Cycling the length of lovely Essex

 

If you ask anyone in the UK what words they think of when they hear the word 'Essex' they often come up with negative things (to do with promiscuity, venality and decrepitude, amongst other things). And even the US has heard of the TV show 'The only way is Essex'. Think 'Jersey Shore'

But if you actually go to Essex you will see that it is really interesting, often beautiful, and no more venal or promiscuous than the rest of us. It is also huge, by UK standards.

Last Friday, I cycled most of the length of it, from Manningtree to London, in training for my London-Paris sponsored bike ride ( hint, hint: Sponsor me! )

I covered nearly 70 miles from East to West and saw so many different sides to the county. I passed through Tiptree (famous for its jam - and I'm not talking about the A12 here). The country all around had orchards and fruit fields, and we get the most luscious big black cherries from here every summer.

Between Tiptree and Chelmsford I headed south into all the lovely gentle valleys heading down to the coast. Here is a video from a high lark-filled field facing down to the sea:

field in Essex

As you cycle West you notice so many old buildings along the old roads heading to London. The old Roman road ( which I think the Romans called the 'Great Road') connects the Roman cities of Colchester and Chelmsford with the capital, and you end up cycling along very straight old A-roads with ancient pubs and houses on the. Here is one part of the Roman road in Boreham.

There are lots of other good things to find in Essex too. It has several of the traditional Seaside Resorts for the East End of London. It has Canvey Island where Dr Feelgood came from. It has Epping Forest, allegedly full of bumped-off East End gangsters. It has one of the longest coastlines of any county in England, and more timbered houses than any county, full stop. 

It is also the place where we lived for about 3 years before moving out to Suffolk. As I've mentioned elsewhere, our street was so photogenic that it was on the cover of a ladybird story book. And at that time gas hadn't yet been piped to the village, so all the houses had open fires or stoves. But 30 minutes drive would take you to the end of the Underground line in Epping. It was really hard to believe how close we were to the city while being so remote from it. And we loved it there.

Go on, give it a try, make friends with Essex.