HER Majesty the Queen is set to visit Essex later this month with planned trips to salt and jam factories.

The Maldon Salt Crystal Company and Wilkin & Sons Ltd, in Tiptree, will both welcome the Queen on Thursday October 28.

The visit will mark the 125th anniversary of Wilkin & Sons which first produced strawberry jam in June 1885.

The company was set up by Arthur Charles Wilkin, the great-grandfather of chairman Peter Wilkin, who said the royal visit would be “a remarkable day for the staff and the company”.

“Many of the staff will recall the visit by HRH Princess Alexandra in October 1985 during the centenary celebrations,” he added.

After a tour of the Maldon Salt Crystal Company the Queen will arrive in Maldon High Street at 12.45pm where she will be met by the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Lord Petre, and presented to an assembled group of distinguished guests.

Her Majesty will then undertake a walkabout towards the Town Hall where a lunch is being jointly hosted by the chairman of Maldon District Council, Robert Long, and the chairman of Essex County Council, Rodney Bass.

Cllr Long, said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be welcoming Her Majesty back to the Maldon district after her first visit in 1971 during the celebration of 800 years of Royal Charter status.

“I hope that Her Majesty will enjoy her second visit and I am sure that the people of the District will turn out in large numbers to welcome Her Majesty during the walkabout, on what will be a very special day for us all.”

There will be some disruption to bus services, deliveries, general traffic and limited car parking on the day due to the necessary road closure of the High Street and Market Hill.