The most family friendly place in Essex?

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My husband and I were born and raised in Central London. However, were tired of the scenery and want a nice, quiet place to move to where we can raise a family. Our initial thought was Essex and a family member suggested moving to Rainham. Unfortunately, were both very ignorant of places outside of London and I was hoping that some of you mumsnetters could help!
Is Rainham a nice, family friendly place to raise children? (we have only visited a couple of times, but we like what we have seen. However, the opinion of someone who is there more often/perhaps lives there would be more helpful).
Are there other areas in Essex that are nicer to bring up a family?
Thanks! :)

Don't rule out Rayleigh/Hockley in South Essex, both on the Liverpool Street line.

Good schools, easy commute to London and both towns very family friendly.

I start to get twitchy south of Billericay but I have heard that Rayleigh is very nice.

I grew up in Billericay and I quite love it. Easy commute to central London, not a huge distance from the countryside... Yes it's not as pretty as north Essex but you don't have to travel for hours to get to work...

Oooh! Off to google Waitrose store finder...

Another vote for Rayleigh. Fab schools (Fitzwimarc & Sweyne Park - check out their Ofsteds). Great transport links, friendly community.

Another vote for Billericay- North end of the town very close to the countryside, not out in the sticks at all- great schools and 30 mins into the city. Not cheap though... (Oh and we have a Waitrose Gail !)

Colchester. I love it here, have lived all over Colchester for the last 15 years!

Myland area in Colchester is lovely, and you have the utterly gorgeous Country Park on your doorstep for summer walks and winter sledging, and there's a lake and a park there too.

I love this part of Colchester.

Googlenut - I find Myland/Highwoods to have an excellent 'community feel'. There was the Christmas Party at the community Centre, children's community groups, the schools offer tons of after school clubs, you get to know everybody, there's always somebody to stop and chat to.

OK the shops aren't great - but Willie G's is lovely, we have a Waitrose, and Ipswich isn't that far away for better shopping.

I've lived up and down the Country over the years, from Ilfracoombe to the Isle of Skye. I feel the most 'settled' in Colchester, and wouldn't want to leave!

Wivenhoe, Billericay or Brentwood.

And the Secondary school up here is good too.

Billericay/Stock are lovely areas. Good comutes to chelmsford and London with the bonus of having lee Evans and Russell tovey on your doorstep!

Personally i would look at chelmsford and surrounds if you're new to the county

Can't think of a better place to raise a family than Leigh-on-Sea.

The local schools are fantastic and there is lots of fun stuff for the kids to do. The commute to London is 40 mins and house prices are more affordable ( compared to London anyway!)

Today, as the sun is shining, we have a choice of walking to the beach, going on a walk through the woods or sticking our wellies on and walking cross country to Hadleigh Castle and back.

We hardly ever use the car as everything we need is walking distance.

And to top it all of we have a Waitrose!

We moved here a few years ago and would honestly like to stay here for ever.

I have friends in myland and agree with that!

Wievenhoe always gets mentioned on these threads. I am never quite sure why. It is fine, nice enough, and there are some very old, quaint buildings/pubs down by the river, but there are far nicer places nearby imo.

I grew up in Essex, Clacton-on-sea (actually, at my parents in Clacton now!) and spent my teen years hanging out in Brightlingsea, wivenhoe and Colchester between 2003ish to 2008. I wouldn't touch Clacton and the rest of Tendring with a barge pole being honest. Even though the area is more multi-cultural than it was, it is still full of people who are very DM in thinking wrt 'forriners' and outright racist.

Colchester has gone downhill over the years but the villages around it are lovely. Nights out in Colchester are not to be recommended unless things have improved over the past four years, the last few times I went out there four/five years ago I witnessed some fairly brutal fights and arguments each time, I haven't been out there since as the last one was particularly terrifying! On more than one occasion I've seen my old school peers on those cop shows and shows highlighting nights out in Colchester

The high schools in the area aren't amazing either.

DPs idea of Wivenhoe, and I quote, was that "there is something to do for all ages... between 65 and 85." There are some nice walks in Wivenhoe, but not much going on really, there are other places nearby which are far nicer and more interesting imo!

My sister is in Writtle, which is stunning, I love that town and it's close enough to Chelmsford that you can have access to shops and things. Lovely Indian restaurant there too.

Sorry for derailing and making it about Waitrose!

Colchester's OK at night as long as you avoid Liquid/Envy and the high street. There's some really nice quiet pubs. The Rover's Tye is very family friendly.

The Gilberd is a brilliant school, my DD is there.

And the Country park really is stunning, a hidden gem in the middle of a town, they do activities there for the DC's too, for a minimal donation, like the bat walks, pond dipping, treasure hunts, Geocaching, and loads of other stuff.

I really enjoy living here, and would recommend it to anyone. I lived in Clacton for a whole, never again (where i lived, we called it 'Beirut', and that was in '99 - '00.) ditto Basildon (awful place), Gt. Bentley (boring), Brightlingsea (end of the earth), Brentwood (think TOWIE), Rayleigh (ugh), Chelmsford (Too cliquey).

Though Thorpe Le Soken is nice, if rather rural.

Out of all of them, I like this part of Colchester the best.

I have spent a lot of time living all over Essex...

Merry: I love the 'end of the earth' comment RE Brightlingsea! The amount of times I was stuck in Brightlingsea because of an accident on the road going in! Very nearly got stuck there yesterday thanks to the road flooding Luckily it left a tiny passage in the middle I could drive through!

I have good memories of drinking down the beach and having wheelbarrow BBQs through my teens at Brightlingsea!

Brightlingsea 'end of the earth'. That's the best bit about it, its not on the way to anywhere, only one road in and out, have always felt its a safe place for kids. Strangers get noticed.

I'd recommend upminster particularly Cranham which is the cheapest part of Upminster. Great schools, both primary and secondary and quite quiet full of bungalows and retired people and its close (ish) to London if you need to commute as not so expensive for train fares as its still on the underground. However, I'd love to live in North Essex but wouldn't enjoy the commute.

Another vote for the villages around Chelmsford from me. Danbury and Little Baddow are both lovely. Maldon is also nice if you want to be in a town.

I used to go to the Colne - it certainly felt like the end of the earth when I was a teenager!

The commute from Colchester's not so bad, I used to do it every day.

I live in Essex and my places of choice would be Brentwood, Hornchurch or possibly Chelmsford.