Your trip

Martin and Charlotte are guiding you this year through the beautiful Essex countryside. Do you want to share your pictures of the route?

Click here to send us your digital picture!

Anthem for Essex

Tilty, Wimbish, Stebbing, Shopland

Chipping Ongar, Ingatestone

All the market towns and hamlets

On the rivers Crouch or Colne

West of Walton, east of Easton

Shellow Bowells to Hanningfield

London's bread-bin, lungs and love-nest

Beaches, birdland, wood and weald

Essex - seaxes, sheaves and shield

...

Where the weather-boarded cottage

Waits in moddy monochrome

Nestling with new commuters

And the future coming home

Envious London, stuck in traffic

Simmering its quiet desires

Senses Essex spanning endless

Hazier than orchard fires

Out beyond those distant spires

Martin Newell

Leave your words about Essex