If you're visiting Essex at the end of June, do make time for a visit to Old Leigh.  

Here you will find a narrow cobbled street lined with ancient pubs and cafes.  A folk festival takes place here each year, and singers, bands and dancers perform in the spaces between pubs, houses, and cockle sheds outdoors. 

There is a tremendous variety of performers and dance of every persuasion including American square dancing, circle dancing, Middle Eastern belly dancing, Spanish flamenco, and traditional English Morris dancing. It's a wonderfully colourful spectacle to watch - and it's all free.

If you're on holiday in Essex and you're interested in English culture, the Morris dancers are usually very pleased to be able to explain the origins of their make-up and dress.  You may find various groups represented, all with their own meaningful names and traditions.

The pubs and cafes do a roaring trade in drinks and food. The weather is generally very pleasant at the end of June, for eating out and relaxing.  

After watching the performers, there are several scenic walks along the sea front and mud flats.  This area is well-known for the tens of thousands of brent geese that flock here in the autumn.

You can walk along sea front from Old Leigh, all the way to Southend-on-Sea, mainly along tarmac paths and pavements, and watch ships and boats sail past on the horizon. 

To the west of Old Leigh is Hadleigh Castle Country Park, a stretch of unspoilt  Essex countryside, with waymarked trails for walkers, cyclists, and horse riders. There are several trails including a 1.25 hour and 2 hour walks.  Hadleigh Castle itself is now a ruin, but the park is an oasis in a sea of urban sprawl.  A little further east, along the A13 is Belfairs Park and Nature Reserve.

Please use the Feature Pages and Quick browse menus on the left to find self-catering holiday cottages in Essex and East Anglia.