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Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > England > East of England > Essex (England)

Essex is a large county in East Anglia, England. It lies to the east and north-east of London, and is home to three cities, several bustling market towns, and hundreds of countryside villages.

Essex's coastline, with its estuaries and islands, is more than 350 miles long. Some of its green spaces and small towns have inspired artists and musicians - notably John Constable in the Dedham Vale (now an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and Gustav Holst in Thaxted. Some of its green spaces have a special legal status, including the Lee Valley, Epping Forest, Dedham Vale, and seven National Nature Reserves. Colchester lays claim to being Britain's first capital city. Southend Pier, at 1.33 miles, is the longest in the world. Its county town is Chelmsford.

Some areas of East London were once a part of the county. Locals in Romford and Ilford, for example, often lay claim to being from Essex.

Towns and villages

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Map
Map of Essex (England)

Other destinations

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  • 1 Dedham Vale - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with walks along the River Stour
  • 2 Epping Forest - once a royal forest, now protected in law for "the recreation and enjoyment of the public"
  • 3 Foulness Island - Essex's largest island under Ministry of Defence ownership, with restricted access
  • 4 Hatfield Forest - more than 1,000 acres of woodland managed by the National Trust, with some trees over 1,000 years old

Understand

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Contrary to popular belief and stereotypes, Essex is not actually an urban wasteland. Most of the county is rural, and has some very beautiful scenery that is not widely known to outsiders. Saffron Walden, in the north-west of the county, epitomises this defiance of the classic Essex stereotype, as do many of the smaller towns and villages. Essex is bordered by Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the south via the Thames Estuary and Greater London to the south west.

Many Essex residents especially in the southwest of the county work and commute in London. Most say it's like their second home. But do not tell people from Essex they're Londoners despite some southwestern parts being inside the M25 circle.

Talk

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Accents vary in Essex. In the northern and rural areas of the county, you are much more likely to hear the traditional East Anglian accent. But in the south of the county the most commonly heard is known as the estuary accent; some say this is a cross between Cockney and East Anglian.

Some foreign languages are heard in some major towns and cities due to tourism and business, you will mostly hear their language in the southwest bordering Greater London. But in rural areas, locals only understand English.

Get in

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By plane

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London Stansted Airport

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1 London Stansted Airport (STN  IATA) is near Stansted Mountfitchet and Great Dunmow. It is a major international airport with flights from destinations throughout the UK, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Stansted is a major hub for Ryanair. The airport lies next to the dual-carriageway between Bishop's Stortford, Great Dunmow, Braintree and Colchester. It also lies next to the motorway Junction 8 between London, Harlow and Cambridge. Car parks are signposted.

Stansted Airport railway station lies beneath the terminal building. Stansted Express fast trains call at Bishop's Stortford (change for Greater Anglia stopping services in Essex), Harlow Town, Tottenham Hale and London Liverpool Street (change for Greater Anglia services into Brentwood, Chelmsford and Southend). Greater Anglia trains call at Audley End within Essex, and continue towards Cambridge and Norwich. CrossCountry trains also serve Stansted Airport, bound for Cambridge, Peterborough, Leicester and Birmingham New Street.

Stansted Airport coach station lies next to the terminal building. Routes to destinations in Essex includeː

London Southend Airport

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2 London Southend Airport London Southend Airport on Wikipedia (SEN IATA) is near Southend-on-Sea, with a small number of routes from destinations in Europe and North Africa. It lies close to the Prince Avenue, which is a direct connection to Rayleigh, Basildon and London.

Southend Airport railway station is served by Greater Anglia trains to Southend Victoria, Rochford, Rayleigh, Wickford, Billericay and Brentwood, and onward to London Liverpool Street.

Bus route Airlink X30 connects Southend Airport with Southend city centre, Rayleigh, Chelmsford, Great Dunmow and Stansted Airport. Arriva 9/9A connect the airport with Shoeburyness, Southend and Rayleigh.

London airports

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Beyond Essex, London City Airport (LCY IATA) is in East London. From the terminal, use  DLR  and change at London Stratford for Greater Anglia rail services into Essex.

London Luton Airport (LTN IATA) is also in the East of England, with direct National Express coaches to Harlow (route 737) and Stansted Airport (737, 777).

