Hands up who wants to chill in a stylish lodge with its own private river access? Us too. Over in Little Baddow, Paper Mill Island Lodge is the perfect place for a relaxing stay for up to four. Boasting a large double bedroom with ensuite shower room, there’s also an open plan kitchen and living area (complete with sofa bed) and double doors that lead to an enclosed decking area, looking out over the river. You can even bring your fur baby along.

Paper Mill Island Lodge is the perfect place for a relaxing stay for up to four. Boasting a

What else can you do while staying at Paper Mill Island Lodge? If you fancy donning your skipper’s cap it’s the halfway point on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation, a 14 miler from Chelmsford to Heybridge Basin and Maldon.

Alternatively, enjoy watching canal boats float by at the Paper Mill Lock Tearooms while tucking into breakfast, toasted sarnies, cake and more. You can even book a boat trip with Essex Waterways – based at the Lock – or go paddleboarding, hire canoes or even kayaks during the summer.

Fancy yoga? An instructor’s on hand from June-August for outside classes among the willow trees. All that plus gong baths, pilates and breathwork training means Paper Mill Island Lodge is the place to book for an escape away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.