North Essex is an ideal tourist area and makes a good weekend break. In Halstead we have a large antiques centre in an old 18th century mill. Nearby there are are 2 steam railways, a Castle, a lake with a number of facilities including camping and water skiing, two museums including the working Silk Mill where silk has been woven recently for Windsor Castle and the Lord Chancellor.

Halstead is convenient to London, and there are frequent flights to nearby Stansted from many European destinations including, the major airports in the Netherlands, Brussels France, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Scandinavia. Another way to make a memorable weekend is to take the sea ferries to nearby Harwich or Felixstowe from the Hook of Holland, Esbjerg or Hamburg.

You may wish to stay overnight before the race, but a two-night stay would let you really enjoy our picturesque countryside, historic buildings and other Tourist attractions. If you are coming just for one night by public transport, you may prefer to stay within walking distance of the start or at accommodation where the proprietor will arrange to take you to the start on Sunday morning.

The traditional building material in the Halstead Area is timber from our local medieval forests infilled with wattle and daub to make the handsome half-timbered farms, cottages and Inns. In the 15th and 16th centuries the Halstead area had its period of greatest prosperity as part of the centre of the weaving industry, exporting cloth all over Europe; many of the Hotels and Inns and country bed and breakfast accommodations were built then. They are memorable places to stay.

For those, travelling with a family by motorcar, five miles away at The MacDonalds roundabout, on the Braintree bypass, there are two recently built Travel Lodges. The Travel Inn, next to The Mulberry Tree a pub/restaurant including Charlie Chalks, a large children's play facility and The Holiday Inn Express next to Fowlers Farm another pub/restaurant providing a different ambiance.

At Gosfield Lake Resort, two miles away there are camping and caravanning facilities by the Lake with facilities for water skiing.

The Halstead Town Council will provide details of all Tourist Board approved accommodation in the neighbourhood, or click on where to stay.