Explore historic Essex and experience centuries-old traditions

28th June 2022

The county’s tourism body, Visit Essex, is encouraging visitors to experience the centuries-old traditions and events that take place around the county. 

Visitors to the beautiful mediaeval village of Great Dunmow will be treated to the centuries-old, ‘The Dunmow Flitch Trials’ on Saturday 9 July. Every four years, the people of Great Dunmow gather to watch married couples convince a judge and jury of “6 maidens and 6 bachelors” that they have not “wish’t themselves unmarried” in a year and a day. The couple who convinces the jury, via a series of trials, that they are happy in their marriage wins a flitch of bacon – half a roasting pig. It is one of the oldest traditions in Great Dunmow, having been mentioned in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, and is well worth the visit to this quaint picturesque town. Tickets for the trials need to be booked in advance and are priced from £8.  

The nearby village of Thaxted with its picturesque, windmill, thatched cottages and beautiful church spires is also home to Thaxted Morris Men. Founded in 1911, Thaxted Morris is the oldest revival in the country, and one of their first performances celebrated the coronation of King George V! From May to September, Thaxted Morris perform all over the county, including at the Dunmow Flitch Trials in 2022. The group holds practice every Monday from October to April and all men and boys are welcome to join. Their schedule can be found on their website.

Councillor Mark Durham, Chairman of Visit Essex, says: “There’s so much to Essex, from our picture-perfect villages to our centuries-old traditions. This is all part of our heritage as a county, and we want to show off all aspects of who we are and what we represent.” 

To find out more about things to do in Essex, visit www.visitessex.com/things-to-do. 
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Notes to editor
WHERE TO STAY
Down Hall, Hatfield Heath
With 98 stunning bedrooms, all individually designed, the Down Hall Hotel, Spa & Estate is the perfect place to centre your stay around Northwest Essex. The luxury, spacious hotel rooms provide a grand experience, and you can even book a spa experience or explore the estate. The hotel also offers afternoon tea in their historic lounge, or a scrumptious dinner in their Garden Room restaurant. Prices for 2 adults overnight start at £212.

Talliston Bed & Breakfast, Great Dunmow
Talliston House and Gardens is a B&B like no other! There are three rooms available for guests: The Haunted Bedroom, a recreation of an Edwardian child’s 1911 bed chamber; The Cabin, a 1940s-style Canadian boat where you can sit outside after dark and watch the illuminated carnival lights in the sea; and The Room of Dreams, styled after the Moorish Spanish bedchamber in the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Guests who book these rooms have access to all other rooms in the house, such as the Japanese Teahouse, New Orleans kitchen and Boathouse bathroom. Overnight stays at Talliston start from £125. 

Golden Grove Camping and Caravan Park, Braintree
This spacious family-run site offers a camping or caravan option when visiting Northwest Essex. Set on the edge of the quaint village of Great Saling, the camping and caravan park provides the perfect opportunity to experience nature and get away from the bustling city. With the nearby villages of Great Dunmow, Finchingfield and Thaxted a short drive away, you’ll never run out of things to do. Tents can be pitched from £12 per night and caravans and motorhomes are priced from £20 per night. 

PRESS TRIPS
If you would like to visit Essex, please contact Hilary Collins. 

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.
More information about things to see and do in Essex can be found on our website:  

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