Top Essex historic sites and gardens Audley End House and Gardens

Audley End is one of England’s most magnificent stately

homes. It was given by Henry VIII to his Lord Chancellor

Sir Thomas Audley who transformed it into this grand

Jacobean mansion. It was built to entertain kings and in

1668 Charles II bought it as somewhere to stay when

he attended the races at Newmarket. During the 18th

century Robert Adam added an impressive suite of

reception rooms on the ground floor and 'Capability'

Brown was brought in to landscape the parkland.

In more recent years the Victorian service wing was

restored to its former heyday and during special events you can experience the team at work as they would

have done all those years ago. More of the history and life upstairs is revealed in the nursery suite where you

can see how Victorian children played and grew up. You can also visit the Coal Gallery, once a hive of

activity, as we recreate the hustle and bustle of servants' daily routines. Don’t miss visiting the stunning

formal gardens including the Organic Kitchen Garden with a variety of fruit and vegetables, as well as

various other herbs, flowers and grasses in keeping with those grown and used in the house around 1880.

Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/audley

Layer Marney Tower

Layer Marney Tower, constructed in the first half of the

reign of Henry VIII, is not only the tallest Tudor Gatehouse

in Britain; it is also one of the country’s most dramatic

buildings. The building is principally the creation of Henry

1st Lord Marney, In building on this scale the Marneys

were following the example of their monarch, Henry VIII,

who believed that a building should reflect the

magnificence of its owner. Henry Marney as Lord Privy

Seal, Captain of the Bodyguard and many other influential

positions clearly intended to display his status through his new building. This beautiful Tudor building, with

16th century Italianate terracotta, is surrounded by formal gardens and parkland with magnificent views to

the Blackwater Estuary. Visitors can climb the tower and enjoy light lunches, teas and cakes in The Tea

Room in the old stable. Website: www.layermarneytower.co.uk

Colchester Castle

Once the capital of Roman Britain, Colchester is

Britain’s oldest recorded town, which is why heritage

fans should include a visit to the castle during their trip.

Since the 16th century, the Castle has been a ruin, a

library and a gaol for witches. Following recent

refurbishments a visit to Colchester Castle is now

bigger, brighter and better than ever before, with brand

new interactive displays including new finds and star

exhibits like the Colchester Vase and the Colchester

Mercury statuette. Visitors can try out some exciting

new experiences like building a Norman archway, excavating a Roman doctor’s grave or steering a chariot

around Colchester’s recently uncovered Roman Circus! Website: www.cimuseums.org.uk

Hylands House

Hylands House is a stunning Grade II listed property built

in 1730 as a modest red brick Queen Anne style house.

Over the years it has changed and developed

considerably throughout its history. Following extensive

restoration it has now returned to its former glory. It is

situated in 574 acres of historic parkland landscaped in

the 18th century by Humphry Repton, one of England's

most famous landscape architects. Visitors can explore

the park for free or visit the house for a small entry fee.

Various events are held here regularly. The park is the

venue for the renowned annual V-Festival which has seen world class singers perform here year after year.

Website: www.chelmsford.gov.uk/hylands

Ingatestone Hall

This 16th century manor house built by Sir William Petre,

Secretary of State to four Tudor monarchs, and still

occupied by his descendants. The house substantially

retains its original Tudor form and appearance with its

mullioned windows, high chimneys, crow-step gables

and oak-panelled rooms containing furniture, pictures

and memorabilia accumulated over the centuries. The

Hall stands in open countryside, one mile from the

village of Ingatestone and is surrounded by ten acres of

enclosed gardens comprising extensive lawns, walled garden and stew pond.

Website: www.ingatestonehall.com

RHS Garden Hyde Hall

With sweeping panoramas, big open skies and far reaching

views this Essex garden provides somewhere to watch the

changing seasons and get closer to nature. In spring, Hyde

Hall erupts with a range of flowering bulbs in a plethora of

shapes and sizes. Summer arrives with an exuberant display

of colour in the herbaceous border, the heady scent of a

thousand rose blooms and the Mediterranean brought to

Essex in the purple haze of the Dry Garden. Autumn is a

subtle delight with flowering grasses, structural seed heads,

turning leaves and Winter provides magical scenes of rolling frost tinged fields, wide open skies and the

reflection of skeletal trees and coloured stems. Must see areas include the quintessential hilltop garden with

its ponds, roses, herbaceous borders and lush green lawns. Website: www.rhs.org.uk/hydehall

