill is where many of the ringleaders were executed during the infamous Peasant’s Revolt of 1381.

Hylands House and Park, just to the west of the city, is another popular recreational spot with over 550 acres of landscaped parkland to enjoy. The beautifully restored house also dates back to 1730. And nearby Hanningfield Reservoir offers ancient and secondary woodland to walk and explore, while the reservoir itself is a Site of Specific Scientific Interest that has wide and varied populations of wildfowl and is among the top places in Essex to watch birds.

Running MareRunning Mare Lane, Chelmsford, CM2 8PN Tel. 01245 253031

And they’re off...

• There is a pleasant footpath from the pub which leads on to Lower Green, Galleywood Common and Baddow Park.

• Longer walks can be accessed too – the 45 mile St Peter’s Way from Chipping Ongar passes by Hanningfield Reservoir (four miles away) and onto Bradwell-on-Sea.

• Have a punt on The Running Mare for hearty real ales, filling food and wines from around the world – you won’t be disappointed!

For details on more attractions around Chelmsford, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/therunningmarechelmsford 3

For details on more attractions around Upminster, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thethatchedhouseupminster

Thatched HouseSt. Marys Lane, Upminster, RM14 3LTTel. 01708 641408

This rather different country inn nestles in the peaceful hamlet of Cranham, near Upminster, and although it was modernised in 1983, when the two small bars were knocked through, the pub still retains its Victorian charm and atmosphere.

It dates back to 1829 when a local farmer took out a loan to purchase the building that he turned into an inn that became The Thatched House. It was initially designed to serve the nearby cluster of cottages and Brandy Hall around the junction of Pike and St Mary’s Lane. The drinks haven’t stopped flowing since and the food is still as popular.

Cranham is still rural at heart with the old manor house by the church now Cranham Hall, while its marsh reserve is a timely reminder of the habitat that used to cover much of Essex. Rare marshland birds flourish, as do the more unusual birds of prey, and an abundant insect life and also a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

And Upminster is famous locally for its smock windmill, which is currently being restored to be the only working windmill in Greater London. A well preserved 16th century tithe barn is also a museum holding nearly 15,000 artefacts of domestic and agricultural use.

Walkers can also reach Hornchurch Country Park along the River Ingrebourne Valley Greenway from Upminster Bridge, which apart from some impressive woodland paths and a Site of Special Scientific Interest nature reserve, includes much of the airfield remains of RAF Hornchurch - that was home to an important squadron of spitfires protecting London during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War.

A flight of what you fancy...

• The coppice to the east of the pub is known locally as Frank’s Wood and is a popular walking spot, especially during the spring when the bluebells spectacularly flower.

• The Cranham Marsh Reserve can be accessed via Argyle Gardens or The Chase (both off St Mary’s Lane) and some of its woodland dates back to prehistoric times.

• Be sure to wing your way back to The Thatched House for a refreshing drink, a filling meal, and a relaxing place to rest up a while and refuel.

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This traditional whitewashed inn is at the heart of the charming village of Broomfield, just north of the historic cathedral city of Chelmsford. And there’s a park to the rear of the pub that provides an ideal play area for energetic children.

The Angel dates back to the 15th century and was originally a Hall House with north and south wings, becoming an inn at the turn of the 1700s. There are still original columns in the building holding up the roof, whilst the history of the pub can be found on the wall opposite the bar. Have a gander whilst enjoying a pint of real cask ale, one of many fine wines from around the world, or whilst waiting for your delicious meal to arrive.

Broomfield is still a small village and its church (St Mary’s) is one of only a few in Essex with a round tower, which is Norman, and shows many re-used Roman bricks as well. The immediate area is certainly a walker’s paradise and Little Meadows Nature Reserve is a popular destination that can be reached from Broomfield, from the other end of the bridleway to Croxton’s Mill.