London Heathrow Airport (LHR IATA) west of London is the UK's largest international airport with flights from destinations throughout the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and North and South America. It is connected to Essex via the motorway. Also use  ELI  trains from Heathrow Airport to London Liverpool Street, and change for trains into Essex.

By boat

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3 Harwich International Port Harwich International Port on Wikipedia lies on the Essex coast. It is served by Stena Line ferries from Hook of Holland (Netherlands Netherlands), near The Hague and Rotterdam. You can travel as a foot/cycle passenger or with your vehicle. The North Sea crossing takes around 7 hours.

In the Netherlands, Hook of Holland/Hoek van Holland is signposted from (from Amsterdam) and (from Rotterdam). Note that E-roads in the United Kingdom are not signposted. Hoek van Holland Haven station is on the Rotterdam Metro  B , which lies directly opposite the Stena Line terminal.

At Harwich, Harwich International railway station is attached to the ferry terminal. You can catch Greater Anglia trains direct to Harwich Town and Manningtree, where you can change for services to Colchester and Chelmsford (and onwards to London Liverpool Street). A small number of trains run direct to Colchester and Chelmsford (and onwards to London Liverpool Street).

The road connects Harwich International Port with Harwich, Colchester and the for Chelmsford, Brentwood and London.

Bus route Hedingham and Chambers 22 serves Harwich International Port, which operates within Harwich and Dovercourt only. Essex Bus 102 is a limited service to Dedham and Colchester.

4 Harwich Ha'penny Pier is served by the Harwich Harbour Ferry during summer months, direct from Shotley and Felixstowe, both in Suffolk. It is a foot and bicycle only ferry.

By train

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Railways in Essex are either part of the National Rail National Rail or London Underground networks. A large number of trains are stopping or commuter services between London and destinations in Essex. Some stations are served by fast services on the Great Eastern Main Line or West Anglia Main Line, including Chelmsford, Colchester and Stansted Airport.

From London

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From the City of London, the capital's financial district, Essex-bound trains depart from both London Liverpool Street and London Fenchurch Street. Use  CEN   CIR   H&C   MET   ELI   WEA  to reach Liverpool Street. Fenchurch Street is not on the London Underground network, but Tower Hill ( CIR   DIS ) and Tower Gateway ( DLR ) stations are a short walk from the station.

From East Londonː

  • Stratford station on  CEN   JUB   DLR   ELI   MLD  is served by fast and local Greater Anglia trains towards Braintree, Brentwood, Clacton-on-Sea, Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Rayleigh, Southend Victoria and Wickford. Some local trains also call at Romford ( LIB ) in East London.
  • You can also travel into Essex from Limehouse ( DLR ), West Ham ( JUB   DLR ), Barking ( DIS   H&C   SUF ) and Upminster ( DIS   LIB ) on the c2c route out of London Fenchurch Street - towards Basildon, Chafford Hundred for Lakeside Shopping Centre, Grays, Tilbury Town, Southend Central and Shoeburyness.

From Tottenham Hale on  VIC , you can travel with Greater Anglia towards Audley End for Saffron Walden and Harlow, and Stansted Express towards Harlow and Stansted Airport.

The Elizabeth line  ELI  crosses London, calling at Brentwood and Shenfield in Essex. It is a direct connection into the county from Heathrow Airport, stations in West London, London Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, The City and the East End. You can use your Contactless card to travel between all stations on the line.

The London Underground Central line  CEN  crosses London, calling at Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Epping, Loughton and Theydon Bois in Essex, which are all within London zones 4-6. It is a direct connection into the county from stations in West London, Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, The City and Bethnal Green. You can use your Oyster or Contactless card to travel between all stations on the line.

You must purchase a valid ticket for your journey. Most National Rail stations in Essex are outside London's Oyster and Contactless card zones, so you cannot rely on them to complete your journey. Instead, you can buy a ticket at most stations, or using an online retailer such as nationalrail.co.uk or thetrainline.com.

From Norfolk and Suffolk

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Greater Anglia trains depart Norwich forː

  • Colchester and Chelmsford (and some intermediate stations)
  • Audley End for Saffron Walden and Stansted Airport

Greater Anglia trains depart Ipswich for Manningtree, Colchester, Marks Tey, Kelvedon, Witham, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford and Shenfield.

