Fast Sporting Activities and sightseeing in Essex England

Fast Sporting Activities and Sightseeing in Essex England

By Charles L Harmon

Skyline of Southend-on-Sea. Photo by Terryjoyce. License: SA-CC-3.0.

This historical county can be considered the oldest ceremonial and administrative county in England, and a home county north-east of London. Large swathes of the county which are closest to London are part of the Metropolitan Green Belt, which prohibits urban development in its green spaces. The name Essex originates in the Anglo-Saxon period of the Early Middle Ages

Demographics of Essex County England

Jamie Oliver might have been the person responsible for a lot of people around the world having good exposure to Essex through his show “Jamie’s Great Britain”. It also does not hurt that the Essex landscape is as gorgeous as anything can be. But this British county is absolutely so much more than just the gorgeous landscape.

Essex offers plenty of places that will stimulate your senses - from country parks, picturesque villages, to nature reserves, beaches, estuaries and zoos. The county also boasts of amusement parks, museums and other cultural and historical sites, as well as game and entertainment centers.

Just a little under two hours by car from London, Essex is an exciting, fun-filled and action-packed destination. It truly is a mecca for vacationers looking for some action and here is why:

Lakeside Karting

Located in West Thurrock, Lakeside Karting is classified as the number one attraction in Essex - famed as the best go kart track in the country by those who are regulars, because of the sheer challenge it presents. Lakeside Karting is almost a kilometer long track, which features ten fast-sweeping corners, three full blast straights, two intimidating hairpins, and the mighty Devil’s Drop that will let you feel your soul leave your body by the swift switch of gradient. But this is not just for the pros. The accommodating staff and helpful marshals are always ready to assist and attend to all especially first timers. The track and karts are also excellently maintained so your track time will be absolutely fantastic.

Southend_Pier in Essex County England

Delta Force Paintball

For those who are geared up for a day of some thrilling, extreme action, Delta Paintball game zones are perfect for you. Delta Force Paintball game zones are accessible in places like Eastwood, Oakwood, Juniperwood, Hadleigh, Colchester and Thetford Forest. It features over four million players and movie quality game zones. In fact the Eastwood site even has props like jets, armored vehicles, double decker buses, forts and castles.

Expect to use top of the line gear like body armor, full head protection and state-of-the- art paintball machine guns Basically, your safety is guaranteed with the gear alone. In addition, Delta Force follows a full public liability insurance apart from its first class safety record. The UK Paint Ball Association even awarded Delta Force a five star rating, thus, you cannot go wrong signing up here. Even celebrities come here, Prince William and superstar chef Gordon Ramsey to name a few!

Lee Valley Regional Park

This vast 10,000 acre park and sporting complex stretches up to 26 miles along Lee River from Hertfordshire and Essex to Thames. Just reopened this year after the Olympics, Lee Valley Regional Park is an all-around holiday destination, and offers many activities for families and groups ranging from white water rafting, horseback riding, camping, fishing and a lot more.

If you feel like going laidback with your activity, enjoy exploring the park’s three Green Heritage Sites, visiting farms, and bird watching. For the adrenaline junkies, white water rafting and canoeing are the prime activities in the park. If you do have the time to stay for a much longer period, one of the best ways to experience the beauty of Lee Valley is to go camping and take in the environment.

Depiction of the first king of the East Saxons, Æscwine, his shield showing the three seaxes emblem attributed to him (from John Speed’s 1611 Saxon Heptarchy).

Essex County Landmarks

After or before any sporting activities you might want to see some of the numerous sites in the county. There are Over 14,000 buildings with listed status in the county. Of those around 1000 of those are recognized as Grade I or II in importance. The buildings range from the 7th century Saxon church of St Peter-on-the-Wall, to the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club which was the United Kingdom’s entry in the “International Exhibition of Modern Architecture” held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1932.

Here are a few places of interest:

Maldon historic market town, close to Chelmsford and the North Sea, and site of the Battle of Maldon
Mangapps Railway Museum HR icon.svg Museum icon (red).png (Burnham-on-Crouch)
Marsh Farm Country Park (South Woodham Ferrers)
Mersea Island, birdwatching and rambling resort with one settlement, West Mersea
Finchingfield (Considered the most beautiful village in England and home of the author Dodie Smith)
Mountfitchet Castle

About the Author

Charles says get lucky, buy a new, aged, hand-selected or brandable domain name from Good Luck Domains or website from Domain Sam.

County of Essex England