Living in North East Essex
North East Essex’s main towns are Colchester and Clacton. They offer two very different feels; one an
old roman castle town and the other a typical English seaside town.
Essex is truly a county of contrasts. Steeped in history and infused with unique architectural, historic and
natural treasures, encapsulating everything that is great about the coast and the countryside.
The best city
to work in
The county of Essex is a great place to live and work. It has diverse rural and urban economies cover 1,300 square miles, from the Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, and the M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. While we are the second most populated county in England and home to 1.4 million people, which accounts for a quarter of the population of the East of England, almost 75 per cent of the landscape is agricultural.
Four historic towns – Colchester for being England’s oldest recorded town, Basildon and Harlow for being two of its newest and Chelmsford, the birthplace of radio – can be found in Essex and these are all also major population centers.
Getting a place
to stay
Essex is right on the northeast border of Greater London, and offers a comfortable lifestyle without venturing too far away from the capital. With rolling countryside, attractive towns and amenities for every household, this understated county has something for everyone.
Monthly rents on a medium-sized, three-bedroom apartment outside of centre come in at between £750 and £1200 per month.
Buying a house is another option many of our new starters choose. You can find information on local house prices easily on the internet through sites like Rightmove or Zoopla. The average price for a home in North East Essex is around £120,000, for an apartment outside of centre and £160,000 for an apartment in city centre.
Is Essex a good place to live?
An Essex town has been ranked the fifth-best place to live in the UK in terms of quality of life, according to new data. Maldon made the top ten of Halifax's 2020 Quality of Life Rankings released yesterday (Friday, January 31), coming in at number five.
Cost of Living
North East Essex has a very reasonable cost of living, with average rent costs at around £900 for an apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre. If you want to buy an apartment it’s good to know that the average cost will be around £120,000 depending on the square meter.
Basic utility bills (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, and Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment can be around £200 per month in a rented flat but will increase if you choose to rent or buy a house.
Eating out can cost between £10 and £25 depending on where you eat, a McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) costs £5. You can expect a weekly shop for one person to be around £50 and the price for an internet connection, average speeds being around 60mb/s, unlimited data, cable/adsl), is £30 per month.
Family Life
You’re never stuck for things to do and see in Essex. From museums, historic sites, stately homes and nature reserves, to coffee shops, shopping, gigs and theatre. There are lots of festivals and cultural events and plenty on offer for sports fans.
There are fast services into Liverpool St or Fenchurch St from most parts of the county (and Tube services on the border with London). You can head into London after work and still be home in good time. The capital offers a world of attractions on weekends.
Good schools and a great quality of life make Essex a big draw for families – the open space and coast make a great natural playground, with parkland, country trails and rockpools to enjoy.
Things to do
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Eat some seafood at Cockle Sheds at Leigh on Sea or the West Mersea Oyster Bar
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Head to Tiptree farm, then have afternoon tea in the coffee shop at the Tiptree Jam Museum
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So much to do in Maldon. Go to Promenade Park, hire a boat, go crabbing with the kids
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Visit Constable Country and see where those iconic pictures were painted
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Colchester Castle
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Go to the V Festival with friends
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Visit Colchester Zoo. It’s a good one.
5 Facts about Essex that will stun you
01
A 350 mile long coastline!
The Essex coastline is over 350 miles long – that’s as big as the distance from London to Germany,
and further than London to Paris, to imagine the scale!
02
Famous faces of Essex
Some famous people who come from Essex include: Rupert Grint (Ronald Weasley), Jamie Oliver,
Russell Brand, Olly Murs, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mrs Hinch and that’s to name but a few!
03
Colchester is Britain’s oldest town
Dating back to the Roman times, it’s no big secret that Colchester is Britain’s oldest recorded town.
04
One of the only growing seaside resorts in the UK
With great train links into London it’s a popular place with commuters, as well as many holidaying
families, with great activities for the kids.
05
Home to the Flitch Trials
The oldest recorded competition in Britain, the “Great Dunmow Flitch Trials” are one of the more
bizarre historic events to come out of Essex.