From Cambridgeshire and the Midlands

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Greater Anglia trains depart Ely and Cambridge for Audley End for Saffron Walden and Stansted Airport.

CrossCountry trains depart Birmingham New Street, Leicester, Peterborough, Ely and Cambridge for Stansted Airport.

By bus

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There are several major bus routes into Essex, includingː

By car

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Major roads into the county include:

Get around

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By train

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Essex's three cities and many of its towns and villages lie on the National Rail National Rail network. Some towns lie on the London Underground network.

It is not easy to travel east-west across Essex by train. Some journeys require a change at London Liverpool Street or London Stratford, and it may be quicker to travel across the county by bus or car.

National Rail

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Greater Anglia operates several routes in West Essex, out of London Liverpool Street and Cambridge, calling atː Waltham Cross (Hertfordshire), Cheshunt (Hertfordshire), Broxbourne (Hertfordshire), Roydon, Harlow Town, Harlow Mill, Sawbridgeworth (Hertfordshire), Bishop's Stortford (Hertfordshire), Stansted Mountfitchet, Stansted Airport, Elsenham, Newport, Audley End for Saffron Walden, and Great Chesterford. Stansted Express trains call at Harlow Town, Bishop's Stortford (Hertfordshire) and Stansted Airport.

Greater Anglia operates several routes throughout southern and eastern Essex, out of London Liverpool Street, calling atː Brentwood, Shenfield, Billericay, Wickford, Rayleigh, Hockley, Rochford, Southend Airport, Prittlewell, Southend Victoria, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Hatfield Peverel, Witham, White Notley, Cressing, Braintree Freeport, Braintree, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, Colchester, Colchester Town, Hythe, Wivenhoe, Alresford, Great Bentley, Weeley, Thorpe-le-Soken, Clacton-on-Sea, and Manningtree. Some journeys may require a change at Shenfield, Witham or Colchester.

Several stations lie on branch lines between Wickford and Southminster (Battlesbridge, South Woodham Ferrers, North Fambridge, Althorne, and Burnham-on-Crouch), Marks Tey and Sudbury in Suffolk (Chappel and Wakes Colne, and Bures), and Manningtree and Harwich Town (Mistley, Wrabness, Harwich International, and Dovercourt).

C2c operates several routes in southern Essex, out of London Fenchurch Street, calling atː Purfleet, Ockendon, Chafford Hundred for Lakeside Shopping Centre, Grays, Tilbury Town, East Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope, West Horndon, Laindon, Basildon, Pitsea, Benfleet, Leigh-on-Sea, Chalkwell, Westcliff, Southend Central, Southend East, Thorpe Bay, and Shoeburyness. Some journeys may require a change at Barking in London, Grays or Pitsea.

You must purchase a ticket for your National Rail journeys at station offices, ticket machines, or online using a vendor such as National Rail or The Trainline.

London Underground

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Essex lies on two Central line  CEN  routes.

Trains call at Epping, Theydon Bois, Debden (Epping Forest), Loughton and Buckhurst Hill. On the Hainault Loop, trains call at Grange Hill, Chigwell and Roding Valley. Change between the two lines at Woodford in London.

You can touch-in, touch-out at either end of your journey to pay, using an Oyster or Contactless payment card.

By bus

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Buses in Essex are operated by several different companies. Use the travelessex.co.uk website to help plan your journey, check bus times, or look for Essex-wide bus tickets.

Cross-county routes includeː

Most routes do not run overnight, with a limited service throughout the county on Sundays.

By car

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Essex has an extensive road network, comprising a mix of routes - from a four-lane motorway to single lane country roads. Most destinations are signposted. Mobile and GPS signal is generally excellent in urban areas of the county, but can be patchy in the countryside.

Traffic can become heavy in parts of Essex. The , , and can become particularly busy during "rush hour" - the morning and evening peak periods. Rush hour traffic can also become busy in town and city centres throughout the county, including in Chelmsford, Colchester and Harlow. Some town and city centres are usually busy on weekends, including Clacton, Saffron Walden and Southend-on-Sea.

The motorway passes Loughton, Epping, Harlow, Stansted Airport and Saffron Walden. The route can get very busy, particularly near Harlow and Saffron Walden.

