Essex (England)

ceremonial county in England (use Q21272241 for administrative non-metropolitan county)

Essex is a large county in East Anglia, England. It lies to the east and north-east of London, and is home to three cities, several bustling market towns, and hundreds of countryside villages.

Essex's coastline, with its estuaries and islands, is more than 350 miles long. Some of its green spaces and small towns have inspired artists and musicians - notably John Constable in the Dedham Vale (now an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and Gustav Holst in Thaxted. Some of its green spaces have a special legal status, including the Lee Valley, Epping Forest, Dedham Vale, and seven National Nature Reserves. Colchester lays claim to being Britain's first capital city. Southend Pier, at 1.33 miles, is the longest in the world. Its county town is Chelmsford.

Some areas of East London were once a part of the county. Locals in Romford and Ilford, for example, often lay claim to being from Essex.

Towns and villages

Other destinations

  • 🌍 Dedham Vale - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with walks along the River Stour
  • 🌍 Epping Forest - once a royal forest, now protected in law for "the recreation and enjoyment of the public"
  • 🌍 Foulness Island - Essex's largest island under Ministry of Defence ownership, with restricted access
  • 🌍 Hatfield Forest - more than 1,000 acres of woodland managed by the National Trust, with some trees over 1,000 years old

Understand

Contrary to popular belief and stereotypes, Essex is not actually an urban wasteland. Most of the county is rural, and has some very beautiful scenery that is not widely known to outsiders. Saffron Walden, in the north-west of the county, epitomises this defiance of the classic Essex stereotype, as do many of the smaller towns and villages. Essex is bordered by Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the south via the Thames Estuary and Greater London to the south west.

Many Essex residents especially in the southwest of the county work and commute in London. Most say it's like their second home. But do not tell people from Essex they're Londoners despite some southwestern parts being inside the M25 circle.

Talk

Accents vary in Essex. In the northern and rural areas of the county, you are much more likely to hear the traditional East Anglian accent. But in the south of the county the most commonly heard is known as the estuary accent; some say this is a cross between Cockney and East Anglian.

Some foreign languages are heard in some major towns and cities due to tourism and business, you will mostly hear their language in the southwest bordering Greater London. But in rural areas, locals only understand English.

Get in

By plane

London Stansted Airport

🌍 London Stansted Airport (STN ) is near Stansted Mountfitchet and Great Dunmow. It is a major international airport with flights from destinations throughout the UK, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Stansted is a major hub for Ryanair. The airport lies next to the dual-carriageway between Bishop's Stortford, Great Dunmow, Braintree and Colchester. It also lies next to the motorway Junction 8 between London, Harlow and Cambridge. Car parks are signposted.

Stansted Airport railway station lies beneath the terminal building. Stansted Express fast trains call at Bishop's Stortford (change for Greater Anglia stopping services in Essex, Harlow Town, Tottenham Hale and London Liverpool Street (change for Greater Anglia services into Brentwood, Chelmsford and Southend). Greater Anglia trains call at Audley End within Essex, and continue towards Cambridge and Norwich. CrossCountry trains also serve Stansted Airport, bound for Cambridge, Peterborough, Leicester and Birmingham New Street.

Stansted Airport coach station lies next to the terminal building. Routes to destinations in Essex includeː

London Southend Airport

🌍 London Southend Airport (SEN) is near Southend-on-Sea, with a small number of routes from destinations in Europe and North Africa. It lies close to the Prince Avenue, which is a direct connection to Rayleigh, Basildon and London.

Southend Airport railway station is served by Greater Anglia trains to Southend Victoria, Rochford, Rayleigh, Wickford, Billericay and Brentwood, and onward to London Liverpool Street.

Bus route Airlink X30 connects Southend Airport with Southend city centre, Rayleigh, Chelmsford, Great Dunmow and Stansted Airport. Arriva 9/9A connect the airport with Shoeburyness, Southend and Rayleigh.

London airports

Beyond Essex, London City Airport (LCY) is in East London. From the terminal, use  DLR  and change at London Stratford for Greater Anglia rail services into Essex.

London Luton Airport (LTN) is also in the East of England, with direct National Express coaches to Harlow (route 737) and Stansted Airport (737, 777).

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) west of London is the UK's largest international airport with flights from destinations throughout the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North and South America. It is connected to Essex via the motorway. Also use  ELI  trains from Heathrow Airport to London Liverpool Street, and change for trains into Essex.

By boat

🌍 Harwich International Port lies on the Essex coast. It is served by Stena Line ferries from Hook of Holland (Netherlands Netherlands), near The Hague and Rotterdam. You can travel as a foot/cycle passenger or with your vehicle. The North Sea crossing takes around 7 hours.

In the Netherlands, Hook of Holland/Hoek van Holland is signposted from (from Amsterdam) and (from Rotterdam). Note that E-roads in the United Kingdom are not signposted. Hoek van Holland Haven station is on the Rotterdam Metro  B , which lies directly opposite the Stena Line terminal.

At Harwich, Harwich International railway station is attached to the ferry terminal. You can catch Greater Anglia trains direct to Harwich Town and Manningtree, where you can change for services to Colchester and Chelmsford (and onwards to London Liverpool Street). A small number of trains run direct to Colchester and Chelmsford (and onwards to London Liverpool Street).

