Days out around Clacton area

[sider]

Hi All,

My wife booked us on a bit of a break away with some friends near to Clacton. However, she's had to drop out now and as such it's just me and my sons going, ages 7 and 6.

Any suggestions for days out in the area to keep 2 young boys happy would be greatly appreciated. No restrictions based on what friends kids want to do - we do our own thing during the day and meet up for evening meal and drinks then.

Don't mind driving out for an hour/90 mins or so if needs be.

Thanks

[The PMP]

Colchester zoo, Kelvedon 'Secret' Nuclear bunker - believe there is also an outdoor activity centre there with high ropes etc, worth looking into

[Scousefella]

Contact the Ferrari garage in Colchester - give the boys a little tour.

Colchester Zoo as mentioned.

Secret Nuclear Bunker is at Kelvedon Hatch, not Kelvedon as Phil mentioned - don't get that bit of geography wrong!!!!

Mersea Island has "The Victory", a fantastic waterfront family friendly pub if good weather is on your side.

Chappel/Wakes Colne railway museum.

[TCEvo]

Sticking with Clacton... traditional arcades just off the seafront, the pier, crazy golf and the new bowling alley in the building next door.

Nearby Walton also has a (smaller) pier with more arcades and bowling.

Depending on weather (and when your going) there are beaches all along the front, buy a bucket and it's a cheap day out.

If you want a car theme take a tour of the Brooklands estate...

[Scousefella]

Oh and you could always go to Jaywick to see that it really is as bad as the TV reports show it to be.

[sider]

Thanks for the responses.

Brooklands estate? I'm guessing that's not some historic National Trust place with a car museum round the back??

[sider]

Beaches sound good too.

Any particularly quiet/hidden away ones?

[TCEvo]

sider said:

Thanks for the responses.

Brooklands estate? I'm guessing that's not some historic National Trust place with a car museum round the back??

[V8mate]

TCEvo said:

sider said:

Thanks for the responses.

Brooklands estate? I'm guessing that's not some historic National Trust place with a car museum round the back??

Or he should just take his kids for a tour and tell them that this is where people who don't work hard at school are sent to live for all eternity

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2303489/Ea...

[TCEvo]

sider said:

Beaches sound good too.

Any particularly quiet/hidden away ones?

I'd head for Walton or Frinton but the beaches in the area are all sandy. You can hire beach huts at both as well & both places have shops / cafes etc. Frinton is much posher than Walton; Walton's more traditional (and feels a bit run-down as you drive in but don't let that put you off).

You can park on the street (pay & display usually) at both places.

At Walton the beach off Cliff Parade's good (although it's a hike from there to the shops). The beach off The Esplanade is fine & closest to the town centre.

Something I forgot to mention yesterday is the Naze Tower - just up the road from Walton; an "86 foot octagonal tower constructed in 1720 as a navigational mark to aid shipping" that you can walk up & get a view out across the sea (and you can see the Principality of Sealand off in the distance) - cheap & cheerful (suspect kids free) and you can get an ice cream at the bottom when your done. There are also some old gun emplacements in the nearby area that you can easily walk to.

[Jaguar steve]

Jimmy's Farm is good for kids, Fossil hunting on the beach at Walton on Naze, crabbing and fish and chips at Brightlingsea - the waterside chippys closed now, but the one on the way in (Terry's Plaice?) is good. Best beaches at Frinton, Walton gets a bit Chavvy, Colne Valley and Chappel railways, lots of lovely villages and good pubs on the Essex/Suffolk border - Dedham, Flatford and Clare. Road from Manningtree to Harwich is a good one, Harwich is interesting.

Bit further away is walking on the Orwell, have a pint in the Butt and Oyster at Pin Mill

Brooklands at Jaywick isn't a classic car museum...

[sider]

Thanks again

Some good ideas! Will get the planning later on.

Bit disappointed there's not a big Ford museum at Dagenham!

[V8mate]

Dagenham's hardly in the 'Clacton area'...

[sider]

Hi All,

Thanks for all the responses.

Arrived back from Essex at weekend.

Must say that i was pleasantly surprised. Not that i expected bad - but stereotypes had perhaps made me feel that Essex wasn't as rural and green as i found it to be.

Had some nice days out with the kids, went to:

- Kelvedon Hatch secret nuclear bunker
- Hanningfield Reservoir Wildlife walk - really nice little walk, great for young children as not too far and had kids activities on with it being school hols
- Colchester & Colchester Castle - Thought castle was nice enough but my kids were perhaps too young to fully appreciate it and the artefacts shown
- Frinton on Sea
- Walton on Sea and the Naze/tower
- Clacton (Pavillion was decent enough to get us 15 mins or so out of the sun!).

All in all, a good break! Thanks.

[V8mate]

You're a good dad!

[TCEvo]

Glad you enjoyed it - you packed plenty in.

Interesting what you say about the county - common perception. A13 corridor / Thames Gateway area aside Essex is very green.

[sider]

V8mate said:

You're a good dad!

Not when they asked for yet another quid for the arcade!!

[sider]

TCEvo said:

Interesting what you say about the county - common perception. A13 corridor / Thames Gateway area aside Essex is very green.

Yeah, when anyone asked where i was going and i said Essex, it was as if i was going on holiday to an industrial estate. Nice though - some really nice little villages and really historic/quaint places.

[V8mate]

sider said:

V8mate said:

You're a good dad!

Not when they asked for yet another quid for the arcade!!

Especially then!