Directions to 24 Tower Rd., Colchester CO7 9QF

See local maps of the area

How to get here from Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, or London City Airports, plus some information on Network railcard, which is a good way to save money if you plan to travel by train

See Train timetable to/from Liverpool St.

Coming from the South on A12

1. Exit the A12 at junction 27, take the A133 East all the way through Colchester

2. After passing Wivenhoe Park on your right, exit at B1027 (right, signs to Wivenhoe and the University of Essex)

3. Follow B1208 towards Wivenhoe

4. Right before the Wivenhoe Cross roundabout, take a right at Heath Rd.

5. Tower Rd. will be the first road on the left, we are on the left, the lot immediately after the Water tower

(Alternatively, take a right at the Wivenhoe Cross roundabout, and then the first right onto Tower Rd., then left)

Coming from Wivenhoe train station

1. Take Station Rd. to the High St.

2. Go north on High St. The name of this road will first change to The Avenue, and then later to The Cross.

3. Tower Rd. Will be the first road on your left after The Avenue becomes The Cross

4. Turn left at the Water tower, our house is immediately next to this

Local maps

How to get here from Stansted

To get here from Stansted, take the X22 bus from Stansted to Colchester (see here for a timetable). This will actually drop you off on campus, which is about a 20-25 mins walk from our house. You can save a bit if you buy a return ticket.

How to get here from Heathrow

You can get to our place from Heathrow either by train via London or by bus via Stansted. The bus might be convenient if you have a lot of luggage, but train/underground is generally faster.

To get here from Heathrow by train, take either the underground to Liverpool Street, or the high speed train to Paddington, and then the underground to Liverpool St. You should buy a rail travelcard all the way to Wivenhoe or Colchester rather than buying separate ticket for the underground.

I generally recommend avoiding the Circle line to/from Paddington and instead suggest that you walk 5 mins to/from Lancaster Gate to/from Paddington and take the Central line from there. This is not hard to find, and much quicker. See map here. If you return to Heathrow by train via Paddington, then changing at Stratford rather than Liverpool St. to the Central line also saves a bit of time.

To get here from Heathrow by bus, go to the bus station and take the Heathrow to Stansted bus (see here for details) and then the X22 bus from Stansted to Colchester (see here for time table). The Stansted to Colchester bus will actually drop you off on campus, which is about a 20-25 mins. walk from our house. You can save a bit on the fare if you buy a return ticket.

How to get here from Gatwick

To get to our place from Gatwick, take a train to Farringdon, and then transfer to the Underground and take either the Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, or Circle Line to Liverpool Street, where you can catch a train to Wivenhoe or Colchester. Do not take a bus to Stansted, as this will go via Heathrow (a major detour).

How to get here from London City Airport

 To get to our place from London City Airport, take the Docklands Light Railway to Canning Town, then the Jubilee Line to Stratford, and then the train to Wivenhoe or Colchester.

Network railcard

 Even for short stays you can often save considerably on rail travel by buying a Network railcard. As of November 2009, a network railcard costs £25 and is valid for a year. To give an example of the potential savings, consider how the normal return fare Padington Wivenhoe (with underground travel) is £58.60, but falls to £22.80 if you have a railcard. Since up to three people can travel on the same railcard, you can make further savings if traveling as a group. To purchase a railcard, just go to the rail ticket counter and ask to buy a travel card with your ticket. You can also fill in the application form in advance.

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