Equally, the 81 mile criss-cross of footpaths that is the Essex Way can easily be picked up nearby in Great Waltham, near Chatham Hall, and this carries on south to historical Chelmsford which can be easily explored on two feet or two wheels. Highlights include the 18 arch Victorian railway viaduct that spans the River Can, the second smallest cathedral in England and the Chelmsford Museum which illustrates life through the ages.

The Angel160 Main Road, Broomfield, Chelmsford, CM1 7AH Tel. 01245 444917

For details on more attractions around Broomfield and Chelmsford, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/theangelbroomfield

Divine inspiration...

• From the pub, follow the scenic footpath to Woolpits Farm and the River Chelmer, then into Little Waltham towards Leez Lodge Lakes and onto Hartford End.

• Broomfield is one of the access points for the 22 mile Chelmsford Centenary Circle route that follows largely rural footpaths and bridleways and is fairly level and easygoing.

• See the light – The Angel is one of the best pubs for miles around when it comes to consistently good food, honest ales, fine wines and roaring log fires.

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This beautiful half-timbered inn is situated at the heart of the popular village of North Weald, close to the majestic Epping Forest, and is surrounded by Victorian houses.

It is one of the most ancient pubs in the whole of Essex, with parts of the structure dating back 450 years, and was originally built using old ships timbers salvaged from Tilbury docks. It’s full of crooked character with beams leaning and sagging in all directions and the ground floor doors barely 5ft high – but visitors from miles around come to drink in the atmosphere and sample real cask ales, fine wines and hearty pub fayre fit for a king.

During the Second World War, North Weald Airfield was a major base and the RAF crews were regulars at the pub, including the legendary Sir Douglas Bader. And North Weald continues to host a wide and varied range of aircraft today, with much activity centred around the Squadron with its period buildings. The interesting airfield museum is based in the former station house.

Many walkers use The Kings Head because of its proximity to the spectacular and ancient Epping Forest - which used to be a royal hunting ground and a haunt of the famous highwayman Dick Turpin - and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The pub is also just beyond the Roughtalley’s Wood Local Nature Reserve and there’s also easy access to the Essex Way, which starts in Epping and covers 81 miles to the east coast through ancient woodlands, open farmland, tree-lined river valleys, leafy green lanes and historic towns and villages.

Kings HeadHigh Road, North Weald, Epping, CM16 6BUTel. 01992 525001

You can see the wood for the trees...

• Take the footpath at the back of the pub car park (near the course of the Roman Road), which eventually leads south to the Essex Way.

• A lovely alternative is a footpath north to Crispey Brook Nature Reserve and on to Shonks Brook, where you can pick up the 28 mile circular Stort Valley Way.

• Walk this way for a leisurely lunch at

The Kings Head before you set off, or refreshing drinks and a rewarding evening meal on your return.

For details on more attractions around North Weald, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thekingsheadnorthweald 6

This great looking inn is just to the south east of historic Braintree, and the perfect base for popping into town for a visit.

Fowlers Farm has been in existence for over 500 years, starting life as a farmhouse. With its spacious gardens and unspoilt exterior, it still exudes pastoral charm. The period features, warm welcome, hearty food, fine wines and quaffable real ales combine to make it a home-from-home.

Accommodation is available.

Braintree, which is at the junction of two Roman roads, has museums and heritage centres which paint a picture of Bronze Age and Roman settlements and its later industrial successes within the wool, silk, lace and weaving trades.

This is an area of beautiful rolling countryside with medieval barns, jousting displays to be seen at a Norman keep, steam railways, magnificent houses with stunning gardens and listed windmills.

By contrast, the Freeport Braintree Outlet Shopping Village is near the pub and provides over 80 designer shops offering up to 60% off the RRP on a host of famous brands.

Slightly further afield, the impressive Coggeshall Grange Barn dates from the 12th century and is associated with a local Cisterian abbey. Now a National Trust property, it has a beautiful cathedral-like interior and is one of the largest timber framed barns in England. It has recently been restored to house an exhibition of the history of the barns and an interesting collection of farm wagons and carts.

Fowlers FarmCressing Road, Braintree, CM77 8DH Tel. 01376 551560

For details on more attractions around Braintree, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thefowlersfarmbraintree

Shop till you drop...

