I must admit, my knowledge of Essex was somewhat limited before this trip. If a not-to-be-mentioned 2010s reality TV show had taught me anything, this was the land of fake tan and bleached teeth but my impressions went little further than that.
That is a shameful admission really considering my mum was born in Chelmsford and I am from the neighbouring county of Suffolk, so when an invitation arrived from Visit Essex asking if I wanted to explore some of the county’s finest areas, I left it in their capable hands as to where to send myself and my partner.
Travelling from London, our base for the trip was Wivenhoe House Hotel, an 18th-century manor house which is a short trip away from the county’s biggest city, Colchester. (wivenhoehouse.co.uk/)
‘The hotel is a gorgeous reminder of
