| County: | Essex |
| London terminal: | Liverpool St |
| Journey time: | 45 mins |
| Season ticket: | £3000 |
| Peak trains: | 6 per hour |
| Off-peak trains: | 3 per hour |
Good for: manageable commute, high performing schools in Southend on Sea and a dab of countryside.
Local knowledge: Hockley Woods is the largest remaining area of the wild wood that covered Essex after the Ice Age.
| Hockley |
HOCKLEY The Southend area was developed in the 1890s, and the further you come inland from the tip, the more modern it becomes. Hockley and Hawkwell, about six miles inland, have mostly Sixties’ and Seventies’ houses. Hockley Woods is the place for Sunday walks along the bridleways, with drinks at The Bull afterwards. Lakeside and Bluewater provide the all-singing, all-dancing shopping experiences in this part of the world.