What’s new in Essex in 2022?

2nd December 2021

There’s so much to see and do in Essex in 2022, with attractions opening their doors offering visitors exciting new experiences. The county’s tourism organisation, Visit Essex, gives us the lowdown; from environmentally-friendly train rides on Southend Pier to alpaca treks in the countryside. There’s definitely something for everyone!   

Experience historic Essex with a twist!

Essex is full of history and Hedingham Castle is offering some great new experiences. Indulge yourself to the VIP treatment and sleep like a King in a luxurious bedroom suite at the top of the castle! The Royal Chamber at Hedingham Castle is the only Norman bedroom in the country and offers an ornate four poster bed and spacious double bath. Guests will be able to book accommodation from early 2022. 

Hedingham Castle will be offering a unique escape room experience! Located in the top of the castle’s keep, the room focuses on the history of the castle and the Magna Carta. The Earl of Oxford, of Hedingham Castle, was one of the 25 barons elected as the first guarantors of the Magna Carta when it was sealed at Runnymede in June 1215. Gather your friends and family together to solve the clues and puzzles and (hopefully!) escape the room. Prices start from £18 per person. 

Talliston House in Great Dunmow, has a fascinating story to discover. Once an ordinary house,  Talliston House and Gardens has been transformed by author John Tarrow into a series of inspiring locations, each set in a different time and place. Each room is the setting for a different chapter in John’s novel, ‘The Stranger’s Guide to Talliston’, which takes visitors through the labyrinth of a medieval tower room, New Orleans kitchen, sinister Scottish bedrooms and a cabin in the woods! If you’ve ever fallen in love with a Grimm’s fairy tale, you’ll love John’s personal tours of the house, which include readings from the book and an afternoon tea in the Victorian Watchtower. Tours will take place every Wednesday afternoon and evening, priced £29.99 per person,

Jump on board

Southend has the longest pleasure pier in the world and from 2022 new eco-friendly trains, powered by lithium batteries, will take passengers the 1.25 miles from the shore to the pier head in the North Sea. The carriages will be fitted with state-of-the-art audio -visual equipment, a hearing loop system, a braille driver alert and even USB charging points. The old trains will be repurposed to form a passenger waiting area on the pier. Discover more here.

Instagram-able moments with alpacas! 

Animal lovers can head off on a trek with an alpaca, with All Things Alpaca at Lathcoats Farm, Chelmsford. The hour-long alpaca experience includes a 15-minute introduction to the alpacas and a 45-minute trek leading your alpaca through the beautiful orchards at the farm. This is an Instagram-able day out, with plenty of photo opportunities, Pluto loves to pose, but Panda, the leader of the pack, is the supermodel of the group! Prices start at £22 for children and £32 for adults. Find out more here.

Adrenalin-filled adventure

Thrill seekers should visit Nuclear High Ropes at Kelvedon Hatch for the new 500 metre zip trek course. Ascending a spiral tree stair, adventurers zip across 13 zipwires 10 metres off the ground. Nuclear High Ropes also offers axe throwing, angle knife sessions, air rifle shooting and a high ropes course that includes over 70 obstacles.

Enjoy new dining and drinking experiences!

With a view like no other, the newly refurbished Royal Pavilion Restaurant and Bar at the end of Southend Pier, offers diners 360-degree vistas of the Thames Estuary. The restaurant features local, seasonal produce, including beers from the Leigh on Sea Brewery and gin from Southend’s own Pigs Bay Distillery. Watch the boats sail by whilst enjoying some fabulous food and craft drinks. .  

To sample award-winning beers then head over to Harlow to the new Redchurch Brewery Bar and Taproom. Set inside the Redchurch Brewery, the bar features their complete range of ales, beers, lagers and stouts brewed on site, along with guest wines, ciders, spirits and cocktails. The bar will be open every Saturday, 2pm to 8pm, and features quiz nights and live music. 

Councillor Mark Durham, Vice Chairman, Visit Essex, adds: “There’s always so much to see and do in Essex, we’re a county of contrasts and offer so much, from beautiful countryside to our 350-mile coastline.”

He added: “These new experiences and attractions in Essex further add to the adventures visitors can have across the county in 2022.” 
To discover more about what’s on in Essex in 2022, visit www.visitessex.com. 
Ends

VISIT ESSEX

Visit Essex is the official tourism organisation and the only body specifically marketing the whole of the county to the visitor market. We work with visitor attractions, leisure/activity providers, accommodation establishments and other tourism related businesses (including the travel trade, media and wider partners), to ensure that the county remains a leading visitor destination.

Our work encompasses major marketing campaigns, high profile PR work, business support, and the management and promotion of the official Visit Essex brand. Visit Essex will ensure that the county gets the recognition it deserves as a desirable place to visit in the 21st century. We will work closely with partners to develop a sustainable tourism offering for the future, identify new markets and harness visitors at the county's major gateways of Stansted, Harwich, Southend and Tilbury.

For further information:
Hilary Collins, Big Wave PR, hilary@wearebigwavepr.co.uk, or call 01206 231807.