WORDS & PICTURES: Abi Prowse
Even for the most seasoned city-dwellers, life in the capital can be exhausting. Your days are buzzing with the constant whirr and hum of traffic and people, a never-ending soundtrack to your commute. Whilst London is bursting at the seams with excitement and opportunity, the rushed lifestyle can be draining; it is lucky, then, that its neighbouring region, Essex, is dominated by lush, green countryside and quaint English villages like Castle Hedingham.
Only a short car or train journey from central London lies one such village. Its picture-book aesthetic is only heightened by its name, which seems almost to have been crafted by A.A. Milne or Beatrix Potter. Castle Hedingham is known primarily for its hilltop fortress, around which the rest of the town was constructed.
The village’s pre-1100 roots are evident in its architecture which, over time, has grown charmingly higgeldy-piggeldy. Its white, wood-beamed pubs are met with splashes of pastel as you wander down the main street and towards Castle Lane. Looking up, the tower of this Norman structure looms above you, its Union Jack fluttering proudly come rain or shine. Whilst Hedingham Castle is celebrated as a historic landmark, it is also used nowadays for a range of events and community gatherings. Hosting everything from educational school trips and battle re-enactments to wedding ceremonies and private parties, the castle is open to the public from Easter to October. Its peaceful, well-kept grounds also make a wonderful place to reconnect with nature.
A wander around the castle is likely to leave you a little peckish; and where better to whet your appetite than a traditional English tea room? Back on the high street, you may stumble across Buckley’s Tea Rooms: a cosy, friendly hideaway with homecooked food and a range of very English cakes and sweet treats. Its low ceilings and simple wooden furnishings are the perfect backdrop to a hot cup of tea and a sweet, crumbly scone.
Castle Hedingham is also home to a number of pretty little pubs, whose menus include British favourites such as Fish and Chips and a Roast Dinner. The Old Moot House – a pub at the very heart of the village – also offers afternoon tea packages and a brunch menu.
Getting to Castle Hedingham from London takes only 1.5 hours by car and roughly 2.5 hours using public transport links. If you are driving, take the M11 Northbound once you are outside London itself, before then turning onto the A120 towards Braintree. From there, the A131 will lead you all the way to Castle Hedingham. If you’d rather take the train, then head towards Witham from Liverpool Street Station, before taking the bus through Braintree.
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