The road connects Harwich International Port with Harwich, Colchester and the for Chelmsford, Brentwood and London.

Bus route Hedingham and Chambers 22 serves Harwich International Port, which operates within Harwich and Dovercourt only. Essex Bus 102 is a limited service to Dedham and Colchester.

🌍 Harwich Ha'penny Pier is served by the Harwich Harbour Ferry during summer months, direct from Shotley and Felixstowe, both in Suffolk. It is a foot and bicycle only ferry.

By train

Railways in Essex are either part of the National Rail National Rail or London Underground networks. A large number of trains are stopping or commuter services between London and destinations in Essex. Some stations are served by fast services on the Great Eastern Main Line or West Anglia Main Line, including Chelmsford, Colchester and Stansted Airport.

From London

From the City of London, the capital's financial district, Essex-bound trains depart from both London Liverpool Street and London Fenchurch Street. Use  CEN   CIR   H&C   MET   ELI   WEA  to reach Liverpool Street. Fenchurch Street is not on the London Underground network, but Tower Hill ( CIR   DIS ) and Tower Gateway ( DLR ) stations are a short walk from the station.

From East Londonː

  • Stratford station on  CEN   JUB   DLR   ELI   MLD  is served by fast and local Greater Anglia trains towards Braintree, Brentwood, Clacton-on-Sea, Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Rayleigh, Southend Victoria and Wickford. Some local trains also call at Romford ( LIB ) in East London.
  • You can also travel into Essex from Limehouse ( DLR ), West Ham ( JUB   DLR ), Barking ( DIS   H&C   SUF ) and Upminster ( DIS   LIB ) on the c2c route out of London Fenchurch Street - towards Basildon, Chafford Hundred for Lakeside Shopping Centre, Grays, Tilbury Town, Southend Central and Shoeburyness.

From Tottenham Hale on  VIC , you can travel with Greater Anglia towards Audley End for Saffron Walden and Harlow, and Stansted Express towards Harlow and Stansted Airport.

The Elizabeth line  ELI  crosses London, calling at Brentwood and Shenfield in Essex. It is a direct connection into the county from Heathrow Airport, stations in West London, London Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, The City and the East End. You can use your Contactless card to travel between all stations on the line.

The London Underground Central line  CEN  crosses London, calling at Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Epping, Loughton and Theydon Bois in Essex, which are all within London zones 4-6. It is a direct connection into the county from stations in West London, Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, The City and Bethnal Green. You can use your Oyster or Contactless card to travel between all stations on the line.

You must purchase a valid ticket for your journey. Most National Rail stations in Essex are outside London's Oyster and Contactless card zones, so you cannot rely on them to complete your journey. Instead, you can buy a ticket at most stations, or using an online retailer such as nationalrail.co.uk or thetrainline.com.

From Norfolk and Suffolk

Greater Anglia trains depart Norwich forː

  • Colchester and Chelmsford (and some intermediate stations)
  • Audley End for Saffron Walden and Stansted Airport

Greater Anglia trains depart Ipswich for Manningtree, Colchester, Marks Tey, Kelvedon, Witham, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford and Shenfield.

From Cambridgeshire and the Midlands

Greater Anglia trains depart Ely and Cambridge for Audley End for Saffron Walden and Stansted Airport.

CrossCountry trains depart Birmingham New Street, Leicester, Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge for Stansted Airport.

By bus

There are several major bus routes into Essex, includingː

By car

Major roads into the county include:

Get around

By car

Essex is excellent for car travel due to the rural nature of the county. Avoid the M25 and southwest Essex if you can as extremely congested traffic is common. But away from the M25, it is easier to drive around. Some towns and cities experience the usual rush hour, i.e., 7-9AM and 4-6PM.

By train

Essex has a good railway network like the rest of the country with frequent trains into London and Suffolk. In the southwest of the county, the Central Line on the London Underground runs into London from Epping. Trains run frequently from early morning to night.

See

  • Seals with orange fake sun-tans: this is the mark of any seal that dwells in Hamford Water near Frinton-on-Sea: the estuary mud contains iron oxides which stain the pelt. When these seals show up on beaches miles away, they stand out from the rest and are mocked as "Essex Girls".

Do

  • The Oak Trail is a walk through Epping Forest and nearby villages
  • Watch cricket: Essex CCC play at the County Ground in Chelmsford.

Eat

  • Oysters are native to Essex. There are oyster farms and fisheries along the Essex coast, particularly between Maldon and Colchester. Pubs, restaurants and shacks serve them throughout the county. Oyster season only takes place in months with an "r" in the name (i.e. not May-August), because they spawn during the summer, but farmed oysters stay fresh when frozen or refrigerated properly.

Stay safe

Contrary to popular belief, Essex actually has one of the lowest crime rates in England. However some poorer towns in the more urbanised south and west of the county should be approached with caution, especially at night.

As with the rest of the UK, in any emergency call 999 or 112 (from a land-line if you can) and ask for Ambulance, Fire or Police when connected.

Go next

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