Find fun-fuelled breaks for families, holidays for flocks of friends, romantic getaways for love birds, city breaks for culture vultures and rural escapes for country lovers. Get filtering to find your perfect holiday in England.
Things to do
All aboard heritage steam trains at the Epping Ongar Railway
Pay a visit to Epping Ongar Railway, and ride on running steam and diesel engines between period stations, through countryside and forest.
Location: Chipping Ongar, Essex
Enjoy the ultimate shopping experience in Colchester
Discover easy and interesting shopping in Colchester; with its great mix of big name stores and specialist shops, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Location: Colchester, Essex
Take a guided walking tour and discover the real Colchester
Britain’s oldest recorded town has a raft of different tours exploring different aspects of the town’s history, all hugely enjoyable too.
Location: Colchester, Essex
See breathtaking vistas at Beth Chatto's Plants & Gardens
Explore these breathtaking and inspirational gardens created by 10-time Chelsea Gold Medal Winner and Gardening Author, Beth Chatto OBE.
Location: Colchester, Essex
Unleash your inner explorer at Hatfield Forest
No other venue provides a better backdrop for young budding explorers than Hatfield Forest.
Location: Takeley, Essex
Experience Victorian family life at Audley End House and Gardens
Experience a real life period drama as you explore life above and below stairs at this decadent mansion.
Location: Saffron Walden, Essex
Visit the oldest recorded battlefield in Britain
Viking raiders used Northey Island as a base during the Battle of Maldon in AD991. Today it’s a lot more tranquil...
Location: Northey Island, Essex
Be King or Queen of the Castle at Hylands Park
Whether it’s a short stroll or a long walk there are many routes to choose from at 574-acre Hylands Park.
Location: Chelmsford, Essex
Discover a new visitor experience at Colchester Castle
Colchester Castle is the biggest Norman keep in Britain, in fact, it’s the biggest ever built by the Normans anywhere in Europe.
Location: Colchester, Essex
Visit the dramatic landscape that inspired John Constable
Follow in the footsteps of John Constable and explore Dedham Vale and Stour Valley an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Location: Dedham, Colchester
Sample a selection of wines at Dedham Vale Vineyard
Dedham Vale Vineyard is a great place to experience wine tasting whilst enjoying the pristine rolling English countryside.
Location: Boxted near Colchester, Essex
Take a seaside break 50s style
Discover this iconic English seaside resort that people have been holidaying at since 1871 when the barrel organs on the pier first whirred into action.
Location: Clacton on Sea, Essex
Audley End House
An atmospheric portrait of daily life in Victorian times.
Location: Saffron Walden, Essex
Harwich Maritime Heritage Trail
Take a voyage of discovery around the old port of Harwich and discover a wealth of maritime history.
Location: Harwich, Essex
Seal watching in Arthur Ransome’s ‘Secret Water’
Explore Walton’s ‘Secret Water’, the setting for Arthur Ransome’s ‘Swallows and Amazons’ book.
Location: Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
Trot over to meet Redwings Horse Sanctuary's rescued residents
Come nose to nose with some of Redwings Horse Sanctuary's most delightful residents at Redwings Ada Cole Rescue Centre in Essex.
Location: Nazeing, Essex
Treat your partner to an unforgettable date at Colchester Zoo
Treat your loved one to a Perfect Partner experience at Colchester Zoo to celebrate a landmark birthday, anniversary or even to propose marriage…
Location: Colchester, Essex
Have a close encounter with Daleks and medieval peasants in Essex
Choose to travel back in time to medieval England in 1066, the toys of your childhood or even WWII (though chances are you’ll want to do all three).
Location: Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
Find a little piece of heaven on earth in Colchester
Green Island Gardens features stunning gardens professionally designed by Fiona Edmond and set within woodland destroyed by the 1987 hurricane.
Location: Colchester, Essex
Climb, jump and crawl at Wild Forest Gym
Check out the UK’s 1st Obstacle Training Centre and Natural Movement Gymnasium for adults and children aged 7+.
Location: Brentwood, Essex