Brightlingsea is situated at the mouth of the river Colne on the coast of North East Essex. The area is mainly rural with a long and varied coastline.
Brightlingsea itself is a lively small town with its own beach, multi coloured beach huts and a vibrant harbour area where there is a yacht and a sailing club, a marina and the ‘Smack Dock’ where the historic fishing smacks are moored. There are several nature reserves in the town and the estuary offers opportunities to see a wide range of wading birds.
The town itself affords many opportunities for walking and enjoying the local wildlife but if you want to venture further afield why not leave your car behind and take one of the longer, interesting walks along the river bank or visit Thorrington Tide Mill whose wheel still turns on the last Sunday of each month. Or you could take the ‘foot ferry’ across to Mersea Island during the summer months.
There are also plenty of interesting places to visit within a short car or bus ride including Beth Chatto’s famous gardens in nearby Elmstead Market, the interesting small town of Wivenhoe and the picuturesque villages of Constable country such as Dedham where the artist lived and worked.