Roman Essex & Constable Country

The tallest Tudor gatehouse in Britain, built by Henry, 1st Lord Marney — a courtier of Henry VIII who died in 1523 before finishing his grand design. The tower stands eight storeys high, the ambitious centrepiece of an estate that was never completed.

Take the A12 northeast — the tower is signed from the Kelvedon junction. Check opening days before visiting (Sundays and Wednesdays in season).

A tidal island in the Blackwater estuary, connected to the mainland by a causeway that floods twice daily. Home to a Roman burial barrow, native oyster beds farmed since antiquity, and a quiet beach town.

Check the tide times for the Strood causeway before driving — it floods for a few hours either side of high tide.

The largest Norman keep ever built in Britain, constructed directly on the vaulted foundations of the Temple of Claudius. Colchester — Roman Camulodunum — was the first capital of Roman Britain and was burned to the ground by Boudica in 60 AD.

Park in one of the town centre car parks. The castle is in Castle Park, a short walk from the high street.

The mill and river meadows that John Constable painted obsessively — The Hay Wain, The Cornfield, Boat-Building Near Flatford Mill. The landscape along the River Stour is barely changed since the 1820s.

The car park is a 10-minute walk from the mill along the river — part of the experience.