Travel Information

Essex, situated north of London, the UK’s capital is a popular county and one not to miss when you’re on a motorhome hire tour of the UK. While in the area, and if you’re into farm life, try a visit to Barleylands Farm Centre. First thing’s first, Barleylands caters for your hire vehicle with its large, free car park. Get your family acquainted with friendly farm animals. Hands on experience petting and feeding sheep, pigs and other animals can be a wonderful experience for any every member of your group.

Entry to the farm centre is affordable for all: check the website for the latest prices.

Barleylands Farm Centre

Barleylands Road

Billericay

Essex

CM11 2UD

TEL:(44) 01268 290229

http://www.barleylands.co.uk/

Tickets for the V Festival at Weston Park and Hylands Park are already sold out. If you are one of the lucky ticket holders you are ready to witness some of the best music around. This year artists such as The Artic Monkeys, Eminem, Rihanna, to name but a few, will be among the top line up appearing at these events. Both venues have the V festival taking place over the weekend of 20th and 21st August 2011 and now is the time to ensure your luxury accommodation with a campervan hire. Campervans arrive on Friday and depart Monday. August is the high season for  festival campervan hire so hire companies will generally accept only a minimum of a weeks hire. Make the most of this opportunity by making the week your campervan holiday. The V Festival in either venue will become the highlight of your holiday trip.

Weston Park
Weston-under-Lizard
Nr Shifnal
Spropshire

Hylands House
London Road
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 8WQ

An autumn visit to Audley End House is ideal when you can combine it with their Apple Weekend on 17th 18th September 2011. At the apple weekend visit Audley End’s thriving organic Kitchen Garden and enjoy a variety of apple themed activities, stalls and refreshments throughout the day. You will also be able to pick up useful gardening tips, watch demonstrations of traditional country crafts and seasonal cookery and indulge in some of the yummy apple based treats! Plus, if you have apples in your garden you are invited to bring some along for identification by the East of England Apple & Orchard Project. Who knows, you may well discover that your apple tree produces a lost variety of apple! There is plenty of opportunity to have a sit down and a nice cup of tea or coffee in one of two cafés serving locally produced food to eat in or take away. The Cart Yard Café is close to the children’s play area or you can relax in The Housekeeper’s Room with its views across the park. The cafés close one hour before the site. Tickets will be available to purchase at the event site on the day. Ticket price includes entry to House, Service Wing, Stables and Grounds. Parking for your Essex Campervan Hire is 200m from the entrance, with reserved parking for disabled visitors. Please make arrangements in advance if possible. The Apple weekend is bound to be of interest for all the family as part of your Essex Motorhome Hire Holiday trip.

Audley End House
London Road
Saffron Walden
Essex
CB11 4JF

From the first moment that you walk through the door and into Audley End House you will be in no doubt that you have arrived somewhere special both in terms of architecture and history. The property has had a succession of important and sometimes notorious owners from Thomas Audley, Lord chancellor to Henry the VIII through to Earls and Kings. But it is perhaps the architecture for which the house is most famed. Upon visiting the chapel, you will find a pristine example of the ornamented Gothick style including the furniture in perfect condition. The famous Architect Robert Adam was employed at Audley in the mid 1760’s to design a suite of 8 rooms. This area, as a result of his influence is in stark contrast to the rest of the property, with a neoclassical bent and passion for bright colours and the ornate. At the same time Capability Brown, probably the most famous landscape gardener in history, was employed to landscape the surrounding parkland. Although Audley is splendid to visit all year round, at Christmas time a Victorian Christmas is celebrated in true style. The house is magnificently decorated and there are many characters in costume to enthrall the children. Father Christmas is present in the Cart Yard to meet the little ones along with his reindeer. So be sure not to miss this delightful photo opportunity. There is a festive fun trail within in the grounds to get you truly in the spirit of the season along with carol singing and an array of lovely Christmas fayre in the tearooms. To get to Audley End in your Essex motorhome hire you will find it 1 mile to the West of Saffron Walden on the B1383. There is adequate parking 200m from the entrance to the property.

Audley End House and Gardens
Off London Road,
Saffron Walden,
Essex.
CB11 4JF.

