Since moving to Colchester we have never really explored the area by bus. From Colchester, it is possible to explore the tendering coast by bus easily. We were given a Seasiders ticket from Hedingham & Chambers so that we could go on a bus adventure this summer. We decided we would use the ticket to visit Mersea Island by bus.
Using The Hedingham & Chambers App
Hedingham & Chambers have an app that you can easily use to buy tickets and plan your journey. It lists all of the available tickets that you can purchase via the app. Your active tickets are stored in the app ready for when you need to use them. When it’s time to board your chosen bus the app creates a QR code which you scan as you board.
Planning Your Route
Using the app to plan your route is very easy. You can use the search bar to enter the location you want to visit. You can view a map which shows you the bus stops and which buses stop at them. Or you can view a list of all the timetables available. Using the map I worked out that to get to Mersea Island by bus we would need to take route 63. I was able to use the app to show me the timetable and view the route the bus would take. The app even has live updates to include when the route would be disrupted due to the high tide.
Visiting Mersea Island by Bus
Rote 63 runs every hour and takes just under an hour to arrive at West Mersea High Street. This is part of Mersea Island we have never visited before. We normally visit Cudmore Grove Country Park on the east side of the island. I was looking forward to visiting more of the island. To make the journey as easy as possible for Ethan we started our bus journey at the first stop. This meant we knew the exact time the bus would leave and would minimize any waiting for Ethan.
Another bonus of getting on at the first bus stop is there are normally fewer people wanting to board. We were the first on the bus and the children had their pick of the seats. They rushed upstairs to the front of the bus.
I did wonder if the bus journey would be too long for the children but we loved our time on the bus. The bus went through Colchester town and we got to spot shops we didn’t know existed. It also went through parts of Colchester we have never been to. The children were happy watching the world go by and I was happy looking at all of the nice houses along the way.
Travelling on buses isn’t part of our everyday life. So this trip was a real highlight for our children. It was good for us as we didn’t have to worry about how much petrol we would need or the cost of it. We also didn’t need to worry about where we would park the car or have the charges associated with that.
What Did We Do on Mersea Island?
The Mersea Island Museum
Our first stop was to visit the Mersea Island Museum. Children enter for free and it is £2 per adult. It showcases items they have found on the island as well as the island’s fishing history.
Both children loved the local wildlife display, pressing the buttons made the bird noises for each bird.
I liked looking at the items from the different decades. Telling the children about the items I remember from my childhood. There was also a piece of ancient wooden road in the museum. It was over 3000 years old!
Stopping for a Sweet Treat
Mersea Island High Street is full of nice places to stop and eat. The children soon declared they were hungry so we stopped at a coffee shop of their choosing. They filled up on cakes and milkshakes. We also spotted other places we would like to eat in on future visits.
Visiting The Sea
Mersea Island is famous for its Oysters. We could have visited the marina to see the sea and the boats. But the children love the beach so we went to the beach famous for its pastel beach huts.
Both Ethan and Little E love the sea so they were happy to spend time on the beach. For a Saturday in August, the beach wasn’t too busy. We will have to look into hiring a beach hut here as I think the children would love to spend the day on this beach.
We had such a great time visiting Mersea Island by bus. It was a great adventure for us all. I’m sure the children will want to visit somewhere else by bus very soon.
DISCLOSURE – This is a collaborative post with Hedingham & Chambers. We received a Seasiders ticket from Hedingham & Chambers as a gift. This was for the purposes of this post. We always share our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, and experiences.
