What’s interesting is that the Petre family were Catholics, at a time when this faith was being persecuted in England.The family took in Catholic clergy, hiding them in priest holes.One of these was John Payne, who was executed in 1582 to become one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.You can see these priest holes, oak-panelled rooms and hundreds of years worth of art and furniture, on a guided tour on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons from Easter to the end of September.Even though Weald Hall was demolished in 1951, the 500-acre estate is suffused with seven centuries of history.This is now Weald Country Park but the rambling landscape dates back to a design by Capability Brown in the 1730s and 40s.There are enormous ancient trees, ceremonious avenues, ponds, wildflower meadows and dreamy vistas from the north end that may catch you by surprise.By the ponds you’ll see herons and a lot of waterfowl, while there’s an enclosed deer park, and cattle are often put out to graze on this land.The park is laced with bridleways, cycle paths and walking trails, while youngsters will enjoy the Stick Man Play Trail, based on the popular character by Julia Donaldson.More than a simple nature reserve, Warley Place is on a former garden planted by the eminent horticulturalist Ellen Willmott (1858-1934), who cultivated more than 100,000 plant species and cultivars.She also accumulated a lot of debt, and eventually had to sell Warley Place.The garden grew over and her house was pulled down in 1939. This suburban town is just outside the M25 ring road and many residents make the short commute from Brentwood to Canary Wharf and the City of London each day.But while the District Line’s eastern terminus is only a few miles away at Upminster, Brentwood has a rural feel for the open countryside, golf courses and enormous country parks that roll out from the edge of town.Thorndon and Weald Country Parks promise restful nature for grown-ups and a lot of fun for smaller children as they have affectionately-designed trails based on the works of children’s author Julia Donaldson.Families will also be pleased with the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary and Old MacDonald’s farm, while Ingatestone Hall was a hideout for Catholic priests in Tudor England.More than 500 mistreated, sick or unwanted animals have found a happy home at this non-profit rescue centre.Many of the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary’s animals arrived suffering from some form of neglect, and you can find out what some of these creatures have been through, and see how they are thriving today.Among the many residents are donkeys, alpacas, marmosets, reindeer, fallow deer, horses, goats, sheep, ducks, reptiles, rabbits and cats.The sanctuary is open in spring and summer and keeps its many inhabitant in large paddocks, enclosures, aviaries and terrariums.There are 28 different habitats to check out, including a reptile house and two birds of prey displays, as well as a tearoom and picnic/play area.There’s an amazing holdover from the Cold War under a nondescript-looking house in the countryside not far north of Brentwood.A Cold War museum since it was decommissioned in the early-90s, this secret nuclear bunker was developed in line with a plan to improve the UK’s air defences in the early 1950s.By the 1980s this was an RGHQ (Regional Government Headquarters) designed to maintain order and coordinate the recovery in the event of a nuclear strike.The bunker was kitted out with generators, radio and military telecommunications equipment, as well as its own water supply and air-conditioning system.Hundreds of people would have been able to survive here for months.While the facility has been turned into a visitor attraction (via an audio tour), all of its equipment is in place as a surreal memento from a not-too-distant chapter of history.South of Brentwood is 500 acres of woods, meadows and parkland on high ground.Thorndon North is wilder, and is mostly cloaked in woodland around the Childerditch Pond.This is a haven for migrant and overwintering birds like redpolls, siskins and bramblings, and is lovely in spring when the anemones and bluebells are out.The Countryside Centre in Thorndon North has a tearoom and shop selling jams and Gruffalo-themed merchandise relating to the Gruffalo Trail, which we’ll talk about below.Kite-flying heaven, Thorndon South is much more open, and commands views as far as Canary Wharf in London’s Docklands.The Pavilion Café here is open on weekends and school holidays, and there’s a dog activity trail with tunnels, ramps, jumps and hoops.Worthy of its own paragraph, the Gruffalo Trail in Thorndon North is a lovingly designed woodland walking trail recreating the wonder of the Deep Dark Wood and dotted with representations of Julia Donaldson’s Gruffalo characters.There’s a Gruffalo of course, as well as the mouse, snake, fox and owl.You can get hold of a cute illustrated map for this self-guided trail for 50p from the Countryside Centre in Thorndon North, and the walk will take about 45 minutes.This resplendent Tudor mansion a few miles out of Brentwood dates from 1539-1556 and is designed on a U-plan, sporting stepped gables and ornate long chimneys.Ingatestone Hall, home of Secretary of State Sir William Petre, was visited by Queen Elizabeth I on her Royal Progress in 1561.

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