Telephone: 01799 522842

Children, Adults, in fact all the family will enjoy a visit to this zoo. It is now one of the finest Zoos in Europe due to a constant programme of development and has won the coveted Large Visitor Attraction of the Year” Award and the “Sustainable Tourism Award” for its efforts in recycling and green practices from the East of England Tourist Board. The animals kept here are too numerous to mention and I would recommend this for a whole day trip if you want to get the most from your visit. There is so much to see and children will just love it. You have over 260 species to see, set in 60 acres of beautiful parkland and lakes. There are over 50 daily displays, an undercover soft play area, 4 adventure play areas, 2 road trains and much more! Through visitor’s funds, Colchester Zoo undertakes breeding programmes for endangered species and funds in situ projects in the wild. They undertake to provide a respect for animals and this is self evident in the surroundings that animals are housed and looked after in. Colchester Zoo is open every day from 9.30am except Christmas Day and closing times vary according to the season. Colchester Zoo is located just south of Colchester. Take the A1124 exit (Junction 26) off the main A12 with your East Anglia Motorhome Hire and follow the brown elephant signs. Parking for your East Anglia Motorhome Hire is free and disabled car parking spaces are available close to the zoo entrance. NB Blue badges must be displayed to use the disabled parking area.

Maldon Road
Stanway
Colchester
Essex
CO3 0SL

Tel: 01206 331 292

Railway enthusiasts will be in their element at this Railway Museum. Children too, will love the opportunity to see Thomas the Tank Engine in the round. The whole site is the museum with station buildings, Goods Sheds, Signal Boxes and Restoration shed as well as a Heritage Centre. If you ever owned a model train set as a child then here is the chance to see it life size. They have some interesting and quite magnificent steam trains and Rolling Stock here that form part of the history of the Eastern Counties Railways. There are Diesel trains here too. This is a working museum with lots of events taking place in the summer months so it’s a good idea to check what is happening, before you set off. On some events days you can have unlimited rides on the trains. The East Anglian Railway Museum is open daily between 10am and 16.00pm. The Railway Museum is approximately eight miles from the centre of Colchester in Essex. If you are driving in your Essex Motorhome Hire from Colchester follow signs through the town heading for the A1124 to Halstead. After five miles go under a large railway viaduct and turn right at the crossroad. Proceed towards the village of Chappel by driving a short distance uphill. The Railway Station is clearly marked with a British Rail Double Arrow Logo. For More information click the blue text below.

East Anglian Railway Museum
Chappel and Wakes Colne Station
Wakes Colne
Essex
CO6 2DS

Telephone 01206 242524

Gunpowder Park is a former munitions site of the royal ordinance used for munitions testing; as such it has been a closed area for over 100 years. It has now been reclaimed by the Lea Valley Regional Park authority and been transformed into a fantastic country park open to the public and a haven for wildlife. There are many projects taking place at the park which are designed to be educational and innovative and even the field centre itself has been built to be a reflection of the sites heritage as well as its modern and environmentally friendly ethos. It has a green roof so that it requires little heating and a rainwater recycling system. The gabion supports are made from recycled crushed concrete and hold artifacts which were found on the site during the restoration and clean up process. They also act as bat roosting boxes. Following the regeneration of the 255 acre site using a multi million pound budget the Duke of Edinburgh opened this site to the public in 2004. There are many lovely walks for ramblers to enjoy with lovely wooded areas as well as many pools and ponds filled with a wide variety of water fowl species to spot. If you are a keen cyclist this lovely area allows you and your family to ride in a beautiful setting without having to worry about cars. There are plenty of parking spaces and admission to the park is free. To get to Gunpowder Park in your Essex motorhome rental you will find it situated off the M25 between junctions 25 and 26.  For further information on this lovely country park, please click the blue link below.

Gunpowder Park
Sewardstone Road
Waltham Abbey
Essex
EN9 3GP
Tel: 020 8988 7565

Hedingham Castle is a Norman keep standing over 110 feet high. It was built in 1140 by Aubrey de Vere whose father was a favoured knight of William the Conqueror. The castle remained a stronghold for the next 550 years and the family by now the Earls of Oxford grew incredibly rich and powerful. They held office as Lords Great Chamberlains and as a result Hedingham received many royal visits. They were also great Christian crusaders and eminent military commanders, taking part in many of England’s great battles. In the 1700’s a country house was built within the grounds of the castle and the grounds underwent landscaping. The current owners of Hedingham are direct descendants of the de Vere line. Throughout the year there are many special events held at the castle. Not to be missed are the fabulous jousting tournaments which take place as well as have a go archery days. The gardens which fell into neglect in the 20th century have undergone an amazing program of restoration thanks to a channel 4 program, ‘The Landscape Man’, in fact it is felt that the recent works have not only preserved the historic nature of the gardens but has enhanced them further. Consequently the gardens are now a true sight to behold. If you are traveling near Hedingham in your Essex motorhome rental be sure to pay a visit to this historic sight. It is well worth clicking the blue link below to check on dates and times for special events at the castle.

