The other side of Essex

ESSEX gets a bad press, but there’s much more to the county than what’s shown on TOWIE or reported in the Sunday tabloids. A free Rough Guide has been published to help you discover the magical coastline of one of Britain’s most beautiful counties. 

Essex - Wallasea Island seals

Not only is Essex’s coastline the longest of any county in England, but more than 70 percent of it remains rural – and all less than an hour’s train ride from central London. Make The Most of the Discovery Coast takes you on a tour of beaches, creeks and remote inlets, while stopping to admire the must-see sights.

The first Rough Guide about a single English county, it packed with local experts’ knowledge of the very best things to see and do around its shoreline.

It will be a surprise to many that Essex is a nature lover’s paradise. Wallasea Island, near Burnham-on-Crouch, is arguably the jewel in the crown from a twitcher’s point of view. The wildlife reserve is owned and managed by the RSPB and is one of the most ambitious conservation projects in Europe. Seals area a popular sight and can be spotted along the coast from Walton Backwaters in the north to Leigh-on-Sea near on the Thames Estuary in the south.

George Kieffer, chairman of Visit Essex, said: ‘Essex is only one hour from London, but so different that it could be hundreds of miles or an age away. There is much to discover, from vineyards and oysters, cockle-sheds and pubs, to one of the oldest chapels in England and the longest pleasure pier in the world. You can wander around Harwich and imagine yourself in the days of Samuel Pepys, who was the local MP, or Christopher Martin who sailed the Mayflower to America. The Rough Guide is an excellent start to your explorations.’

The guide is available from tourist information centres, and from www.visitessex.com/brochures

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