Days out from Colchester
Day One: Hidden Treasures of North Essex
Travelling time approximately 1 hour
Morning: Coggeshall and Cressing Temple
Lying approximately 12 miles to the West of Colchester, Coggeshall is an attractive and historic village with craft shops and two fascinating National Trust properties - Paycockes House and Grange Barn. Familiar to many as one of the backdrops to the television series Lovejoy, Coggeshall is an ideal place to stop for coffee or a longer visit.
Nearby are Cressing Temple Barns, an ideal place to stop for lunch. These spectacular medieval buildings were constructed over 700 years ago for the Knights Templar. The complex includes an exhibition space and a modern restaurant and craft shop (01376 584903). Alternatively travel on to Blake House Craft Centre (01376 552553) just outside Braintree, where your group can enjoy lunch in their café and browse in the individual craft and antique shops housed in restored farm buildings. Travel on to Saffron Walden via Thaxted with its marvellous medieval architecture.
Afternoon: Saffron Walden
One of England's most attractive small towns. Highly prosperous during the Middle Ages, modern Saffron Walden, like Thaxted, enjoys a marvellous architectural legacy from that period. The church is particularly fine while Jacobean Audley End is one of the finest grand houses in eastern England. Stop here for afternoon tea.
Complete your day by returning to Colchester along the Suffolk/Essex border, via the beautiful villages of Clare and Cavendish.
Visiting notes: Braintree /Saffron Walden TIC (for Thaxted) 01799 510444
Day Two: Suffolk Villages
Travelling time approximately 45 minutes
Morning: Sudbury and Long Melford
Begin the day by taking the picturesque drive to Sudbury, a thriving market town 12 miles from Colchester. Sudbury was the birthplace of the quintessential English portrait painter, Thomas Gainsborough - Gainsborough House which now showcases the largest collection of his work in the world, is a must on any itinerary (01787 372958). Travel the short distance to Long Melford for a browse around the antique shops on the High Street before visiting one of the town's magnificent Tudor mansions; Melford Hall or Kentwell Hall. The latter hosts famous recreations of Tudor life every summer on selected weekends. Stop for morning coffee at the historic Bull Hotel (01787 378494).
Afternoon: Lavenham
Continue on to Lavenham. After lunch in one of the hotels or tea rooms, take a stroll round this beautiful historic town, the most famous of the Suffolk Wool Towns, making sure you take in the huge and ornate church of St Peter and St Paul and the 16th Century Guildhall. Guided tours are available through the TIC. Take tea before returning to Colchester.
Visiting notes: Sudbury TIC 01787 881320 /Lavenham TIC 01787 248207(seasonal)
Day Three: Newmarket & Bury St. Edmunds - Racing & Roses
Travelling time approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
Morning: Newmarket
Newmarket is often described as the horse racing capital of the world and an early start will enable you to see the horses on the gallops. The town is home to the National Horseracing Museum (01638 667333) where you can see a unique collection of fine paintings, bronzes, memorabilia and trophies. Equine tours can be arranged to studs (including the National Stud), racing yards and training facilities. Morning coffee can be taken in one of the town's many hotels.
Afternoon: Bury St Edmunds
A short drive from Newmarket is Bury St Edmunds, an attractive market town with a wealth of historic buildings. These include the Cathedral (01284 754933), parts of which date back to the 16th century, and the Abbey ruins set in beautiful gardens (01284 763110). Bury has many restaurants and tea rooms and is an ideal place to stop for lunch. Guided walking tours run daily in the summer and are an excellent way to learn about Bury's fascinating history (01284 764667).
Visiting notes: Newmarket TIC 01638 667200/Bury St Edmunds TIC 01284 764667
Day Four: Cambridge & Duxford - Colleges & Concorde
Travelling time approximately 2 hours
Morning: Cambridge
Travel to Cambridge along the scenic A1124, designated a Heritage route. There are numerous attractive villages along this road including Castle Hedingham, with its huge Norman keep (01787 460261) and steam railway museum (01787 461174), an ideal place for a break if you have time. Once in Cambridge you can take a tour of the Colleges (01223 457574), punt on the river or visit the Fitzwilliam Museum (01223 332900), which houses a world class art collection. Cambridge has a huge array of eating-places for lunch.
Afternoon: Duxford
Just south of Cambridge is Duxford (01223 835000), part of the Imperial War Museum and the most popular aviation museum in Europe. Huge hangars house over 150 historic aircraft, including a Concorde. The award winning American Air Museum houses the best collection of American combat planes outside the USA. There are also many exhibits dealing with 20th Century land warfare as well as an adventure playground, simulators and a restaurant where you can take afternoon tea.
Take an alternative scenic route back to Colchester taking in the delightful Essex towns of Saffron Walden and Great Dunmow.
Visiting notes: Cambridge TIC 0906 5862526