I will be staying with my cousing who lives in Chelmsford (1.5 hourd drive into london-north east side.<BR>can you suggest small towns and villages, history or anything interesting to see?<BR>she has mentioned whitecliff,cambridge and levenham (if that's how its spelt) are they worth seeing?<BR>any advice would be great!

If it's Lavenham in Suffolk you mean then it is well worth a visit. Have a look at http://www.historic-uk.com/DestinationsUK/Lavenham.htm<BR><BR>For information and pictures.

it is a great area Lavenham, Cambridge, all of the suffolk villages, the Norfolk Broads and the coast, Ely, Colchester and a lot of other places are within easy reach by car or train.<BR><BR>You will see wind mills, lavender farms, some beautiful cathedrals and a few really interesting castles.

<BR><BR>45 years ago I used to take my vacations in Chelmsford, and it is well placed. As county town of Essex, it has busses in all directions, and within an hour is much fine country, chiefly to the north. Good starts are the National Trust and English Heritage lists for Essex: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/scripts/ nthandbook.dll?Action=AREA&amp;Area=East%20of%20En gland and http://www.county-guides.ndirect.co.uk/historic_build/english_heritage.htm<BR><BR>Coggeshall and Thaxted have thatched timber framed cottages and medieval churches, and the triumphant Perpendicular wool churches of Lavenham, Sudbury and Long Melford are set in very handsome villages. Saffron Walden, Great Duxford, and Audley End lie in the same direction, but need half a day each. Great Duxford houses the museum of the USAF in Hitler?s War, Audley End is a distinguished country house, and Saffron Walden is an eighteenth century market town with a good square, medieval church, and local museum. Also a pre-Christian grass maze. Cambridge needs a whole day, best done as early bus to Bishops Stortford then train to Cambridge. Each has a web site.<BR><BR>[email protected]<BR>

to all of you thank you so much for your suggestions! Ben thank yoiu for your extensive list! You gave me a lot of the information that I was looking for as I am more than enything intersted in seeing small town and villages. That is just great!<BR>how far are Coggeshall and Thaxted from Chelmsfod out of curiousity??<BR>Renata

Thirty or forty miles. Coggeshall is a train to Witham then north by bus. Thaxted is a bus to Great Dunmow, then another north.<BR><BR>I hope you are asking out of an intention to travel, not out of interest.<BR><BR>[email protected]