Features

On the Map: Unusual Escapes in Essex

12 May 2019

We’ll admit to having a soft spot for Essex. For starters, we’re based in Leigh-on-Sea, which was crowned the UK’s Happiest Place to Live in 2018.

But it’s not just happiness you’ll find in Essex. This is an extremely diverse county that’s home to windswept coastal havens, soothing rural retreats, and adventurous escapes filled with fun!

(The Clockwork Hotel includes a thrilling escape game as part of your stay, while on the private and unique Osea Island you can revel in unsurpassed nature…whilst taking advantage of the onsite recording studios that have hosted celebrities from Jessie J to Tinie Tempah).

Convenience rates high on the list, too. Being so close to London, Essex is an easily-accessible antidote to the standard city bustle, yet you’ll feel as though you’ve been spirited to another world.

So if you’re ready to have your expectations good and challenged, simply head for Essex and enjoy a truly unforgettable break.

Main image: Lushna Suites at Lee Wick Farm, St Osyth

Coleman's Farm

Ongar, Essex, England
A luxuriously tranquil retreat with four magical, adults-only hideaways, nestled on a much-loved family farm that’s just an hour from bustling central London.
Bedrooms: 1 per unit
Sleeps: 2
From
£155 / night

Hideaway Heath Hollow

Colchester, Essex, England
A unique, quirky cabin-for-two with an al fresco hot tub, rich in luxurious detail and beautifully secluded on the edge of ancient Essex woodland.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£225 /night

Osea Island

UK / Blackwater Estuary, Essex, England
A blissfully exclusive private island retreat in the Blackwater Estuary in Essex with a range of onsite amenities.  
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies
From
£225 / night

Champing Berden

Berden, Essex, England
Sleep over in a mesmerising medieval church, soothingly set in a Domesday Book-listed Essex village with beautiful rural views.
Bedrooms:
Sleeps: 6
From
£49 /night

Lee Wick Farm Cottages and Glamping

St Osyth, Essex, England
A petite and pretty glamping site featuring Megapods, a CargoPod, Armadillas and two farm cottages with glorious countryside and estuary views.
Bedrooms: varies
Sleeps: varies
From
£80 / night

Browning Bros Teybrook Orchard

Great Tey, Colchester, Essex, England
Take your pick of unforgettable group glamping in the heavenly Teybrook Orchard, tucked away in rural North Essex.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: 2-4 per unit
From
£60 /night

Water Lily Lodge

Great Tey, Colchester, Essex, England
Hidden away in Colne Valley, at the end of a country track, is the Log Cabin - a wonderful hot tub lakeside holiday retreat oozing style, class and total luxury.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£220 / night

Lushna Suites at Lee Wick Farm

St Osyth, Essex, England
Eco-friendly glamping on a working potato farm... complete with spectacular sea views.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: 2 or 2(+2) per Suite
From
£80 / night

Creeksea Place Barns

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, England
Six luxurious barns, peacefully set on a scenic, family-friendly Essex farm complete with gym, spa, café and adventure.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies (2-8 per Barn)
From
Varies

The Clockwork Hotel

Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, England
An enchanting group experience that combines puzzle-solving adventure with an exclusive boutique hotel stay in Essex.
Bedrooms: 11
Sleeps: Up to 22
From
£180pp /night

Eaton House Studio

Tiptree, Essex, England
An outrageously creative, completely unique ‘pink paradise' to live out those fairytale dreams, for quirky large group stays in Essex.
Bedrooms: 7
Sleeps: Up to 20
From
£2,400 / night

Kingfisher's Nest

Great Tay, Colchester, Essex, England
A hand-crafted hot tub retreat for two, secluded along a country track on the edge of a shimmering lake in the heart of Essex countryside.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2 (+2)
From
£220 / night

Piglets Boutique B&B

Saffron Walden, Essex, England
A welcoming and award-winning sanctuary in the heart of Essex countryside, complete with home-cooked meals, sun-drenched patios, and an eco-swimming pond.
Bedrooms: 5 guest rooms
Sleeps: 2 per room
From
£170 / night

LandyCampers

Broxted, Essex, England
Indulge your wanderlust with an off-grid, self-drive adventure aboard your very own Land Rover Defender, complete with rooftop tent set-up, a cosy lounge, and all the equipment you could want!
Bedrooms: 1 or 2 roof tents
Sleeps: 2-7 guests
From
£165 / night

Malting Farm

Little Bentley, Essex, England
A small and idyllic escape, secluded on a 300-acre family-run farm in North Essex, you will find three oak-framed cabin retreats with private hot tubs, that offer a little something for everyone.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps:
From
£70 / nt

The Tower Latchingdon

Latchingdon, Essex, England
An elegantly historic Essex retreat, set in an ancient village and surrounded by the fresh, rolling landscapes of the South Downs.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£656 (3 nights)

The Carriage at High Barn Heritage

Halstead, Essex, England
A lovingly restored vintage train carriage, calmly secluded in a green North Essex village with scenic riverside walks almost on the doorstep.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2 (+2)
From
£501 (7 nights)

Little Thatch

Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, England
Take a break to the Essex seaside and stay in this cute and romantic thatched cottage near the thriving coastal town of Walton-on-the-Naze.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£270 (7 nts)

Shepherd's Belle & Croft Hut

Kelvedon, Essex, England
Enjoy a soothing, solar-powered escape from the everyday, beautifully nestled amongst a grass and wildflower meadow in rural Essex.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£100 / night

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