By Anne Egan
Staycation focus on Essex
Essex has a long coastline at 350 miles, the second-longest in the UK after Cornwall. It is number one though where the number of islands is concerned – 35 in total. Stretching from the Thames estuary, the county’s meandering coast winds through miles of salt marshes, secluded sandy beaches and dramatic wild landscapes until it reaches the banks of the River Stour in Manningtree, which was recently made an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Given its geographical location, proximity to London and transport connections, Essex is very easy to get to or the majority of the UK! Another huge plus, in the year of the staycation, Essex has one of the sunniest and driest climates in the country.
Frangipani SUP
Our first stop was a visit to Frangipani SUP based in Maldon on the beautiful Blackwater Estuary. To be honest, we’ve known of Frangipani through SUP Mag UK and are aware of what a quality outfit they are. Fully approved by the British Stand-Up Paddle Association (BSUPA), they provide a full range of lessons, courses and activities from complete beginner to instructor.
The operation is run by Anni Ridsdill Smith, who has an MSc in Training and Performance Management and is a BSUPA Director and Trainer, Mistral SUP Ambassador, GBSUP Committee Member, East Anglian SUP Initiative (EASI) Team and #ThisGirlCan Ambassador for SUP in Essex. Anni is an avid SUP racer who participated in the UK’s first women’s invitational SUP racing event at the Southampton Boat Show in 2013. She has been on the podium regularly at SUP race events around the UK ever since. “I am very proud to train Instructors for Center Parcs and many other SUP schools and centres around the UK; it is something about which I am very passionate!” says Anni.
We went to visit them at their Trifarm Lake location, set just off the River Chelmer in a tranquil rural setting on the outskirts of the small town of Boreham. We watched Anni in action on the lake training first-timers, assisted by her husband Mike and Deana, another Frangipani instructor, as they went through the routines of falling off the boards and getting used to being on the water and remounting the board. The SUP novices earned their first award and collected the Ready to Ride certificate after the course finished at the on-site cafe that Anni and Mike operate.
It was an afternoon well spent, chatting to other paddlers and their experiences, whilst being given many tips on places to visit on our thee days in the county. After this, we left for our overnight accommodation at The Lion Inn, Boreham. We got chatting with a family next to us during dinner, who gave us more hints at what to do over the weekend; in fact, we were a little overwhelmed with the friendliness, generosity, and eagerness to showcase their often misunderstood county. If your only experience of Essex is TOWIE, then it’s time to recalibrate because certainly in this area of Essex, it is not.
The Lion Inn
The Lion Inn was excellent and really couldn’t be faulted in terms of food, accommodation and once again, that friendliness. Anywhere and everywhere, they looked after us and our 12-year-old little Havanese dog named Frosty; in fact, Frosty was quite a draw.
After leaving Boreham, we headed south-east and focussed on the eastern coastline between Mersea Island through to Harwich, Wrabness, Manningtree and finishing in Constable country, or more specifically, Dedham on the River Stour. This specific area has miles of estuaries and backwaters. The mudflats and salt marshes are a haven for wildlife, especially migrating birds. Essex also has an excellent network of off the beaten track footpaths that follow the meanders of the estuaries that offer stunning views and big skies. Nature thrives along the Essex coastline; it’s home to native oysters, seals and many species of wading and migrating birds.
Clacton Kayaks
After the drive, we went on to Clacton Kayaks, based on the coast at Dovercourt Bay, where we met Cameron and Chelsea, owners of Clacton Kayak Hire at Dovercourt Boating Lake. Their base is a lake with an on-site shop, perfect for ‘try before you buy and where they also offer daily hire off-site and guided wildlife tours of the local rivers.
Clacton Kayaks was an idea born out of having little to no work during the pandemic, so they took a leap of faith and started up this business, putting every penny into it. It was a risk that paid off as Clacton Kayaks has boomed during the pandemic with the considerable rise of interest in watersports with three staff members, Cara, Jason and Will.
What drew us here is that it is a dog-friendly facility (they have dog life jackets), and you can choose to be on the lake or take the equipment onto the nearby beach and paddle on the sea to the historic Dovercourt Bay lighthouses. Located at the very north-east tip of Essex, Dovercourt Bay is a sandy beach looking out to the North Sea and has recently been voted the fifth best beach in the UK.
On leaving, Cameron advised us to look in on Wrabness, with its nature reserve on the south bank of the River Stour, on the way to our final destination of Dedham. Parts of Essex are so rural that the county is only second to Devon in the number of narrow B-roads. We said that several times during our stay, there are many similarities between Devon and Essex.
We concluded our exploration of Essex with a visit to the Tiptree Rose Tea rooms in Dedham, where we enjoyed a beautiful cream tea and again found as dog owners that our little dog was welcome. A thoroughly indulgent culinary experience was followed by an exploratory walk of this attractive old English town in the heart of Essex.
Milsoms Hotel
The whole weekend was topped off with a stay at Milsoms Hotel. This cosy, exclusive property is dog friendly and ideal for a relaxing meal and stay in the ancient heart of Essex around a mile outside of the centre of Dedham. Dedham is quintessentially English; the artist Constable is famed for his paintings of the area. A warm welcome awaited us, as well as delicious food and a large, extraordinarily comfortable room. The River Stour runs through the middle of the village, the perfect place for exploration of the river.
The weekend demonstrated Essex’s vast potential as a destination to be enjoyed on or off the water. There are so many items of interest and the perfect place for family holidays, wildlife, food fans (Mersea Oysters, Maldon Sea Salt are based here), history (Martello Towers, Cinque Ports, The Mayflower connection to Harwich) and sport (kayaking, SUP, mountain biking – the Olympic course is on the Essex coast at Hadleigh!). There’s also a wide range of camping and glamping sites, luxury hotels, B&Bs ready to welcome visitors through their doors.
Essex is the perfect place for lovers of the great outdoors to explore over a long weekend or short break, and we will definitely be back to enjoy the splendid waterways and coast of Essex and are delighted to have discovered this hidden gem on our doorstep.
PLACES TO GO and THINGS TO DO
Hire a kayak, canoe or SUP and explore the coastline and meandering waterways of Essex: www.clactonkayakrental.co.uk or email clactonkayakrental@outlook.com
https://frangipanisup.com info@frangipanisup.com
Sailing trips on a vintage Thames barge from Maldon: www.top-sail.co.uk/
Wildlife and bird watching at Essex Wildlife Trust and RSPB reserves: www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/wallasea-island www.essexwt.org.uk
Seal watching trips from Harwich: www.sealwatching.co.uk & Burnham on Crouch: https://charterdiscovery.co.uk
River cruises from Brightlingsea around the Colne estuary: www.brightlingseaharbour.org
We stayed at: The Lion Inn, Main Road, Boreham, Essex CM3 3JA. www.lioninnhotel.co.uk
Milsoms, Stratford Road, Dedham, Colchester, Essex, CO7 6HW www.milsomhotels.com/milsoms
For inspiration: www.visitessex.com and www.theessexcoast.com
