I wanted to get out of London for a day. As much as I love the city, it can get oppressive after a while. I always find the act of leaving London on a train, wherever I’m going, a liberating feeling! Having no idea where I could go and not the inclination to research, a friend advised me to go to Colchester, so off we went.
On arrival, we were a little worried. It wasn’t exactly what we’d been hoping for… Luckily, I’d had a quick look at the Enjoy England guide to the East of England before I left and had seen Mersea Island in their ‘Hidden Gems’. Realizing that Colchester wasn’t going to give us that rural idyll we craved, we headed off to find this hidden gem.
Mersea Island was exactly what we were after and it is just a short journey from London (if you get the changes right about 2 hours). It’s the kind of place you dream of being when you’re stuck on the Tube on a rainy mid-February afternoon. The tufty sandy beach is littered with rusty anchors, shells, sea weed and green slime. The only sound is of waves stroking the shore, birds circling and ropes creaking.
You can get oysters or a pint of prawns in the restaurant or local pub. They also have a nearby brewery (I tried Yo Boy which was very good) and vineyard so the food and drink is all 100% local.
Getting there
To get there from London (max journey time = 2 hrs)
- catch a train from Liverpool Street Station to Colchester (depart every 15 mins, journey lasts 1hr)
- Get a bus to Colchester town centre (look at the timetable or ask someone)
- Get another bus to Mersea. On Saturdays they leave at 20 past the hour, every hour, from the Bus Terminal. We had to walk through town (10 mins) to the station. Again, you can ask someone for directions.
- The bus to Mersea (No.67) takes 36 mins. From the bus stop, it’s a short walk to the sea.
Returning to London:
- Buses from Mersea Island leave every hour on the hour on Saturdays. We were warned by the people in the pub that they can leave a little before, or after, so best to get there a few minutes before.
- Take the reverse journey back.