• Turn left out of the pub and at the island pick up the footpath to Tye Green and Cressing Church, where you can pick up the scenic Essex Way.

• The Freeport Braintree Shopping Outlet is within 600 yards of the pub for a walk of life with a difference.

• Fowlers Farm is the ideal place to relax, unwind, refuel and take stock – and lessen the burden of heavy rucksacks or shopping bags.

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For details on more attractions around Billericay, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thekingsheadbillericay

Kings HeadSouthend Road, Billericay, CM11 2PS Tel. 01277 637135

This black and white timbered inn is located off the Southend Road, just to the south east of Billericay, and looks every bit as grand today as it did in its highwayman heyday. It dates back to 1750, when it was known as The Black Horse, but we also know it was auctioned off in 1801.

At this time, travellers journeying between Rochford and Brentwood often stopped here for refreshment, prior to passing through the toll gate that stood next to the inn - and while the toll-gate is thankfully no more, The Kings Head is still very popular as a stop off for liquid refreshment and hearty pub fayre. Indeed, there’s always a warm welcome with roaring log fires, freshly prepared food, a great selection of real cask ales and a diverse wine menu to choose from.

Billericay is a semi-rural town with lots of green spaces and The Kings Head nestles between South Green to the north and Great Burstead village to the south, which was a major Saxon settlement. One of the earliest records of human occupation is the Bronze and Iron Age burial mounds, which still exist in Norsey Woods. This local nature reserve has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument and the diversity of the wildlife in this 175 acre site also makes it truly unique.

There is evidence of a small Roman cavalry fort at Blunts Wall too, while Billericay also had prosperous Tudor and Georgian periods and these are still visible today with many lovely, historic buildings in and around the High Street.

Fit for a king...

• There is a footpath opposite the pub, which passes the school and goes through Crays Hill Farm, and carries on towards the winding River Crouch.

• Wander through the stunning bluebell fields in nearby Norsey Wood and take a camera – as well as a step back in time.

• Eat and drink well at The Kings Head in style – but not for a king’s ransom we hasten to add!

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This amenable and welcoming inn resides in the quaint riverside village of Battlesbridge, near Wickford – which nestles in a meander of the River Crouch - and paints a pretty picture of unhurried estuary life in rural Essex.

The inn dates back as far as 1678 when it was described in the deeds as a “small rectangular building”, but it has continued to flourish over the years and still entices locals, urbanites, tourists and the sailing fraternity alike with a great selection of food, quaffable real ales, a diverse range of fine wines and period features like inglenook fireplaces.

Wickford is an ancient settlement that dates back to at least 975 and Battlesbridge gets its name from the Bataille family that looked after the bridge across the tidal Crouch. This focus on the past continues today as the village contains one of the UK’s leading antiques centres, which is based around a former mill and houses more than 80 dealers in five interesting buildings. Many people here combine a meal at The Hawk either before or after their visit.

Lower Barn Craft & Cultural Centre two miles away is another local favourite and includes studios specialising in dolls houses, blacksmiths, furniture and pottery plus larger architectural pieces, while just a mile further is Marsh Farm Country Park. Some 350 acres, it offers interesting farm trails and estuary walks along the sea walls, but it’s also a nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest and the marshes and freshwater lakes attract a wide variety of wild birds.

The HawkHawk Hill, Battlesbridge, Wickford, SS11 7RJ Tel. 01268 767263

Go with the flow...

• From the pub car park you can walk along the banks of the Crouch to the bridge, which takes in a good view of the marina and the boats tied up at the river’s head.

• The Highlands Farm Walk nearby offers good views of the Crouch and numerous rare birds and insects, across mud and salt marsh, burrow dykes and ancient hedgerow.

• Meander back to The Hawk and let the tide come in over a refreshing pint, light lunch, or an even more leisurely evening meal.

For details on more attractions around Battlesbridge and Wickford, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thehawkbattlesbridge 9

This stately looking inn stands proud in the Springfield area east of the city and is nestled just beyond Chelmer Village.

