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

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

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

£55/adult/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

The Ongar Bell

Chipping Ongar, Essex, England

Host your very own laughter-fuelled lock-in at a charming and beautifully restored Essex inn, with an al fresco hot tub, opulent bedrooms, and a fully-stocked bar.

Bedrooms: 6

Sleeps: 12

From

£520 / 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

Sycamore Lodge

Halstead, Essex, England

A luxurious, dog-friendly A-frame retreat for couples and small families alike, with a private hot tub, plentiful onsite facilities including sauna, and beautiful woodland surroundings on the Essex and Suffolk border.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 4

From

£426 /2 nts

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

£270 / 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

£175 / 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

The Hexagon

Tollesbury, Essex, England

A former West Mersea radar tower with an enclosed dog-friendly garden, and a magnificent viewing platform that looks out over the sweeping Essex marshes towards the sea

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£722 (4nt)

The Pontoon

Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England

A stylish houseboat with an extended deck for sunbathing and socialising, peacefully secluded with panoramic marina views in the quaint Essex fishing village of Leigh-on-Sea.

Bedrooms: 2

Sleeps: 8

From

£232 / night

Paper Mill Island Lodge

Little Baddow, Essex, England

An idyllic, dog-friendly couples’ retreat, peacefully set right by the shimmering water’s edge in Little Baddow with private mooring and easy access to bustling Chelmsford City.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£343 /3 nts

The Kings Head

Chelmsford, Essex, England

An award-winning converted Essex pub for glamorous group celebrations, rich in boutique charm with a private cocktail bar, karaoke disco room and al fresco hot tub .

Bedrooms: 5

Sleeps: 14

From

£1600 /nt