| casual rooms feature free wi-fi and flat-screen tvs, as well as tea and coffeemaking equipment. a low-key restaurant offers afternoon tea and sunday roast. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:00 am. suites add sitting areas with sofas. full english breakfast and parking are complimentary. set in a converted farm building dating from the 13th century, this laid-back hotel is 2 miles from rayleigh train station and 8 miles from the rhs garden hyde hall. event space is available
Heathrow Airport 1 hr 23
Hylands House (21 min)
Council-run stately home and grounds hosting music festivals and family activities year-round. Hanningfield Reservoir (20 min)
870-acre reservoir with diverse flora & fauna, seasonal fly fishing & paths, plus on-site cafes. Barleylands Farm Park (14 min)
Family-friendly attraction featuring farm animals, craft workshops, rides, play areas & more. Thorndon Country Park (28 min)
Trails through a landscape of ancient oak trees, marshes & meadows, with birdlife & grazing cattle. Marsh Farm Animal Adventure Park (14 min)
Working farm with sheep, bunnies and ferrets, plus tractor rides, a bouncy castle and magic shows. Thames Estuary (1 hr 44)
1 of the country's largest, this landmark estuary features shipping routes & various lighthouses. Chalkwell Beach (26 min)
Pebble & sand beach with a large granite obelisk from the 1800s & a promenade with snack kiosks. Southend Pier and Railway (29 min)
Seasonal museum on the pier with 19th- & early-20th-century train cars, slot machines & costumes. Old Leigh Studios Gallery (23 min) Hadleigh Castle (20 min)
Ruined 1200s castle, refortified by Edward III in the Hundred Years War, affording marsh views. Bell Wharf Beach (24 min) RHS Garden Hyde Hall (14 min)
Site run by horticulture charity, including bird hide and Dry Garden with bold architectural plants. Sealife Adventure (27 min)
Sea life aquarium with sharks in walk-through tunnel tank, plus rays, turtles and insect displays. Promenade Park (26 min)
Victorian riverfront park with ornamental lake, woodland walk and kids' adventure play areas. Adventure Island (29 min)
Free-admission fun park with more than 40 rides and attractions from rollercoasters to ghost trains. | 
