Walton-on-the-Naze
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 51°50′54″N 1°16′04″E / 51.8482°N 1.2677°E
| Walton-on-the-Naze | |
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  Walton-on-the-Naze shown within Essex |
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| Population | 12,000 |
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| OS grid reference | |
| District | Tendring |
| Shire county | Essex |
| Region | East |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WALTON-ON-THE-NAZE |
| Postcode district | CO14 |
| Dialling code | 01255 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| European Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | Harwich |
| List of places: UK • England • Essex | |
Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of about 12,000. It attracts many visitors, the Naze being the main attraction. There is also a pier.
Walton has an HM Coastguard team and houses Thames MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre), organising rescues from Southwold to Herne Bay.
Walton-on-the-Naze railway station is on a branch of the Sunshine Coast Line.
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[edit] The Naze
"Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland". In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton; under the Nase".[1]
The Naze is a peninsula north of the town. It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and brent geese. Many Bird watchers visit at migration times.
The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast.
The Naze is eroding rapidly and threatening the tower and the wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork into erosion and methods to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. The cliff is receding fast and within 50 years Naze Tower may have tumbled into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
[edit] Walton Pier
The original pier was built in 1830, one of the earliest in the country. It was built for landing goods and passengers from steamers and was 300ft (91m) long. The pier was badly damaged in a storm in the 1890s. In 1895, the Walton-on-the-Naze hotel and pier company (then owners of the pier) opened a replacement pier 500ft longer than the original. Several extensions have increased the pier's length to 2,600ft (793m), the third longest in the UK.
When the new pier opened in 1895, an electric tramway was installed to take passengers from the steamers to the front of the pier. This was in use until 1935 when it was upgraded to a battery-powered carriage. In 1945 fire damaged the pier, and the carriage was replaced by a diesel locomotive train. This was removed during the 1970s.
Today, the pier remains a popular attraction, with amusements and fun-fair rides in a hangar-type building. Beyond this, the pier extends into a promenade popular with anglers.
[edit] War memorial
The unusual war memorial commemorates a Halifax crew which all died when they crashed on the Naze. It also has a tribute to Herbert George Columbine ,who won the VC and after whom the local leisure centre is named, and a tribute to those lost in World War I in HMS Conquest.
[edit] Cultural references
Walton was inspiration for the fictional Balford-le-Nez in Elizabeth George's "Deception on His Mind." Hamford Water and the town of Walton-on-the-Naze are the location of Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons book, Secret Water.
[edit] Gallery
 The Naze tower |
 The seafront |
 Regency terrace on The Parade |
 Walton War Memorial |
 Herbert Columbine Memorial |
 Halifax Memorial |
 Walton Beach and Beach Huts |
 Columbine Leisure centre named after the VC winner |
[edit] References
- ^ Daniel Defoe. A Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain, divided into circuits or journies: Letter 1, Part 2: Harwich and Suffolk, J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd, London (1927)
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