Don’t know where to spend weekends? Look at the list of the most interesting and romantic places of Essex.
Colchester Town Hall
The impressive Town Hall building in Colchester is perhaps the most interesting and romantic architecture among all the buildings of provincial city councils in Britain. There have always been official residences of the city government since the early Middle Ages. The Town Hall building was built in 1902 by architect John Belcher. It is distinguished by its extraordinary decorativeness, sculptures of outstanding countrymen on the walls of the facade and a magnificent clock tower. At the top of the tower, at an altitude of 50 meters, there is a bronze figure of Saint Helena facing the side of Jerusalem built. It is visible from every corner of the city.
Beth Chatto Gardens
Gravel garden pleases the eyes with pedestrian paths lined with light gravel, as well as a huge assortment of drought-resistant plants from Mediterranean countries and temperate zones, abundantly flowering from early spring to late autumn. Here you can admire the different types of shrubs, bulbous and small-bulbous plants, various types of ornamental onions, yarrow, wormwood, verbena, horseradish, lavender, bells, cornflowers, ornamental grasses: barley, feather grass, pinnate, and many other plant species. Take your soul mate (find more here: https://yesdates.com/matches/) to this magnificent place.
Colchester Zoo
The zoo in Colchester is considered one of the best in Europe. Thanks to the excellent work of specialists, it has become a real home for many rare and endangered species, including large cats, primates and birds. And today the zoo has something to be proud of. A herd of African elephants, five lions, orangutans, Amur tigers, Humboldt penguins, many birds – and this is not all the living treasures that live in the Colchester Zoo. Many of them regularly bring offspring, increasing the number of inhabitants and enabling to exchange animals with other zoos. For example, a little baby of a rare white rhinoceros was born here very recently. It is only 25 hectares, converted into a beautiful park with ponds, but you can see 260 species of animals. Agree that this is not bad for a provincial zoo.
Southend Pier
If you walk along the main street of Southend-on-Sea towards the sea, your eyes will constantly be attracted to the long straight line of the pier, which goes away from the shore. This is the longest walking pier in the world, which has become a recognized symbol of the city. The pier provides a stunning view of all 360 degrees, gives a dose of invigorating fresh air, allows you to experience a real sense of freedom. In 2012, at the base of the pier, a new cultural center was opened, the main hall of which accommodates 185 spectators. Nowadays, there is an art studio, a cafe, and a snack bar with a covered terrace that is perfect for contemplating the sunset.
Hylands Park
Hylands Park is more than 500 hectares of well-groomed areas located in the immediate vicinity of the city of Chelmsford. Emerged in the XVIII century around a private estate with the same name, it has become an open city park since 1966. Today Hylands Park is a traditional recreation place where you can enjoy walking tours on special routes, watch a theatrical performance in the open air, and ride in a carriage drawn by horses. Children will certainly want to visit the playground made in the form of an old castle and adults will be happy to go to the exhibitions of the masters of Essex, which are regularly arranged in the park.