The Fox & Raven hasn’t always been a public house – in the 1851 directory of Springfield it’s listed as the Barnes Farm farmhouse. Springfield took its name from the numerous springs in the area, and in the Domesday Book of 1086 is called Springafeld.

Indeed, there were people living here in prehistoric times, judging by the remains of a settlement at Brook End, now on the edges of Chelmer Village. Springfield Road still follows the line of the old Roman road, while in the 17th century the village was lived in by some very wealthy people, who built the big houses that still exist today. Springfield Place, Springfield Dukes, and the Old Priory, were all built around the green and All Saints Church, which is over 1,000 years-old.

The inn, meanwhile, sits on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, which runs through a largely unspoilt part of rural Essex and connects the county town of Chelmsford with the tidal estuary of the River Blackwater and the open sea. It was designed in 1793 by the renowned canal engineer John Rennie and most of his original structures are intact together with the entire length of the original waterway – which is now used for leisure rather than transport.

There’s plenty to do in the area – if you love shopping, there’s a retail park just across the road from the pub. The tallest structure in the Chelmsford area is the former Chain Home radar tower in Great Baddow, which rises to 360 ft (110 m). It’s the only Chain Home tower still in its original unmodified form in the UK and is a highly visible landmark.

Fox & Raven Barnes Mill Road, Chelmsford, CM2 6NL Tel. 01245 267364

For details on more attractions around Chelmsford, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thefoxandravenchelmsford

On yer bike...

• This area is on the National Cycle Route 1 – and the Springfield/Chelmer Village Circular Route is eight miles long and takes in part of the river.

• Springfield Canal Route is seven miles long and takes in most of the pretty waterway and finishes round Beaulieu Park.

• The Fox & Raven’s is an ideal pit stop all year round for refreshing drinks, hearty pub food and social gatherings around roaring log fires!

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For information about The Coach & Horses and just some of the many things to see and do in the Bishop’s Stortford area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thecoachandhorsesbishopsstortford

Coach & HorsesThorley Street, Thorley, Bishops Stortford, CM23 4AS Tel. 01279 710991

This traditional white coaching inn lies in the Thorley district just south of the ancient Hertfordshire market town of Bishop’s Stortford – and is very handy for Stansted Airport.

Situated alongside the Hockerhill Turnpike Trust Road, it originated in the 18th century when Bishop’s Stortford became a staging post on the mail coach routes between London and both Cambridge and Newmarket. Records show that in 1791 it also doubled as a Post Office run by Richard Thompson, but was owned by Sarah Bass in the early 19th century and by the late 1900s was taken over by the Industrial Co-operative Brewery.

The town took its origin from, and has grown up around, the ford over the river, which is now known as the Stort, which was used as far back as Roman times. Bishop’s Stortford also has the remains of a motte and bailey structure (Waytemore Castle now called Castle Hill) which dominates the town gardens and once belonged to Edith, mistress of the Saxon King Harold.

It retains a rich collection of medieval, plus 16th and 17th century buildings, but really took off in 1769 when the head of the River Stort Navigation, opened in the town centre. Once used to carry grain and malt into London it is no longer used for trade, but is now a 14 mile recreational waterway linking Bishop’s Stortford with an extensive national canal network.

Cecil Rhodes, founder of Rhodesia was born in the town and his house is now a museum and arts centre. The exhibits relate to old Bishop’s Stortford, Africa and the British Empire, plus a mural which tells the story of the town from the Ice Age to the present day. Other places of interest include St Michael’s Church, on Windhill, which has a spire 56 metres high that can be seen for many miles around.

Horses for courses…

• Pick up the Riverside Trail on London Road, near the pub, and you can walk around town via an old Victorian Maltings, the war memorial and gardens, Castle Hill plus the Sworders Field green lung.

• Head south from the same spot along the Stort Navigation and you can walk to Spellbrook, Sawbridgeworth and Harlow.