Hedingham Castle
Bayley Street
Castle Hedingham
Essex
CO9 3DJ

Telephone 01787 460261

The development of Ingatestone Hall as a family home can be directly attributed to the dissolution of the monastries by Henry VIII and his establishment of the Church of England with the monarch as its head. It was at this time that Thomas Cromwell, following the orders of the King sent out his young assistant William Petre to draw up a record of the churches possessions within Southern England. This particular abbey caught the young mans eye principally as the Latin translation of its name was remarkably similar to his own surname. Consequently when the abbey was surrendered to the crown at a later date the young and ambitious William found himself in a position to buy the property. He immediately made plans to demolish the building and build a house in the style of the day, this new house is largely that which remains standing today. He was clearly a forward thinker as this is one of England’s first houses to have piped in water; although by modern plumbing standards it was lacking. For many generations of the Petre family the house was used principally as a holiday home as a grander principal home in the form of Thorndon hall had been bought by William’s son John upon his fathers death. For a brief period the house was permanently occupied  by the ninth lord whilst this principal home was being rebuilt. At this time the property did undergo some renovations although these were largely reversed by the widow of the 16th Lord as many of them had been undertaken poorly and she wished to restore its original Tudor integrity. The property still contains 2 priest holes, one of which was used as hiding place by St John Payne a Catholic martyr executed for treason by Elizabeth I. When traveling in your Essex motorhome rental you will enjoy a fantastic day if you choose to visit this lovely old hall. It is recommended that you click the blue link below to check opening times.

Ingatestone Hall
Hall Lane
Ingatestone
Essex
CM4 9NR

Telephone: 01277 353010

Mountfitchet castle was originally a Saxon settlement and was originally known as Stansted, meaning a stony place. It was at the time of the Norman invasion that it inherited the name Mountfitchet after a Norman baron who made the settlement his home, a little of this castle still remains. In the 12th century Richard de Montfitchet died with no heirs and the castle and his land was passed to his three sisters. The castle fell into disrepair and was left for 700 years as an overgrown wasteland. The stones of the original castle were taken by the villagers to build houses and thus it remained until today. Now the site is home to a fabulous day out for visitors. You can learn all about the castles early origins as well as enjoying a host of other attractions on offer. The castle has a reputation for rescuing all kinds of animals, and you will find them wandering happily throughout the grounds of the castle. The have enjoyed particular success with orphaned deer and have even rescued a duck that nearly found itself on the menu at a local Chinese restaurant! For those with dinosaur mad little ones there is a dinosaur encounter as well as a toy museum all included in the ticket price. You will most likely want to spend a whole day at the castle site, so it is definitely worth setting aside the time when traveling in your Essex motorhome hire. For further information on prices and opening times please click on the blue link below.

Mountfitchet Castle
Grove Hill
Stansted
Stansted
Mountfitchet
Essex
CM24 8SP

Telephone: 01279 813237

London Southend Airport is situated in Rochford close to Southend. Airlines including Flightline and Flybe provide steady scheduled flights to Cologne/Bonn, Lyon, Vienna and Jersey.

Southend Airport offers up passenger charter flights, cargo flights and a pilot training area. The airport possesses 2 primary service hangers for larger aircraft like the Boeing 757 and Airbus A321.

Southend Airport motorhome hire is available for those passengers wishing to continue their journey and holiday by motorhome.

Whilst exploring Essex in a motorhome, why not take a small detour to visit St Clement’s Church in West Thurrock. St Clement’s is a Grade 1 listed building and is in use today as a Church of England parish. The church dates back to the 12th century and is constructed of stone and flint.

St Clement’s is perhaps best known as being the location of the funeral in the British smash hit romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), making it an unmissable place to visit for any film buff.

