What to do and see in Borough of Brentwood, England: The Best Budget-friendly Things to do

Clue HQ Brentwood is part of the Clue HQ franchise - offering four fun immersive experiences where you and a group of friends have 1 hour to escape a locked room by solving puzzles and opening locks and navigating different rooms. A little bit of Crystal Maze and like being in your own computer game. Our games have scored over 1000 5 star reviews across the web and are suitable for ages 10 and above (adult required). Bunker 38 - Oxygen is fast running out .. can you escape before your last gasp Detonation - You are detectives on the hunt for Danny Badd - can you stop the bomb and thwart his evil plans? Dungeon of Doom - one of your party has been wrongly convicted of murder, can you break them out and all escape together before the guard comes? Sacrifice - You wake up, blindfolded and disorientated, with no recollection of how you came to be here. You quickly learn that in order to escape you must compete for your life. It's them or you

Go-karting fun for all ages 6yrs and above. Book a kids party, corporate or team-building event, or just turn up with a few mates for some practice. No experience required - we provide all the equipment and know how - full safety and instruction briefing given prior to driving.

Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is a non-profit organisation caring for around 500 sick, unwanted and mistreated animals. The sanctuary is based in Brentwood, Essex. We care for a variety of animals including horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs etc. and more exotic animals such as reptiles, parrots and other aviary birds, raccoons and many more. As a small charity, Hopefield relies upon donations and support from volunteers to be able to continue this work. It is with thanks to the continued support of volunteers and supporters that we have been able to achieve our aims thus far. Tickets MUST be pre-booked via our website prior to visiting. If you arrive at the sanctuary without booking, you will not be granted access.

Ingatestone Hall is a 16th century manor house, still owned and occupied by the Petre family who built it. It is open to the public for visits during the summer (Wednesday and Sunday afternoons) and is availiable for private hire (eg weddings and dinners) at other times.

This beautiful country park contains a diverse range of habitats and is managed both for people and for its precious wildlife. There are some fantastic walks through ancient woodland and historic deer parks which lie close alongside recently planted woodland and a landscape of small pastures. Thorndon Countryside Centre is managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and the Park is managed by Essex County Council in a joint venture. Gruffalo Trail Come and see the original Gruffalo Trail - a self-led trail around the woods, searching for carvings of the Gruffalo characters. Gruffalo Activity Maps are available from the Countryside Centre, at a cost of 50p. The countryside centre offers some unique gifts and books, a separate education room, refreshments and displays. There are regular activities for children, schools and families. Few areas offer such variety as Thorndon country park and its surroundings. Ancient woodland and historic deer parks lie close alongside recently planted woodland and a landscape of small pastures, while nearby is the high forest of Hartswood and former common land. Thorndon Country Park is in two parts, the northern section on a gravel ridge and the southern part on clay soil lower down. The two parts are now linked by Old Thorndon Pastures, which is farmland that has been restored to a traditional farming landscape with small hedged fields, grazed by cattle. Thorndon Country Park North In spring, the woodlands of Thorndon North are filled with the scent and colour of bluebells, anemones and other woodland flowers. The woods are rich in birdlife and attract many species of migrant and over-wintering birds including bramblings, siskins and redpolls. Childerditch Pond is both beautiful and tranquil. Please note: Thorndon Country Park North car park is the best way to access the Gruffalo Trail. Thorndon Country Park South The open parkland at Thorndon South is busy with families enjoying barbecues and picnics, whilst drinking in views reaching out across countryside and into the heart of Canary Wharf. It's a great place to fly a kite. Thorndon Country Park offers a variety of habitats including ancient woodland, parkland, ponds, a marsh and meadow. There are some stunning ancient trees including Giant Oak and Hornbeam pollards, that are reminders that this was once a deer park. Parts of it used to be heathland, now a scarce habitat in Essex, and to restore it parts of the park, both north and south, are being grazed by goats and sheep. The park attracts a large number of woodland birds and sees more than its fair share of passage migrants and winter visitors. For example, large flocks of Siskins and Redpolls often gather in the birches, and bramblings can be seen near to the centre feeding on beech mast. There are many butterflies to be enjoyed including the uncommon Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks. The park is managed by Essex County Council's Ranger Service who are returning Conifer plantations to grassland or woodland as mature trees are harvested. The Countryside Centre in Thorndon Park North was built just after the 1987 hurricane and fallen timber from a number of Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserves was used in its construction. It is the Trust's most popular centre with over 100,000 visitors per year, and provides refreshments, a gift shop, displays and interpretation.