PEOPLE looking for an odd day out have been told to head for Basildon.

A poll put the town in the same bracket as Cumbria’s pencil museum.

Basildon’s Heritage Trail came fifth in the poll of the oddest days out in the country.

The 12km trail takes in Basildon sites such as the mother and child fountain, and grade IIlisted tower block, Brooke House.

But it also offersachurch dating to the 13th century, prompting questions whether it should have been ranked as the country’s fifth behindthepencil museum, Stockport’s hat works museum and the National Space Centre in Leicester.

Ken Porter, chairman of Basildon Heritage Club, said: “Basildon should be somewhere people want to visit. There are lots of historical bits in the borough for people to see.

“St Nicholas Church, in particular, dates to the 13th century and is where the artist Edgar Longstaffe was buried. There are also lots of places that are interesting to twentieth century history, for example, the First World War explosives factory at Wat Tyler Park and the site at Norsey Woods, in Billericay, where soldiers trained for the trenches.”

The heritage trail starts at Laindon Park Primary School, in Church Hill.

It takes in the town’s historic sites, including St Nicholas Church, built in around1255, and some surprising stops, including Trafford House in Cherrydown East, Brooke House, in Town Square, the bus station and the town clock.

Amongother stops on the list compiled by the BBC is the Owl and the Pussycat pub, in Clay HillRoad, and a ceramic tile panel at the Eastgate Shopping Centre, which was created by William Gordon in 1960 and depicts the history of Basildon and the railway station.