Beth Chatto Gardens

Created from an overgrown wasteland, with poor soil and

boggy hollows, these informal gardens are a triumph of

planting in every condition. Garden-writer Beth Chatto

began her garden on this unpromising site in 1960, and set

about finding plants to suit the difficult conditions. The

large Gravel Garden has been filled with drought-loving

plants; a soggy hollow has been transformed into a

dramatic Water Garden, where the impact of lush green

growth is almost overpowering. Huge upturned parasols of

gunnera tower above a hundred shades of emerald, creating a scene of harmony and tranquillity. The cool

shade of the woodland has also been exploited to the full with spring bulbs illuminating the woodland floor for

weeks. Website: www.bethchatto.co.uk

Tilbury Fort

Tilbury Fort on the Thames Estuary has protected London’s

seaward approach from the 16th century through to the

Second World War. The present fort is much the best

example of its type in England, with its circuit of moats and

bastioned outworks. Henry VIII built the first fort here, and

Queen Elizabeth I famously rallied her army nearby to face

the threat of the Armada. Explore the magazine houses

used to store vast quantities of gunpowder or enter the

bastion magazine passages and feel what it was like for the

soldiers who lived here. The exhibition traces the role of the fort in the defence of London.

Website: www.english-heritage.org.uk/tilburyfort

Hedingham Castle

A Norman keep built 1140 and visited by King Henry

VII, King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. There are

four floors to explore, including the Banqueting Hall

spanned by a 28 foot arch, one of the largest Norman

arches in England. A good view of this splendid room

can be obtained from the Minstrels' Gallery. To

commemorate 800 years since the sealing of the Magna

Carta, and the close involvement of Robert de Vere,

third Earl of Oxford and Lord of Hedingham Castle with

the rebel Barons, there will be a spectacular day full of

history, rebellion and battles on the 14 June 2015. Website: www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk

Paycocke’s House and Gardens

Paycocke's is a National Trust Property built in 1509/10.

It’s a stunning Tudor half-timbered merchant's house with

uncommonly intricate carved woodwork and panelling.

Built for Thomas Paycocke it shows off the wealth

generated by the cloth trade in Coggeshall and in Essex.

Paycocke's House has lots of stories to tell, from riches to

rags and back again. It was saved from neglect by a

descendant of Paycocke, Noel Buxton, who in 1904 began

a twenty year restoration project, including the creation of

a delightful Arts and Crafts garden.

Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/paycockes

The Gibberd Gardens

Considered be one of the most important post-war

gardens in the country, the garden, pure theatre in its

planting and design, includes formal lawns, ornate

terraces, a dramatic mature lime avenue, pools,

streams and glades, and a fascinating collection of

sculpture and architectural pieces. Sir Frederick

Gibberd (1908-1984) an uncompromising modern

architect and pioneering landscape designer, not only

successfully master planned the new town of Harlow,

but was committed to bringing art to the lives of its

residents. From 1972 until his death in 1984, Sir Frederick set about buying and commissioning sculptures

and other works for the garden. The result is a highly individual creation which is now recognised as an

important contribution to 20th-century garden design. Website: www.thegibberdgarden.co.uk

Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum

The Gardens and Arboretum feature a tree collection

from all the temperate areas of the world set in more

than 200 acres of historic landscape providing interest

and enjoyment throughout the year. You can follow the

paths through the Arboretum, where you can see

beautiful vistas and a host of exotic trees from around

the world. The 17th century Walled Garden, alongside

the upper lake, is a favourite spot. The five gardens on

the main terrace have been designed to inspire and

entertain young and old alike through a mix of

contemporary landscaping and vibrant planting. Each garden comes to its peak in succession throughout

the summer, the hot tones of one contrasting with the freshness of foliage and grasses in another. The 21st

century design compliments the longest traditional double border in Essex. Mediterranean species thrive in

the microclimate created by the warm brick walls, extending the range of plants grown.

Website: www.markshall.org.uk

Stow Maries WW1 Aerodrome

Built by the RAF during WW1, the aerodrome with the

majority of its original buildings still intact, is designated

a Conservation Area. The aerodrome is now the subject

of a sympathetic restoration project to return it to its

former state. Experience the aircraft, buildings and

ambience of 100 years ago. Of the 47 original structures,

22 still exist at least in part and seven have already been

restored. During 2015, thanks to grants from WREN and

English Heritage, work will begin on conserving several

more. As you explore the site, visit the Blacksmith's

Shed, the Pilots' Ready Room and the Airmen's Mess, now operating as a tea room. From Easter the

museum and shop will be greatly expanded, using a newly available building, and there will be a hangar with

a ground display of some aircraft types flown from the aerodrome to defend London from German Zeppelin

and Gotha bomber raids. A number of events and Fly-ins take place throughout the year.

Website: www.stowmaries.org.uk