Places features

Essex poet and author Martin Newell has been looking at the best attractions in Essex after the Rough Guide to England described much of it as "an unappetising commuter-strip just outside London."

He thinks that many of the best things about Essex are almost secret:

"I'm constantly amazed by the breadth and diversity of the county.  For a start, Essex is England's eighth biggest county," he says.

"It has the third longest coastline and, unbelievably, is actually still 70 per cent rural.  It's a place loved by bird watchers, sailing folk and artists."  

So where does Martin recommend visitors go to discover it's hidden treasures?

Tucked away on the Tendring Peninsular, near Thorpe-le-Soken, work has been going on for the past seven years to restore the Lost Gardens of Thorpe Hall.

In their heyday, between the two world wars, Thorpe Hall's ancient gardens were visited by Royalty, statesmen and famous writers.

Martin has also been looking at Frinton.  Although some argue the town is twee and old-fashioned  in the mid 1930s, architect Oliver Hill marshalled the cream of this country's architectural talent to help design the Frinton Park Estate.

This was supposed to be an exclusive housing development.  However the estate was never completed.

There were arguments between the developers and the council and in the end they simply ran out of money.

Oliver Hill's dream capsized, leaving Frinton's northern flank with a fraction of what he'd intended, but still the finest collection of such buildings in the country.

These are just a couple of examples of the hidden treasures of Essex. 

For those of us who know better, than the Rough Guide to England, the unsung beauty of Essex, and its under-explored terrain stretches endlessly before us.