The best venues for team building and corporate away days in Essex

A Grade II listed farmhouse dating back to the 17th century, Houchins pairs old-world charm with a modern barn complex built for groups of all sizes.

Three breakout areas and eight bedrooms mean a day of activities can easily include an overnight stay for smaller teams.

A 16th-century Tudor mansion near Chelmsford, Leez Priory has 40 acres of parkland to explore, complete with lakes, lawns and a driveway that sets the tone before you've even arrived.

Indoor and outdoor spaces support everything from a single team-building day to a full retreat. Teams can make the most of expansive grounds for outdoor challenges before regrouping inside.

Cut off from the mainland until the tide allows, Osea Island is about as far from a standard office day out as you can get.

Converted WWI buildings like The Bomb Factory and The Shack host team days, scavenger hunts and more. Plus 87 bedrooms mean the retreat doesn't have to end when the sun does.

Set among part-moated gardens near Basildon, this Georgian manor house flexes from small team catch-ups to full company gatherings.

Terraces, patios and lawns bring the outdoors into the day, and there are external activity partners on hand to plan everything from lawn games to murder mystery nights.

Once a 15th-century monastery, this exclusive-use manor house near Old Harlow sits just off the M11, minutes from Stansted.

A purpose-built assault course is there for anyone wanting to let off steam, while cosy breakout rooms like the Library and Lakeview Lounge make space for quieter, focused moments too.

There's real history behind everything at Now Strike Archery, from longbow shooting to axe throwing and blacksmithing in Heybridge.

Days are shaped around what your team actually wants, whether that's a relaxed away day or something with a competitive edge, and the bow-making courses add a hands-on, creative twist.

Set across two floors in Colchester's St Botolph's Quarter, this cinema venue has three screens to choose from, a 139-seat Screen 1 down to a cosy 56-seat Screen 3.

Enjoy private screenings of movies like Harry Potter, The Lion King and more, with popcorn and pizza.

This 17th-century manor house in Stock has landscaped gardens made for summer team-building and barbecues, plus a proper spa to unwind in afterwards, complete with a 20-metre pool, sauna and steam room.

With 39 bedrooms on site, it's an ideal spot for strategy retreats or leadership offsites.

This Essex mansion comes with 10 acres to itself, a ballroom, a library and even a bar and disco room, all on an exclusive-use basis for up to 250 guests.

Giant garden games keep things playfully competitive in a relaxed setting. A perfect destiation for companies wanting exclusive use without feeling isolated.

A Grade II listed Georgian manor, this Chigwell venue is an easy trip from London via the M11 and M25.

With five flexible meeting spaces and grounds for team-building, it's ideal for structured meetings followed by relaxed games and activities.

Its grounds get used for team-building activities often, and it's 

Once a working gunpowder factory, this 175-acre site off J26 of the M25 now trades explosives for team days, with a 96-seat cinema and plenty of parkland to spread out in.

Have a go at rocket making, hop on a tractor trailer tour, or take a ride on the site's own replica railway.

Tucked away in the Navestock countryside, Old Brook Barn is built for slowing down together, not just working harder.

Its Retreat & Wellness Days blend yoga, Pilates, sound baths, spinal energetics and guided meditation, set across 23 acres with a natural brook and meadow fields to wander through.