Lost kingdoms and rare cuties
Pop next door for the enchanted lost kingdom and stay on site for yoga. Give your nails and face a treat at Talbooth House and Spa. Walk to Brook Farm Stables for lessons or hacks. Hit the high life at Go Ape Thetford. Tackle Essex's longest play trail at Great Notley Discovery Park. Or feed the rare-breed cuties at Baylham House Farm.
Country kids
Is there much to do round here for younger kids? Well, with Wyvernwood next door, a major attraction packed with adventure activities, a treasure hunt, encounters with princesses, queens, dragons, wizards and goblins, and all the fresh air they can handle. And all for free for guests staying at Marlborough Manor.
Visit Essex’s only dedicated bouldering centre at the Colchester Climbing Project. Walk to Brook Farm Stables for lessons or hacks. Enjoy outdoor activities at Go Ape Thetford such as high ropes, Segways and bike trails. Have a wild family day out at Colchester Zoo, covering everything from aardvarks to anteaters and lemurs to lorikeets.
Meet all things marine, including tropical fish and turtles, at Seaquarium on Clacton Pier. Pick from a variety of museums, including Colchester Castle and Museum, East Anglia Railway Museum, Colchester Natural History Museum, or Hollytrees Museum, showcasing three centuries of fascinating toys, costume, clocks and decorative arts.
Be entertained by the big screen at Odeon and Curzon Colchester cinemas and by live action at Colchester’s Headgate Theatre and Mercury Theatre. Head to Great Notley Discovery Park for Essex’s longest play trail and the Sky Ropes. Or grab a feeding bag at Baylham House Farm and meet cattle, sheep, Maori pigs, goats, poultry and alpacas.
For the grown-ups
The kids have it pretty good here, with an enchanted lost kingdom next door, but adults can order up on-site yoga, make use of the gym, laze by the pool or walk (or fish) around the lake through Old Hall Wood or from Alresford Creek to Wivenhoe.
Hire canoes to explore the River Stour at Dedham. Ski or snowboard the 180-metre slope at Suffolk Ski Centre. Book a spa day, gym session or swim at Colchester Leisure World. Or enjoy an upmarket spa day at Talbooth House and Spa and give your nails,
skin or face a treat.
Head to Brightlingsea Watersports for paddleboarding or canoeing. Knock some pins down at Tenpin Colchester. Shop Colchester for specialist independent shops alongside large department stores and browse the city’s historic lanes. Or potter Chelmsford’s multiple shopping centres, retail parks and mix of independent brands.
Pop back through time and visit Colchester Castle’s interactive displays and star exhibits, such as the Colchester Gladiator Vase and Fenwick hoard of Roman treasure. See Tudor palace Lady Marney Tower or visit lovely houses and gardens such as Marks Hall Estate, Beth Chatto, Paycocke’s House and Grange Barn.
