Day trip by coach - Towns & Villages in North Essex! (only £27 each)

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

• If you wish to reserve a seat on the coach in advance, after you pay please look at the seating plan in the photos here and then email me - general@cultureseekers.org, with the seat number/s you wish to reserve. Its first come first served.
• The seat you sit on when you board the coach is yours for the day. If you wish to change seats on the coach during the day, you will need to get permission from the individual who is seated there.

Cost
Cost is £27 per person for Full Members and £33 per person for everyone else.

After you RSVP:
You will need to make payment (its not automatic), so either:

- send a bank transfer: TSB Bank plc, sort code: 77-66-65, account no: 00030809, Account name: Cultureseekers
- Pay via credit card in advance (https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QDOWSSXO)
- go to PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/uk/, ‘send a payment’ to [general@cultureseekers.org](mailto:general@cultureseekers.org) and click on the ‘Goods & Services’ option and change it to ‘Friends & Family’, as this avoids a charge from PayPal.

Once you RSVP and then pay, I will confirm your place.

You have 3 days to make a payment, if no payment is received within 3 days, your place will be offered to the first person on the waiting list.

Become a Full Member
To become a Full Member (£14 a year) either:

- Pay cash at an event
- Pay via Bank Transfer (email me – general@cultureseekers.org for details)
- Pay via credit card on the day or in advance (https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QLAX8AUI)
- Pay via PayPal, send a payment to general@cultureseekers.org, using the ‘Friends & Family’ option

Benefits of becoming a Full Member here...

Food & drink
Its up to you whether you wish to bring your own food and drink or purchase items whilst we are there.

If you can't see us on Tothill Street, please text.

Please note, we only wait for 10 minutes after the advertised meeting time, so please be early or on time. The coach has to leave at a specific time.

Look out for the red and blue 'London Cultureseekers' group sign.

Hope to see you there!

Robert
07905 901 834 (prefer text) or email: [general@cultureseekers.org](mailto:general@cultureseekers.org)

On the day, if you can’t make the visit, just change your RSVP to No or text me to say you can’t make it. Please don’t post any messages in the comments that you can’t make it, as this generates spam for everyone else.

Please make sure you are aware of the group rules here before RSVPing - https://www.meetup.com/london_cultureseekers/photos/22974682/523578875/Group_Rules/