St. Clement Church
West Thurrock
Essex

Housed in the Thameside Complex, extensive galleries on the archeology, social and industrial heritage of the area, including items on the River Thames.

Thurrock Museum
Thameside Complex
Orsett Road
Grays
Essex
RM17 5DX
Telephone: (01375) 385484

If you are travelling around Essex in a campervan, why not take a trip to Tilbury Fort. Tilbury Fort was built in 1672 under Charles II’s reign, and today it is the best example of a fort of its type in England. Witness exciting displays of guns and gunpowder barrels and discover more about the fascinating world of military engineering.

Tilbury Fort was even the filming site for the historical television drama Sharpe set during the Napoleonic Wars.

Tilbury Fort
Tilbury
Essex
RM18 7NR
01375 858489

Tropical wings zoo and world of wildlife is a great family day out for adults and is suitable for very young children to enjoy as well. It is an all weather venue and has on site one of the largest tropical butterfly houses in the UK. Don’t go into the hothouse wearing coats and woolly jumpers as even on a cool day the heat is tropical! Butterflies of all colours float effortlessly around and flutter freely through the replica rain forest. They are truly lovely to look at. They also have a large pond with Koi carp that children can feed. Parrots, Mynah birds, owls and enclosures with otters, Meercats and wallabies are just a few of the birds and animals housed here. Throughout the day there may be displays at feeding times and talks and demonstrations. There are plenty of places for the family to picnic or alternatively a café on site. Follow the signs in your Essex Motorhome Hire to South Woodham Ferrers. For Tropical Wings, take the exit (B10120) and two miles from the roundabout turn left. For admission prices and opening times click on the blue text for Tropical Wings Zoo.

Tropical Wings Zoo
Wickham Road
South Woodham Ferrers
Chelmsford
Essex
CM3 5QZ

Part of the famous Bernard Mason Collection, one of the largest collections of Colchester made clocks in Britain.

Tymperleys Clock Museum
Trinity Street (close to the Library)
Colchester
Essex
CO1 1JN

Telephone: 01206 282943

Experience the fabulous V Festival in luxury and style by hiring a motorhome or campervan. Taking place at both Weston Park, Staffordshire and Hylands Park, , V Festival promises to deliver as one of the UK’s premier music festival events. The confirmed 2009 line-up boasts many top acts such as The Killers, Razorlight, Oasis, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and many many more!

With unreliable weather condition and crowded campsites, avoid the mud and madness and enjoy the experience to the max in a comfortable motorhome- complete with your own private bathroom!

If you are in Essex on Sunday 26th 2011 and you would love the opportunity to visit twelve different gardens (including The Almshouses in Moulsham Street) all within in the village of Old Moulsam they will be open between 11am to 5pm. There is something quite special about being invited into the private gardens of so many people. It gives you ideas for your own garden but mainly it is the pure enjoyment of witnessing some one else’s hard work to create a beautiful environment. This is the first time Old Moulsham has put on this event and you will need to purchase a passport to see everything. To get your passports apply in advance to Farleigh Hospice, Farleigh Hospice charity shops in Moulsham Street, and on the day from any participating garden, and also the car park.  Passports cost £5.00 for adults and children under16 years free. Refreshments, plant sales and crafts will be on sale in various venues. Also the Essex Guitar Group will be performing at The Almshouses between 2.00pm and 3.00pm. All participating gardens will display a sign. Car parking is by kind permission of the Chelmsford College in Moulsham Street. There will be plant sales in various gardens, so with your Essex Motorhome Hire it will be easy to transport those in your garage storage area. This is an interesting day out if you are on your Essex Motorhome Hire holiday and if you are a keen garden enthusiast it is not to be missed.

Old Moulsham
Chelmsford
Essex
Tel: 01245 457 346

Housed in the old lifeboat house this museum tells the social history of the area.

Walton-on-the-Naze Maritime Museum
The Old Lifeboat House
East Terrace
Walton on the Naze
CO14 8PY
Essex

Telephone: 01255 678259

Have a look at the Pier at Walton-on-the-Naze when you are on your campervan or motorhome holiday. The Pier has a plethora of modern amusements and facilities that are all housed in an aircraft-hanger like building, at the shoreward end. Fun for the Kids, or just soak up the views from the open areas of the pier. Visit The Heritage Trail website for more information.

Walton -on-the-Naze Pier
Essex
England