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Hot Air Balloons Over - Brentwood |
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With a strong transport heritage, it seems appropriate that Brentwood should be home to our Virgin Hot Air Balloon launch site, one of four that we currently operate in the county.
Growing up around a forest clearing in the late 12th century, the town was once a stopping off point for pilgrims travelling en-route from East Anglia and the Midlands to Canterbury.
Later, Brentwood developed into an 18th century coaching centre acquiring a number of fine coaching inns as a consequence. More recently, with our arrival it has become involved in the world of leisure aviation.
Your flight path might take in the small local town of Billericay, its numerous Georgian and period houses standing out from the surrounding wooded countryside.
Imagine for a moment, if suspended over the nearby Norsey Wood Nature Reserve, the massacre of 500 men by King Richard's soldiers in the Peasant's Revolt of 1381.
A pass over Chelmsford, the county town for more than 700 years would also make for an intriguing flight, crowning a memorable day in this historic home county.
Perhaps you will skirt a windmill or two, arguably the most famous of which is John Webb's 19th century masterpiece at Thaxted.
The town was once home to the composer, Gustav Holst and the notorious highwayman, Dick Turpin. Thankfully, living in Thaxted in different eras, the prospect of being held up at gunpoint to the accompaniment of The Planet Suite was never realised.
Satellites: Chelmsford, Braintree
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Reproduced from Land Ranger® 1:50,000 by permission of Ordnance Survey® on
behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office© Crown
Copyright.
All rights reserved. Licence number 100040229.
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