St Osyth Beach Holiday Park

As it’s the sunshine coast, beachcombing and seaside resorts are the order of the day here, with Clacton-on-Sea almost on the doorstep and Southend-on-Sea a little further down the coast. Promenade along the lengthy Clacton Pier for rides, amusements, cafés and restaurants or bounce about on the giant trampolines, roll some indoor bowls along or visit the SeaQuarium to see local marine specimens as well as not-so-local red piranha fish and sharks. Sea fishing and boat trips can be arranged from the pier too. Clacton-on-Sea is also famous for its annual air show where you can spot Spitfires and Hurricanes; there’s a bit of history here too for soap fans as the Clacton-on-Sea Butlins was where Eastenders’ star-crossed lovers Frank and Paaaaaat met all those years ago. Aw. Moving swiftly on, the longest leisure pier on the planet can be seen at nearby Southend-on-Sea: it’s over 2km long and is now Grade II listed. The kids likely won’t care about the historical elements of the pier, so take them on the pier railway instead or let them loose on the rides of Adventure Island. Day trips from St Osyth include the historic city of Colchester, just eleven miles away and with over 250 species to spot at Colchester Zoo; flapping around and birdwatching at the nature reserves in the area, or exploring the Suffolk Heritage Coastline with its seaside towns and villages. The East Anglian Railway Museum in Constable Country at nearby Colne has regular events including Thomas the Tank Engine days, railway experience trips and a miniature railway: try the ‘driver for a fiver’ to get your mitts on the controls.