Spring Days Out in Essex: 20 Family Ideas for March, April & May 2026

Essex in spring is genuinely underrated. The bluebells at Danbury Country Park. Cherry blossom at Hylands. The first proper ice-cream weekend at Frinton. Every village fete kicking back into gear. Here are 20 things to do across the county for March, April, and May 2026.

March: the "we made it through winter" list

1. Mothering Sunday afternoon tea — book Layer Marney Tower or Hylands House well ahead. Sells out by mid-February.
2. Colchester Zoo re-opens for daffodil season. Front lawn planted with 250,000 bulbs.
3. Essex Wildlife Trust guided walks — free, twice weekly across all their sites. Booking not needed.
4. Braintree Farmers' Market restarts — first Sunday of every month, from March.
5. Chelmsford Prom Park garden opens for the season with the first coffee kiosk of the year.

April: Easter and blossom

1. Hylands House Easter Trail. Runs all Easter school holidays. Tickets £5, book online.
2. Marsh Farm Easter Eggstravaganza — chick handling, egg trails, tractor rides.
3. Cherry blossom at Hylands and Central Park, Chelmsford. Peak bloom usually 10-25 April.
4. The Naze fossil hunt. Spring low tides expose the most fossils of the year.
5. RHS Hyde Hall re-opens core gardens — spring bulbs, hilltop views.
6. Colchester Castle Park Easter Fair — free entry, funfair, egg-and-spoon races.
7. Great Notley Adventure Park — climb the ancient hill fort walls, largest playground in Essex.

May: bluebells, festivals and first-swimmers

1. Danbury Ridge bluebell walks. Peak carpet usually 25 April - 12 May. Blakemore Wood and Backwarden Common are the best spots.
2. Hatfield Forest bluebells. National Trust — arrive before 10am for parking.
3. Great Bardfield Duck Race. First Bank Holiday Monday of May. Genuinely brilliant.
4. Chappel Beer Festival. Late May. 200+ real ales, live music, dog-friendly.
5. Southend Airshow. Late May, Bank Holiday weekend. Free, seafront.
6. Frinton and Walton beach opens for the year — book beach huts through Tendring Council.
7. Colchester Medieval Fayre. Castle Park, second weekend of May. Free entry.
8. The Great Baddow Duck Race — small, silly, and quintessentially Essex.

Where the bluebells actually are (map)

The five best bluebell woods in Essex (in order):

1. Blakemore Wood, Danbury — the county's biggest carpet
2. Hatfield Forest — the most photographed
3. Norsey Wood, Billericay — quietest, easiest parking
4. Weald Country Park — best combined with a longer walk
5. Belfairs Woodland, Hadleigh — dog-friendly, sea views on the return

Free spring things

• Every Essex library runs Easter-holiday craft mornings — free, drop-in.
• The seafront pier at Southend is free to enter until 6pm daily from April.
• Hylands Park grounds are free to walk (parking £4).
• All Essex Wildlife Trust reserves are free with no parking charge.

Planning your weekends

Our events board lists every confirmed spring 2026 event across Essex — filter by town, day, and family-friendliness. Updates weekly.

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