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The Ma Da Ba Seminar in late June is a seminar for people who are interested in the therapeutic (process-oriented) use of sound and language. More details can be found on the seminar leaflet.
Check out Marina's latest blog on 'Soul and Soil'
How to get here
Directions - Parking - Taxis - Food - Accomodation - Camping
The Apricot Centre, 83 Hungerdown Lane, Lawford, Essex. CO11 2LY
From Ipswich/Manningtree (Also Felixstowe/Norwich/Cambridge etc..)
- From the A14 turn onto the A137 (direction Manningtree & Colchester). This is the exit before you would cross the Orwell Bridge.
- Stay on the A137 for about 10 miles until you come to Manningtree railway bridge.
- Pass under the bridge and immediately come to a roundabout.
- Take the 3rd exit (Manningtree/Mistley is the first exit) and drive up the hill to another small roundabout with the Esso Station in front of you. Turn right (direction Colchester & Ardleigh). You are still on the A137.
- For a 1/4 mile the road goes downwards and then rises up again. Turn left opposite a pink pub called the Kings Arms, this is Hungerdown Lane.
- The Apricot Centre is at number 83 which is 1 mile up the lane on the left hand side. There is a sign at the entrance. But if you miss the entrance, then you will come immediately to Tile Barn lane on the right with a BT phonebox in the hedge on the left.
- Important - See Parking details and Maplink below.
From Colchester
- Follow signs for Manningtree and Ardleigh, on the A137 (Manningtree & Ipswich direction).
- Pass through Ardleigh and travel 2 more miles. Over railway bridge. Past Giant Strawberry (on right) at Pole House Nursery.
- Turn right at Tile barn lane (crossroads). Signposted Great Bromley.
- Tile Barn Lane ends with a T-Junction. Facing you is a BT Phonebox. Turn left and into the first driveway.
- Important - See Parking details and Maplink below.
From London, Chelmsford etc..
This is the quickest way but you must pay fine attention to directions, as they are a little complex.A longer way is to go to Manningtree from the A12 and then follow Manningtree directions.
- On the A12 look for and turn onto Exit 29 immediately after BP Services (signposted Clacton/Harwich A120 & Colchester North A1232)
- Follow signpost immediately to Ardleigh by following the road left to A1232.
- At the Roundabout take the 2nd exit following Brown signs to Gnome Magic. And immediate turning to left (again Gnome Magic). Pass the Ramada Inn on your left.
- At the T Junction turn right, again signposted Gnome Magic & Ipswich A12
- Drive 1/4 mile and turn right onto Wick Lane (EASILY MISSED). Follow Wick Lane which winds and turns for exactly 1.4 miles past a farm, a reservoir, over a small crossroads (at Dead Lane)
- Turn left onto A137 (direction is Manningtree but no sign)
- On A137 Pass through Ardleigh and travel 2 miles. Over railway bridge. Past Giant Strawberry (on right) at Pole House Nursery.
- Turn right at Tile barn lane (crossroads). Signposted Great Bromley.
- Tile Barn Lane ends with a T-Junction. Facing you is a BT Phonebox. Turn left and into the first driveway.
- Important - See Parking details and Maplink below.
From Clacton
We will soon have the directions from Clacton, but need to do the journey slowly to get full details. For now please travel to the A137 and follow our directions from the A137.
From Stansted Airport
There are several ways to travel from Stansted to the Apricot Centre. If you don't have access to a car then take a bus from the front of the Airport which travels to Marks Tey (railway station), Colchester (railway station) and to the University of Essex (also in Colchester).
You can take trains from either Mark's Tey or from Colchester which will take you quickly to Manningtree Station (from where it is a 2mile walk or a taxi ride).
But the most direct route is to take a 103 or 104 bus from Colchester Bus Station heading for Manningtree. The trick is to get the bus driver to let you off right next to us, and to do this you need to say:
"Can you let me off at Kennal's Corner, which is between Ardleigh and Lawford?"
Kennal's Corner is a bus stop on the main road A137 at the crossroads with the road Tile Barn lane coming off it. Walk to the end of this short straight lane and you will find the Apricot centre at the T-Junction at the end. We are behind the BT phonebox, so you need to turn left and immediately right into our driveway.
- Please park in the area immediately to the right as you enter our driveway. (N.B. Please don't park in our neighbours house on the left hand side of the drive) Please drive slowly as children are about. When parking spaces at the front are no longer available you may drive past the centre and there are further spaces to the rear. One space is available for disabled parking next to the disabled ramp).
Detailed Map
- Find us on Multimap here . We are nearer to Tilebarn lane than where the circle marks us.
Manningtree Taxis - T 01206 393333
Riverside Taxis - T 01206 397563
Stour Cabs - T 01206 393935
P & S Taxis - T 01206 396321
R & J Taxis - T 01206 391678
- The White Hart Bed & Breakfast - 9 The High Street, Manningtree, CO11 1AG. T: 01206 392768 M: 07857 682738 W: www.whitehartmanningtree.co.uk . Course participants have recently highly recommended the White Hart for it's friendly staff, evening food and drink, and very good breakfasts. A participant said: I really enjoyed my stay here. There was a friendly bar, popular with local people and travellers like ourselves. The cook was very generous to prepare us food, when we arrived, pretty late after our seminar the first evening. We chatted with the staff and they very friendly and welcoming. Oh the food was good too. And the bedrooms very fresh and comfortable. I'd visit again.
- The Red Lion - 42 South Street, Manningtree, CO11 1BG T:01206 395052. We can highly recommend the Red Lion B&B which is run by Myrtle and Chris who are the proprietors of the Red Lion Pub next door. Friendly and helpful service, good breakfasts and the pub has a great selection of draft beers, good wines, and food, in a pleasant pub atmosphere
- Elmdale - Manningtree T: 01206 390046. Lynette Admunds
- The Crown Pub (Also Tourist Information Point) - T: 01206 396333
- Jean Chapman - Drydock, Manningtree. T: 01206 392620.
- Zig Zag Cottage Exclusive bed and breakfast - Queen Street, Great Oakley, Harwich, CO12 5AS. T: 01255 880968 M: 0785 4443803 E: ziza.lifestyle@zigzagcottage.com W: www.zigzagcottage.com . Although Zig Zag is a bit further away from us we wish to highly recommend this B&B for it's friendly service and interesting style. One of our participants writes "Zig Zag Cottage is a 4 star B&B, an 18th Century cottage situated in a small quiet road in the village centre of Great Oakley, near Harwich, Essex. It's only 15 minutes' drive from the Apricot Centre and is run by a couple who are friendly and welcoming but non-intrusive. Bed and breakfast charges are £ 50.00 for a couple and £ 35.00 for single occupation. This includes a huge, full English breakfast as standard, but other requirements are happily catered for. They only take one booking a night, therefore you will have the sole use of the entire separate guest accommodation, which includes a private bathroom, sitting room, kitchenette and dining area - and even a little balcony with table and chairs! It's beautiful and very comfortable."
- Mistley Thorn Fine Food and Accommodation - Mistley, Manningtree T: 01206 392821 E: info@mistleythorn.co.uk W: www.mistleythorn.com. The Thorn is run by Sherri Singleton who is well known for her committment to high quality food using local produce where possible. This B&B is above the Mistley Thorn restaurant where you can eat from a creative and high quality menu. The Thorn is directly opposite the swan fountain in Mistley.
- You can Camp in our orchard at the Apricot Centre by prearrangement for £10 per person per night. It is a very pleasant environment, and you can use the toilet and basin which are part of the Apricot Centre. There is currently no shower available. And depending upon the event it may also be possible to use the kitchen within the centre.
