| Facts about Essex |
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The county is home to Britain’s first capital city and its oldest recorded town – Colchester. Essex has the longest coast – 350 miles of coastline – the longest in Britain, confirmed by the Essex Police Marine Unit. Southend Ai rshow is Europe’s biggest free airshow. Southend is also home to Southend Pier which, at 1.33 miles long, is the longest pleasure pier in the world. St Andrews in Greensted is said to be the oldest wooden church in the world dating from the 11th century. Tilbury was where Queen Elizabeth I was presented to the English army before being sent to fight the threat of Spanish Invasion. The nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty relates to an incident in Colchester where a giant cannon, perched on top of the spire was shot to the ground, shattering into several pieces. The first ever radio broadcast was made from Chelmsford – the birthplace of radio. Tiptree is one of the few places in the world where the Little Scarlet strawberry is grown – the perfect variant for jam making. Tiptree’s Little Scarlet strawberry jam is 007’s favourite in the Sean Connery film From Russia with Love. Saffron Walden is home to the world’s largest turf maze, which is considered by some to be 800 years old or more. The world’s only museum devoted entirely to the history of motor boats is the National Motor Boat Museum in Pitsea. Cressing Temple had its origins in the 12th century as it was the first land grant given to the Knights Templar in England and is home to the finest Templar barns in Europe. |