Just east of Manningtree, on the Stour Estuary, is Mistley. Here you’ll find two towers standing beside each other. The gravestones are the clue to their identity. Designed by architect Robert Adam, they are part of a church built in...

This fascinating bunker has enjoyed three epochs of existence, each with a distinct purpose. The first buildings were constructed as part of the RAF ROTOR Station. It was then briefly turned into a civil defence centre, before finally...

Colchester's grandest building, the Town Hall, is a 90-roomed baroque masterpiece with a 162ft Victorian tower. Grade I listed, it was designed by John Belcher and completed in May 1902, costing £55,000. Inside, highlights include a 15ft stained glass window,...

Just upstream from Flatford Mill, the 16th century thatched cottage houses an exhibition on landscape painter John Constable, several of whose paintings famously depict this property. A short walk downstream takes you to the quiet mill pool, where beyond is...

An award winning museum which presents the history of the building and Colchester in a light and amusing fashion, making it ideal for family visits. Hollytrees House, built in 1718, is reportedly haunted by a perfumed, piano playing lady ghost....

The University of Essex Collection of Latin American Art is based at the Colchester campus of the institution and comprises over six hundred works by major modern and contemporary artists from Latin and South America. The collection is one...

In the heart of John Constable country, St Mary the Virgin was constructed in 1492 and has undergone numerous changes, mainly internally since then. Many times pictured in the background of a Constable painting, inside hangs one of the few...

The Roman Emporer Claudius famously rode into Colchester on an elephant in AD43. The Romans soon turned Colchester – or Camulodunum as they called it - into Britain’s first city. By 80AD it was enclosed by a 3000m-long wall made...

Munnings was famous for his depiction of East Anglian rural life in the early twentieth century and later for his paintings of racehorses. He lived and worked in Castle House for over 40 years and although it has been restored,...

St Michael’s Church in the small Essex village of Ramsey, near Harwich, is a strikingly beautiful 12th Century parish church. Whilst the origins of the church date back to the 12th Century the following century saw huge improvements made to...

The University of Essex Gallery is a world-class art space located on the main campus in Colchester. The gallery hosts a series of exhibitions throughout the year, bringing some of the most celebrated contemporary artists to the region as...

If you’ve ever wanted to see Britain’s oldest town from a unique perspective then a hot air balloon flight from Virgin Ballooning is exactly what you need. Glide over this historic town with the largest all-stone built castle in Britain...