The Dunmow Group Community Stadium

The Dunmow Group Community Stadium sits just outside Ingatestone and serves the local sports clubs with football pitches and training facilities. It's functional rather than spectacular - the sort of place you'd bring kids if they're playing a match here, or pop along to watch local football on a Saturday afternoon. Nothing fancy, but it does the job.

Really, this works best if you're already in the area with a sporting interest. Parents with young footballers will find it useful; casual visitors passing through won't find much to hold them. The facilities are straightforward - grass pitches, changing rooms, nothing more. Local matches tend to be low-key community affairs, which has its own charm if you're into grassroots sport.

If you're staying at The Courts Campsite nearby - a solid four-star option just under six miles away - and your kids need a kick-about or you want to catch a game, it's worth knowing about. It's the sort of place that makes sense within a broader Essex trip rather than a destination in itself. Check ahead for match schedules and any admission requirements, as details aren't widely published. Allow an hour or so for a casual visit, longer if you're watching a full game.