The only way is Essex for a romantic break away
Au revoir Paris, the only way is Essex for a spot of good old-fashioned romance, writes Ruth Supple.
Long walks in gorgeous countryside, picturesque villages with rose-covered thatched cottages and fantastic meals in front of roaring log fires in lovely English pubs made this often-overlooked county an absolute revelation on a recent visit.
I must admit Essex wasn’t top of my list of somewhere to spend my wedding anniversary but it tied in with my husband’s business dealings and after dropping off important documents in Colchester, we headed to our destination - The Cricketers Arms in Rickling Green.
This renovated pub, owned by the three-strong Cozy Pubs stable, must be one of the prettiest in England and a real hidden gem. It overlooks a vast village green edged by thatched-covered cottages with well-manicured gardens, stands next to a village primary school and is opposite the local cricket club with its impressive pitch and cute clubhouse.
It resembles a scene out of an English TV drama like Inspector Morse, the kind of place where nothing seems to happen but lots really does and, after checking into our beautiful double bedroom decorated in a French style, we took a pre-dinner stroll around the place. Nothing happened and no cricket was being played but we had worked up a large appetite.
Lucky for us as the food served at The Cricketers Arms is splendid and we enjoyed a magnificent steak board each, followed by indulgent chocolate desserts.
Cricket has been played on the village green for more than 150 years, hence the name of the pub, and every summer the village hosts an infamous English Cricket Day with six six-a-side cricket teams competing against one another. Cricket matches are also held every weekend throughout summer in the village.
The pub pays tribute to its cricketing name and connections with photographs of famous cricketers hanging on the walls in the snug area, where we cuddled up for digestifs before heading up the narrow stairs to bed.
We live in a three-storey house where our bedroom windows are skylights, meaning I have to stand on a chair to clean them and stick my head out to see the view. So it was lovely to have several windows in our room at the pub, all offering fantastic views of the village. The pub has 10 individually designed en suite bedrooms, each with its own appeal.
After a lovely breakfast we headed off to explore the nearby historic market town of Saffron Walden six miles away with its pretty painted houses and lovely streets to walk around. The town centre has some fantastic designer boutiques, where the staff all lived up to their reputation of being friendly Essex people, happy to have a natter and completely dispelling the (northern) myth of southerners being cold and unwelcoming.
We’d been recommended lunch at another Cozy pub, The Eight Bells in Saffron Walden, which recently re-opened and has been given a new lease of life. The dining room here is incredible and borne out of a medieval tithe barn. It has an enormous ceiling, beamed walls and on the day we visited, was packed with couples and groups enjoying good food and great wines.
What was supposed to be just a quick snack for us after such a large evening meal the previous night turned into a feast spread out over several hours in the dining room, before spilling out into the pub garden adorned with large mirrors on the brick walls, lots of decking and patio heaters.
It’s just a shame there aren’t any rooms to stay overnight at The Eight Bells as it meant we had to head home, reluctantly leaving this beautiful corner of north Essex behind.
Rooms at The Cricketers Arms start from £65 per night, Visit www,thecricketersarmsricklinggreen.co.uk and www.8bells-pub.co,uk for more information,
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