• Straight from the horse’s mouth, The Coach & Horses is still the best staging post in town for refreshing real ales, hearty pub fayre, fine wines from around the world and roaring log fires.

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This picturesque pub with its popular garden is located in the seaside town of Clacton, the capital of the ‘Essex Sunshine Coast’ and famed for its long sandy beaches and seafront gardens.

The site on which the inn stands was originally a farmhouse, but the inn was built in 1823. We know this because buildings were then taxed on the number of fireplaces in the property – and this date is engraved in the stone above the fireplace that can still be seen in the bar today. What also stands out is the roaring log fire welcome on a winter’s evening and the scenic beer garden that’s perfect for light refreshments and alfresco dining in the warmer months.

The Robin Hood is nestled in the Great Clacton part of town, which has its own nature reserve and a valuable green space in Pickers Ditch Meadows.

It’s perfect for a peaceful stroll, away from any hustle and bustle, but for those who like it livelier head down to the 19th century Clacton Pier just under a mile away – it’s reputed to be the world’s largest and has made Clacton famous.

This family-run, entertainment, pleasure pier has 19 fairground rides for the whole family to enjoy (some white knuckle and some under cover) and six and a half acres of pier sits out over the North Sea and is flanked by seven miles of beaches. Clacton Factory Shopping Village is also worth a visit offering up to 60% off high street prices. And you can’t fail to see the two remaining Martello Towers that date back to the late 18th century and the Napoleonic Wars.

We do like to be beside the seaside ...

• Stroll down to the pier, turn left along the prom past Martello Towers, and onto Jaywick, Saint Osyth Point and finally Brightlingsea for a bracing seaside walk.

• Closer to home, Pickers Ditch Meadows Nature Reserve has a pretty copse area surrounding the existing footpath.

• All that seaside air is bound to work up a thirst and appetite – and The Robin Hood is the ideal place to decamp for you and your merry men.

For details on more attractions around Clacton, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/therobinhoodclactononsea 12

Robin Hood211 London Road, Clacton On Sea, CO15 4EDTel. 01255 476785

This impressive black and white timbered inn with its pretty gardens is nestled in the village of Ardleigh, just north east of historic Colchester, and is a popular stop off point for travellers on the A12 from Ipswich and the port of Felixstowe, through to the M25 and beyond.

It dates back to at least 1648 and the Civil War when loyalist supporters to Charles I were held there by Cromwell’s army who were lodging there and to this day it has a ghost room over the cellar. And just north of Ardleigh is the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is Dedham Vale, which is perhaps most famous for being ‘Constable Country’ after the famous English landscape painter, John Constable.

Colchester, meanwhile, claims to be the oldest town in Britain and was once the capital of Roman Britain. Its main landmark, however, is medieval and Colchester Castle is the largest ever built by the Normans, while the town houses several award winning museums. It’s also the home and inspiration for three of the best known English nursery rhymes – Old King Cole, ‘Humpty Dumpty’ and ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’.

Just minutes from Colchester’s bustling town centre is High Woods Country Park and with its woods, wildflowers, lakes and circular walks it is a real breath of fresh air, while the 16th century Bourne Mill with its working waterwheel and tranquil grounds is another verdant oasis in suburban Colchester. The Tudor and Georgian Castle House also stands nearby in spacious grounds with well maintained gardens and is a homage to the famous horse painter Alfred Munnings who lived there.

For details on more attractions around Colchester, plus other ideas for days out in the area, visit www.vintageinn.co.uk/thecrowncolchester

No need to reservoir a spot...

• On leaving the pub, turn left down the Old Ipswich Road (an old Roman road) and within 200 yards you reach the 30 acre lake that is Ardleigh Reservoir.

• Apart from some lovely walks along its shores, Ardleigh is also very popular for recreational activities like sailing, game and coarse fishing.

• Make sure The Crown isn’t the one that got away though, as it’s unrivalled in the area for good food, decent wines and real cask ales.

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The CrownOld Ipswich Road, Ardleigh, Colchester, CO7 7QR Tel. 01206 231946