The London Orbital motorway passes through western and southern Essex, near Waltham Abbey, Epping, Brentwood and Grays. The motorway - together with the Dartford Crossing - is a very busy route which forms a loop around London, the capital city. It can become congested during the morning and evening peak periods, and during holiday periods. The route ultimately connects Essex with Kent (Dartford, Sevenoaks), Surrey (Redhill, Leatherhead, Woking, Staines), Heathrow Airport, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire (Rickmansworth, Watford, St Albans, Hatfield, Waltham Cross).

Charges apply to cross the Dartford Crossing in both directions, over the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge southbound (clockwise) or through the tunnels northbound (anticlockwise). For the latest charges and to pay online, visit gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge.

Other major routes through Essex includeː

  • the past Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester
  • the past Lakeside Shopping Centre, Grays, Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope and Basildon, and into Southend-on-Sea
  • the past Stansted Airport, Great Dunmow, Braintree, Coggeshall, Colchester (as ) and Harwich
  • the through Waltham Abbey and Loughton
  • the past Basildon and Rayleigh, and into Southend-on-Sea
  • the past Chelmsford and Rayleigh
  • the past Chelmsford and Braintree (as ) and into Halstead
  • the between and Clacton
  • the between Sudbury in Suffolk and Colchester
  • the past Harlow, Chipping Ongar and Colchester (as ) and into Maldon
  • the B184 through Chipping Ongar, Great Dunmow, Thaxted and Saffron Walden
  • the B1022 through Colchester, Tiptree and Maldon

Local authorities

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Several different authorities look after roads in Essex. You can report road defects and find travel information through Essex County Council, Thurrock Council (for roads in Tilbury and Grays) and Southend-on-Sea City Council (for roads in Southend-on-Sea).

For , , , , (Thurrock), , and , report defects to National Highways at report.nationalhighways.co.uk or find travel information using trafficengland.com.

Park and

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Visitors to Chelmsford and Colchester can use park and ride facilities to avoid city centre traffic.

5 Chelmer Valley Park and Ride has 976 car parking spaces. It lies north of Chelmsford, off between the city and Braintree. Park and ride bus route 702 links Chelmer Valley Park and Ride with Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford Station and Parkway.

6 Sandon Park and Ride has 1377 car parking spaces. It lies east of Chelmsford, off Junction 18. Park and ride bus route 702 links Sandon Park and Ride with Parkway.

7 Colchester Park and Ride has 970 car parking spaces. It lies north of Colchester, off Junction 28. Park and ride bus route P&̩R links Colchester Park and Ride with Colchester Hospital, the railway station and High Street.

  • Seals with orange fake sun-tans: this is the mark of any seal that dwells in Hamford Water near Frinton-on-Sea: the estuary mud contains iron oxides which stain the pelt. When these seals show up on beaches miles away, they stand out from the rest and are mocked as "Essex Girls".
  • Buy something unique from an independent shop. Most towns and cities in Essex have independent stalls, stores and boutiques selling their own collections of food, drink, clothes, books and records. Saffron Walden has had a market since 1141, held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Its historical streets are lined with thriving independent shops, from bikes and books to furniture and vinyl. Braintree, Brentwood, Colchester, Great Dunmow, Maldon and Thaxted are also popular with shoppers looking for one-off finds. Some towns and villages host Easter, May Fayre and Christmas shopping events.
  • Shop big brands at one of Essex's major retail destinations. Lakeside (RM20 2ZP) is one of Essex's best known shopping centres, just off the M25 in Thurrock. Find big brands including Waterstones, West Ham United, Game, Hamleys, M&S and more across three floors, The Boardwalk and The Quay. Braintree Village (CM77 8YH), sometimes known by its former "Freeport" name, is an outdoor outlet shopping village, just off the A120 between Stansted Airport and Colchester. Brands sell in-season and discounted clothes, shoes, homeware and food, including Adidas, Levi's, M&S Outlet and Le Creuset. Several town and city centres also host big brands, including: Basildon (Eastgate, SS14 1AG), Chelmsford (High Chelmer, CM1 1XB), Colchester (Lion Walk, CO1 1LX), Harlow (Harvey Centre, CM20 1XR and Water Gardens, CM20 1AN) and Southend (The Victoria, SS2 5SP and The Royals, SS1 1DG).
  • View an inspiring landscape documented in art or music. Thaxted inspired Gustav Holst to compose his melody named after the town, central to the "Jupiter" movement in his The Planets, and later adapted to fit Sir Cecil Spring Rice's poem "I Vow to Thee, My Country". John Constable's famous The Hay Wain (1821), now on display at London's National Gallery, depicts a horse pulling a hay wain in the cool River Stour, which separates Essex from Suffolk at Flatford Mill. Flatford is a National Trust property just north of Essex's border, in the Dedham Vale National Landscape which straddles the two counties.
  • Walk in a woodland at one of Essex's vast ancient forests, including Hatfield Forest (National Trust) or Epping Forest. Stick to footpaths to protect the rare pollards, plant life and animals.
  • Take a trip to the seaside along one of Essex's famous promenades - at Frinton-on-Sea, Clacton or Southend, which boasts the world's longest pleasure pier. Enjoy fish and chips by the sea or try to win the jackpot at a seaside arcade.

