Heathrow Airport 1 hr 27
Gainsborough's House (26 min)
Museum covering Gainsborough's early portraiture and landscapes, later works, furniture and effects. Braintree & Bocking Public Gardens (10 min) Colchester Castle Park (27 min)
Lush, expansive park and gardens hosting varied programme of shows, music concerts and festivals. Promenade Park (32 min)
Victorian riverfront park with ornamental lake, woodland walk and kids' adventure play areas. Colchester Castle (27 min)
Stately castle completed in 1100, featuring interactive exhibits, a jail & landscaped gardens. Layer Marney Tower (26 min)
Historic gatehouse with tea rooms in former stables, flower gardens open for picnicking and a farm. Marks Hall Estate (12 min)
Geographically themed landscaped gardens with an arboretum and lakes, plus wood walks and play area. Hedingham Castle (21 min)
Vast country estate with a well-preserved Norman fortress, picnic areas, a cafe and a gift shop. Cressing Temple Barns (11 min)
Timber-framed barns, orchards and a Tudor walled garden on a medieval Knights Templar estate. Great Notley Country Park (13 min)
Public parkland with horse riding, cycling paths and a large wooden climbing area, plus a bistro. East Anglian Railway Museum (19 min)
Original Victorian buildings housing railway memorabilia, plus a functioning restoration workshop. Colchester Zoo (23 min)
Zoo in 60 acres of parkland with lots of animals plus interactive feeding times, plus play areas. Firstsite (28 min)
Eclectic contemporary art from new and emerging creatives among free galleries, plus films and cafe. National Trust - Paycocke's House and Garden (8 min) | 
