Dedham Lodge

Flatford Mill (20 minutes' drive) should be a first stop when in this part of Essex... the 18th-century mill and its adjoining Miller's Cottage are both Grade I-listed and managed by the National Trust, which has added children's activity packs and regular events to the site, as well as a guided four-mile walk through the landscape that inspired Constable. There was quite a bit of it, as the scenic walks around Dedham and Dedham Vale will show. The Essex beach at Clacton-on-Sea (half an hour) welcomes you for seaside days out; to explore further afield, you can also stop off at Southend-on-Sea (an hour) to see the world's longest pleasure pier and have a ride on the Southend Cliff Railway. Nearby, Roman Colchester (20 minutes) is the oldest recorded town in Britain and should have at least a couple of days devoted to it: see the castle and Castle Museum with a mammoth exhibit on the Roman settlement, as well as the Natural History Museum and works at the Minories Gallery.