Counties > Essex > Rayleigh

Rayleigh

RAYLEIGH mushroomed in the Thirties, and considers itself upmarket of Basildon and Wickford. The large windmill at one end of the High Street adds a gracious note, and since its refurbishment has become a local tourist attraction. A modern three-bedroom semi costs £225,000. The nearby village of Hullbridge should be valued more for the fact that it sits on the Crouch Estuary. You can walk along the sea wall to Battlesbridge, where you can enjoy one of the slivers of Essex landscape that have remained unsullied by modern pressures. It is less expensive than other areas.

Good for: proximity to the Victorian seaside resort of Southend on Sea, quick access to London.
Local knowledge: Hullbridge once had the dubious honour of being dubbed by The Sun as the sexiest place in England. The reasons given were no more exciting than its high per capita birthrate and a local councillor’s claim that the place is so boring that people have nothing better to do than stay at home and make babies.

other stations nearby...

BenfleetChalkwellHockleyLeigh-on-sea
County:Essex
London terminal: Liverpool St
Journey time: 41 mins
Season ticket: £3000
Peak trains: 6 per hour
Off-peak trains: 3 per hour