Traditional food and drink

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  • Oysters are native to Essex. There are oyster farms and fisheries along the Essex coast, particularly between Maldon and Colchester. Pubs, restaurants and shacks serve them throughout the county, or you can buy them from fishmongers and markets in Essex towns and cities. Oyster season for fresh food only takes place in months with an "r" in the name (i.e. not May-August), because they spawn during the summer. Farmed oysters stay fresh when frozen or refrigerated properly. Cockles also grow in southern and eastern Essex.
  • Pie and mash comes from the London Docklands and remains popular in Thames Estuary towns, throughout southern Essex. The pie, filled with ground beef, is served with mashed potatoes and liquor, a parsley, eel or fish stock sauce. Find shops to eat in or take away in the Romford (East London), Brentwood, Chelmsford, Basildon, Thurrock and Southend areas. Some shops also serve (jellied) eels, European eels, usually from commercial fisheries in the Thames Estuary.
  • Maldon Salt has been harvested in Maldon since 1882 and is today sold around the world.
  • Essex is home to hundreds of farmyards and growers. Popular local crops include wheat and barley, while livestock includes pigs (pork) and occasionally beef. The Lee Valley west of Epping is "England's salad bowl", with salad and cucumbers grown "under glass" (in glasshouses).

Where to eat

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Stay safe

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The emergency telephone number in Essex and the rest of the UK is ☏ 999 or alternatively ☏ 112. Tell the operator which emergency service you need.

Crime

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For Essex Police, dial ☏ 999 to report crime or disorder in progress. Call ☏ 101 to log crimes which have previously taken place and do not require urgent attention. You can also make non-urgent crime or road incident reports online: https://www.essex.police.uk/

Fire

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Summon Essex County Fire and Rescue Service on ☏ 999. The service can respond to fires, flash flooding which has the potential to cause injury or death, road traffic incidents, and trapped people and animals.

Healthcare

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In a life or death emergency, dial ☏ 999 for an ambulance. You can also attend a walk-in accident and emergency unit at:

Your nearest hospital may be outside the county in:

For urgent queries that are not life threatening, call the NHS ☏ 111 line.

You can also seek health advice from a high street pharmacist, available in most town and city centres, as well as some villages.

Most NHS care is free for patients ordinarily resident in Britain. Some visitors from abroad must pay for their treatment, including care on hospital wards.

Rescue at sea

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For rescue at sea, dial ☏ 999 and ask for the coastguard. Rescue is provided by both HM Coastguard and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Public rescue equipment, including life rings, are provided on some popular seafronts. Look out for orange cases on promenades and check local signage.

Go next

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Routes through Essex
Cambridge ← Duxford ←  N  S  → Woodford (London)
Heathrow Airport ← Watford ←  W  S  → Dartford → Sevenoaks


Routes through Essex
M11 ←  SW  NE  → Newmarket → Norwich
Stratford (London) ← Romford ←  SW  NE  → Ipswich
City of London ← Canary Wharf ←  W  E  → ENDS in Southend
Bishop's Stortford ←  W  E  → ENDS in Harwich
A12 ← Romford ←  W  E  → ENDS in Southend
A134 ← Sudbury ←  N  S  → ENDS near Chelmsford
Thetford ← Sudbury ←  NW  SE  → ENDS in Colchester
St Albans ← Hertford ←  W  E  → ENDS in Maldon


This region travel guide to Essex is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!
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