Rayleigh & Surrounding District
Rayleigh is a thriving historic market town mentioned in the Doomesday Book, when it belonged to Sweyne of Essex whose castle was built here, on the site now known as Rayleigh Mount, which is National Trust owned. Close by are the 17th century Dutch Cottage and 18th century windmill.
The wide High Street offers a varied range of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants supplemented by the Wednesday morning market with ample parking. Access to London is fast and easy - 45 minutes by train to Liverpool Street four times an hour (at peak times), or via the A127. Lakeside Thurrock is half an hour drive away and Stansted Airport just an hour's drive.
Education is a key consideration when moving and there are many high achieving primary and secondays schools within the local areas. Many of the surrounding villages and towns are within the Rochford District Council jurisdiction, including Rayleigh and are all well served by a variety of leisure facilities including a new, state of the art leisure centre operated by Virgin Active, the Clements Hall Sports Centre at Hawkwell, golf courses at Rochford, and Rayleigh, whilst Hullbridge on the River Crouch is ideal for the boating fraternity, with hundreds of moorings and three yacht clubs. Battlesbridge, further up the river straddling the Crouch is a well known antiques centre, the largest in Essex.
Equestrian facilities are available throughout the district and bordering Rayleigh is the village of Hockley, set amongst attractive countryside with miles of woodland walks to both Hawkwell and the meadowlands of Edwards Hall Country Park at Eastwood.
Benfleet & Surrounding District
The borough of Castle Point which is situated on the coastline of South East Essex includes the towns of Benfleet, Hadleigh and Thundersley. Good road links exist to Southend, Basildon, M25 and London via the A13 and A127 while frequent train services operate into London’s Fenchurch Street (approximately 35 minutes travelling time).
The area has numerous primary and senior schools of a high standard and further education colleges and leisure facilities are located within the borough or a few miles travelling distance. Boyce Hill Golf Course is well known for its picturesque hillside setting, whilst yacht and boat moorings can be found on Benfleet Creek, a tidal inlet of the Thames Estuary.
By Benfleet Creek is one of the entrances to Hadleigh Castle Country Park, which stretches along the coast to Leigh-on-Sea. It takes its name from the nearby impressive ruins of Hadleigh Castle, built over 700 years ago as a fortress overlooking the Thames Estuary.
The Country Park is a lovely place to walk, discover wildlife and enjoy some fine views, overlooking the Thames, Southend Pier and Kent coast. Dartford Bridge and Canary Wharf can even be seen on a clear day!
Enjoy a walk , then call in for a drink at the 'Barge Gladys', moored beside the Creek or one of the three pubs in the historic conservation area by St Marys Church.
