Coach Day Trips Out Of London!

Come along on Saturday 6th June for a coach trip to some pretty towns and villages in North Essex.

We won't be able to do the Tiptree Jam Tour, as they only carry out tours on Wednesdays and Fridays.

About the day
Essex is a historical county due east of London. Its history back thousands of years and when the Roman's invaded in 43AD, they setup their capital in the north of the county called 'Camulodunum' (now the city of Colchester). From the 5th century onwards, the Anglo Saxons settled here and the name Essex today translates as 'East Saxon'.

St. Michael's Church, Copford
St. Michael & All Angels Church in the village of Copford in a Norman church featuring rare, extensive wall paintings from the 1140's. The church inside is decorated with a variety of religious themed wall paintings, painted figures, the signs of the zodiac, complex decorations, inclduding flower, leaf patterns and scrollwork.

The wall paintings were white washed in the 1530's during Henry VIII's split from the Catholic Church and rediscovered during the 1870's.

Coggeshall
Described as a lovely little 'olde worlde' village, Coggeshall lies just south of Colchester on the River Blackwater and on the Roman road of Stane Street. It has over 300 listed buildings, with the earliest dating from the 14th century and has had a market since 1256. Bizarre and obscure events in the past have been attributed to ley lines crossing in the town.

Great Bardfield
Henry VIII is said to have given Bardfield to his fourth wife Anne of Cleves as part of his divorce settlement in 1540 and a number of buildings in the village are associated with Anne of Cleves. Bardfield was the home of many important twentieth-century English artists who hosted a series of important 'open house' exhibitions in the village during the 1950s. The village has 102 listed buildings and a windmill which dates from 1754.

Braintree
Braintree gets its name from the River Brain and also sits on the Roman road of Stane Street. From the 14th century onwards, the town was known for processing and manufacturing of woollen cloth and then in the 19th century for silk manufacturing. The wealth from cloth is reflected in the many medieval properties in the town.

Coach seating

Come along on Saturday 20th June for a coach trip visiting two places along the Solent in Hampshire!

About the trip
The Solent is a strait of water in Hampshire between the mainland and the Isle of Wight. Its a natural harbour that has been used for over 1000 years and has lots of history. It is where Henry VIII's flagship; the Mary Rose sank in 1547 (was raised in 1982), the Mayflower left for the New World in 1620 and where the Titanic left for its maiden voyage in 1912.

We will be visiting two places along the Solent:

Southampton Old Town
Southampton Old Town is at the top of the Solent. Southampton is a modern place, so we will only be visiting the old town, which has a medieval wall, a historic Tudor House, several other medieval buildings and a castle. We will be walking through the old town and finish at the Sea City Museum, where we will also stop for lunch.

The Sea City Museum, which tells the story of the history of the area and also has a seperate exhibition on the Titanic which left Southampton on its maiden voyage in 1912.

We will then pick up the coach and visit the resting place nearby of a person who survived the Titanic sinking and has since been immortalised in history for what they did on board.

Hythe
Hythe is to the west of the Solent and with its waterfront, boasts fantastic views across the Solent and especially of the majestic cruise liners which come into the Port most days. The village centre with a pretty Georgian High Street offers a range of pretty shops and pubs.

Entry
Entry to the Sea City Museum in Southampton Old Town is £7 per person (payable on the day by cash, credit card, Paypal or bank transfer). The museum visit is optional.

Coach seating