FOR the rest of the country, it seems that the only way to think about Essex is as the home of spray tans, vajazzling and people who use “shut up!” as a term of endearment.

However, Jonathan Meades is keen to point out that there’s more to the county than the Towie stereotype in The Joy Of Essex. For him, it’s also a place that combines picturesque villages with modernist architecture. And far from always nipping down to the nearest nightclub, it was also home to one of the world’s first temperance societies.

But as well as developing its own unique character, Essex has been shaped by its proximity to London, especially in the 19th Century, when reformers decided that “outcasts” from the capital could benefit from its fresh air.