Sometimes overlooked in favour of its closest neighbours – think the sweeping coastlines of Suffolk and Norfolk or the quintessential chocolate box villages of rural Hertfordshire – there is much more to Essex than outdated stereotypes.
In 1972 the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) decided to celebrate the county’s hidden gems by running a competition that resulted in the opening of The Essex Way.
The 81-mile trail starts in Epping in the south west and takes in some of the county’s finest countryside before ending at the Port of Harwich in the Stour estuary.
The route passes through ancient woodland, open farmland, tree-lined river valleys and leafy green lanes, visiting several historic towns and villages along the way.
As The Essex Way marks its 50th anniversary this year there is perhaps no better time to discover what former poet laureate Sir John Betjeman described as 'The deepest Essex few explore Where steepest thatch is sunk in flowers And out of elm and sycamore Rise flinty fifteenth-century towers'.
Here are a few of our favourite homes close to the route that are currently on the market.
.jpg "High Meadow, Coopersale Street, Epping, Essex, CM16 7QJ")
.jpg "High Meadow, Coopersale Street, Epping, Essex, CM16 7QJ")
(1).jpg "Oak Farm House, Faulkbourne, Witham, Essex, CM8 1SF")
.jpg "Oak Farm House, Faulkbourne, Witham, Essex, CM8 1SF")
.jpg "Cucumber Hall, Burnt House Road, Great Tey, Colchester, CO6 1AS")
.jpg "Cucumber Hall, Burnt House Road, Great Tey, Colchester, CO6 1AS")
.jpg "High Street, Dedham, Colchester, CO7 6HA")
.jpg "High Street, Dedham, Colchester, CO7 6HA")
.jpg "Ongar Park Lodge, Ongar Park Lodge, North Weald, Epping, Essex, CM16 6GQ")
.jpg "Ongar Park Lodge, Ongar Park Lodge, North Weald, Epping, Essex, CM16 6GQ")
.jpg "Elm House, Colchester Road, Chappel, Colchester, CO6 2DQ")
.jpg "Elm House, Colchester Road, Chappel, Colchester, CO6 2DQ")
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