A coastal Essex town that visitors can tour by boat and enter a music festival for free every summer is less than an hour and a half's drive from Romford.
Brightlingsea is nestled between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, at the mouth of the River Colne in the Tendring district.
The town is steeped in history stretching back as far as 4000 BC.
According to Brightlingsea Town Council's website, thanks to the town’s proximity to Colchester, there are many Roman connections including the site of a grand villa overlooking the sea which was previously inhabited by Celtic tribe the Trinobantes.
One of the town's most recognisable structures is the 97 foot high Bateman's Tower, located at the end of Promenade Way.
Often mistaken for a lighthouse, according to Brightlingsea Info, it’s actually a folly built in 1883 by John Bateman for his daughter to recuperate.
Thanks to its "commanding views" of the creek, the River Colne and the estuary, the tower was used as an observation post by the Royal Observer Corps during the Second World War.
During this time the roof was removed to make the tower less conspicuous to enemy aircraft.
According to Visit Brightlingsea, visitors can tour the town via boat, and "tides permitting" may get to see Cindery Island - a nearby salt marsh that serves as a sanctuary for numerous birds and wildlife.
Brightlingsea is one of seven Blue Flag beaches in Essex - awarded to beaches which meet high standards for water quality, waste management, climate action and biodiversity protection.
The beach also has colourful beach huts that sit back from the Promenade, many of which have been owned by the same family for "many, many years and loved and looked after".
The town also has a lido, a boating lake and a museum to entertain visitors with varying interests.
Running across the first weekend of August each year, the Brightlingsea Free Music Festival is, as its name suggests, free to enter.
Its website says: "Despite spiralling costs, we are proud to boast that we have been able to keep the festival a FREE ENTRY event which means everyone can come and enjoy the music and have a good time regardless of their financial situation."
The event is hosted at Hurst Green which provides a "natural amphitheatre" and is run by local volunteers who receive no remuneration.
Visit Brightlingsea claims it has "one of the best examples of a traditional high street in Essex, chock full of local independent traders".
In "one of the best kept traditional high streets in the east of England," visitors can find craft and gift shops, delicatessens, florists, jewellers and clothes shops - the majority of which are all independently run.
Brightlingsea also has no shortage of pubs including the Yachtmans Arms - "a family run, friendly waterside pub" according to its website and Ye Olde Swan which has history dating back to around 1300.
Another watering hole option is The Railway Tavern in Station Road which was originally built as a hotel in 1865 to service the railway, which no longer exists.
It has been run by Sarah and Alex Capon since April 2018 who are "delighted to continue the age-old tradition of this historic free house".
The boozer's website claims to be "a wonderful part of the history of our town".
According to figures from Rightmove, house prices in Brightlingsea have an overall average of £279,047 over the last year.
Most properties sold Brightlingsea during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £274,255 whilst detached properties sold for an average of £390,324 and terraced properties fetched £247,800.
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