Visiting Jaywick, Clacton, Walton and Frinton

 

There's nothing I enjoy more than a weekend beside the seaside, so I'm very lucky my Grandma owns a small bungalow on the North East coast of Essex. 

The area has SO much to offer, and being only 60 miles from London it's a shame more people aren't hopping on the train to enjoy the glorious beaches and simply magnificent food. Don't listen to the media, this strip of Essex coastline is simply stunning!

 

Did you know Jaywick's golden beach has been voted one of the cleanest in the country? It's incredibly fine sand was recently pumped from deep out at sea in order to reconstructed the beach, making it perfect for sand-castle building.


We visited whilst storm Kate hit but still enjoyed a paddle in the freezing North Sea. Unlike Clacton, this beach isn't filled with tourists, meaning there's less competition when crabbing on the rocks. 

My Grandma and Great Grandma split their time between London and their seaside holiday home, meaning over the years they've discovered lots of hidden gems. 

Whenever Russell and I visit we always have a cream tea at Frinton Garden Centre, which also serves amazing lunchtime treats such as home-made soup and jacket potatoes piled high with prawns. Their plant nursery has a wonderful collection of flowers, trees and vegetable plants, whilst their shop stocks the biggest range of Tiptree and Lyme Bay goods I have ever seen. 

 

Walton is home to THE best pie and mash shop, fact. They also stew up eels, much to my Great Grandmother's delight, meaning their liquor is made to the original and 'propa' recipe. Walton has the second longest pier in Great Britain, and although not officially confirmed, it's rumoured to have the fastest waltzers known to any amusement arcade. 

 

Walton-on-the-Naze is an unspoilt headland that is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. If you walk along the beach you can usually find a range of fossils from the neighbouring cliffs, and if the tide is out you can get up-close to the old pill boxes from World War II which once upon a time housed anti-aircraft machine guns (they have since fallen off of the top of cliff and onto the beach due to erosion). 

A highlight of our trip is visiting the tower at the top of the cliff, which rewards you with magnificent views once you make it to the top. The cafe at the tower sells the most delicious caramelised onion chutney (I always make sure I buy a few jars to see me through). 

We also visit a lot of local farms, such as Pork Farm, which make their own pies and unpasteurised apple juice, so check back come summer for further details as these hidden local gems need to be fact checked, tried and tested.