Venturing just out of London this weekend I visited one of the traditional seaside resorts that has been a draw for Londoners since it was established in 1871 – Clacton On Sea in Essex.
For the most part Clacton On Sea is a rather genteel town these days – its carefully tended clifftop gardens and quiet streets of smart townhouses makes it a favourite retirement destination for Londoners. There is a short lane immediately in front of the town’s small Victorian pier which contains that obligatory British seaside staple of amusement arcades and souvenir shops (not counting those on the pier itself of course!) but all in all it’s a charming little place. Clacton On Sea also has the advantage of a long sandy beach and, unusually for a community of this size, even has two theatres – the West Cliff and Princes theatres. If you decide to pay a visit to the town, be sure to check out the Tower House on the clifftop road – it’s very, very odd. Check it out in the photos that I took on my visit, which you can find here.