The picture-perfect walk around Essex castle with Instagrammable picnic spot and glistening lake

Laura Fidler

28 June 2024 at 4:30 am·2-min read

Hedingham Castle in Halstead has a keep which is 900 years old — -Credit: (Image: Andy Griffin/Broadhouse Media/Hedingham Castle)

Hedingham Castle, near Halstead, is full of delights that will make you want to go exploring. A rich history with links to royalty, battles, Romans, the grounds are still home to the Lindsay family, descendants of the original owners the Earls of Oxford who were given the castle as a gift from William the Conqueror.

Now, you can visit the castle to walk around the ancient gardens, have a picnic, watch a play or film on the outdoor cinema screen, watch the jousting, and even get your kids reenacting famous battle scenes. Boasting 160 acres, Hedingham offers a treasure trove of serene landscaped gardens, ancient woodland, and a glistening lake.

You can pack a picnic and relax in their sprawling grounds, lounging by the water or in their stunning gardens. Flowering all year round, you will be welcomed into the green with a sea of colour as snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells and rhododendrons blossom with the seasons, making it a picture-perfect location.

READ MORE: The Essex city with an award-winning castle where celebrities often visit

After admiring the pops of colour dotted about the grounds, you might want to stick around for the Adventure Cinema outdoor film screenings. Running from Tuesday August 13- Friday August 16, Hedingham is hosting films for kids and adults with the first night kicking off with a sing-a-long night with The Greatest Showman, followed by Top Gun, and Pretty Woman. And if you miss it, there are other events on, too! Hedingham regularly puts on a show with As You Like it, a Shakespeare classic arriving at the end of July.

Other notable events lined up, harking back to the castle’s historical roots, are jousting as well as medieval re-enactments for kids. In the shadow of a 900 year old Norman keep, and the widest Norman arch in domestic architecture in Western Europe, you can feast on a show of jousting, a popular medieval sport, and there is even the chance for the children to get up and get involved in a re-enactment of battles between ancient kings as they fought for their rule over England.

Hedingham is the idyllic location to visit this summer for a variety of stunning walks, relaxing picnic spots, entertaining play and film nights, and immersive historic days out for the family.

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