Bulmer: Church, Brickworks and Walking Trails

Bulmer combines a historic village setting shaped by St Andrew's Church with a brickmaking tradition dating back to the 15th century and opportunities for walks by the brook and water meadows. Ridges, public open spaces and historic buildings give the village its distinctive character. If you are looking for a holiday rental, you can plan your stay around whether village history, craftsmanship or time outdoors is your main focus.

Church and Historic Village Setting

St Andrew's Church stands on a high ridge and overlooks Bulmer's village street. Some of its fabric may date back to the 12th century; other parts date from the 14th and 15th centuries, and restoration work took place in the 19th century. The font is another distinctive feature: it dates from the 15th century and depicts the “Green Man”. The church thus brings together several historical periods.

A cluster of historic buildings around St Andrew's Church lies within the Bulmer Conservation Area. The streetscape is characterised by narrow roadways with grassy verges, hedges and low brick walls. The church, historic buildings and roadside boundaries make the village's traditional character—not just individual buildings—part of the story.

Open Space, Water Meadows and Walking Trails

Coe's Meadow offers publicly accessible open space for recreation and views of the church. The Belchamp Brook walking route follows footpaths beside Belchamp Brook and through water meadows, followed by a visit to St Andrew's Church in Bulmer. The brook, meadows and church are the route's described points of interest. As trail conditions can change, check the latest conditions before setting out.

Deep hollows left by old chalk pits can also still be found in Bulmer and seen from several walking trails. They are another landscape feature to discover on a walk. As you plan your day, you can also consider trails with views of the chalk-pit hollows, alongside the Belchamp Brook route.

Bulmer's Brickmaking Tradition

The site of Bulmer Brick and Tile Company is southwest of Bulmer, on Hedingham Road (B1058). A brickworks has operated there since the 15th century. Bulmer Brick & Tile specialises in handmade, precisely tailored special shapes made from its own washed clay, as well as BBT Rubbers. This focus on craftsmanship gives the long brickmaking tradition a tangible dimension: the emphasis is on specially tailored shapes and the materials used to make them.

The brickworks is not normally open for public tours. However, Bulmer Brick & Tile welcomes groups of two to more than 30 people by prior arrangement. So if you are planning a visit, you will need to arrange it in advance as a group visit. This differs from a visit to the publicly accessible Coe's Meadow and is an important point to bear in mind when planning your day.

When looking for a holiday rental in Bulmer, you can use your planned activities as a guide: walking trails and public open space sit alongside a brickworks visit, which requires prior arrangement. This can help you decide whether you want your stay to focus mainly on village history and craftsmanship or on spending time outdoors.

Discover more destinations: Rowhedge, Battlesbridge, Southminster, Colchester, Broxted, Witham, Stebbing, Loughton

For the main travel overview: Essex.