T1002020-Side of the Sea, Southend Pier to Shoeburyness East Beach.

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Photo ofT1002020-Side of the Sea, Southend Pier to Shoeburyness East Beach.

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sally chinea

127 5 118

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Trail stats

Distance: 4.84 mi
Elevation gain: 30 ft
Technical difficulty: Easy
Elevation loss: 20 ft
Max elevation: 54 ft
TrailRank: 52
Min elevation: 15 ft
Trail type: One Way

Moving time: one hour 40 minutes
Time: 2 hours 21 minutes
Coordinates: 1361
Uploaded: June 21, 2020
Recorded: June 2020

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near Southend-on-Sea, England (United Kingdom)

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Trail photos

Itinerary description

We are walking the north side of the Thames Estuary, 40 miles East of central London. The estuary is dominated by intertidal flats and saltmarshes. Along this walk you will notice a great variation in the use of the water, the beach and its immediate surroundings.
For many years, additional sand, a recharge, has been put along the sea wall. This forces the waves to break further offshore and the formation of a beach supports tourism.
The coastal management scheme maintains the existing sea wall and defences, and along with the Environmental Agency are looking at developing further coastal managements plans i.e raising the sea wall, additional groynes, rock armour, etc

Be mindful...
We, the general public, need to do what we can to show respect for the Earth and our natural landscape. As individuals we need to be responsible and take care not to litter and contaminate or waste our water.

Beach event - large Mandala making using resource gathered and sorted from the beach.

Please bring a bag if you wish to gather shells and pebbles on route

Waypoints

Start location

We will meet below Southernd Pier.

The Golden Mile

The Golden Mile, amusements and tradition seaside fun! Theme park on your right is called Adventure Island.

Bin your litter or take it home campaign!

Bin your litter or take it home, protect our beaches, wildlife and your environment

The Kursaal

The Kursaal is a Grade II listed building, which opened in 1901 as part of one of the world's first amusement parks, ballroom and dining hall. Sadly very little of the Edwardian architecture remains, In days gone by you could access function suite, casino, bowling alley and arcade amusements. The bright neon lights a tribute to the Kursaal that once was. Relevant to our walking is the fantastic circular dome window.

Sea Life Adventure Aquarium

The Sea Life Adventure Aquarium is the south east’s premier aquatic attraction with over 40 unique displays featuring sea life from all over the world including new exhibits of Meerkats, Otters and Humboldt Penguins.

Beach or Promenade Walking

We continue along the promenade. Care needs to be taken with the cycle lane immediately to our left. We may split the group her, if some wish to walk along the beach.

Flotsam and Jetsam

We will pause here for a refreshment break and collection of resource for the making of our mandala.This part of the beach usually has lots of oyster shells.

High Tide view point.

Standing on the viewpoint you can take in the panorama back towards Southend and forwards to Shoeburyness, as we continue to walk along towards Thorpebay Esplanade.

Beach huts and water sports

Continuing along Thorpe Esplanade we pass the Thorpe Bay Yacht Club to our left. Many water sport activities take place along this stretch of beach.

Shoeburyness Common Beach

Shoeburyness Common Beach is located between Thorpe Bay Beach and East Beach. The wide promenade is lined with a row of beautiful beach huts. There is a large car park and a circular café called Uncle Toms Cabin, an independent family restaurant. We will stop here for a comfort break and refreshments. Sadly this area may be changing in the future with a proposed new sea defense set for construction behind the beachhuts.

Gunners Park- Shoeburyness

At the end of the beach we turn left onto the slip road, entering Gunners Park. Gunners Park and Shoeburyness Ranges is a 25 hectare nature reserve. It is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, which is itself part of the Foulness Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Gunners Park- Mulberry Harbour

The Mulberry Harbour is located just over a mile offshore. It is the remains of a 2,500 tonne concrete Phoenix caisson. The wreck lies partially sunk on a sand bank in the Thames estuary and dates back to D-Day during the Second World War. .

Nature Reserve and Art

Due to its proximity to the Thames Estuary, this nature reserve provides ideal habitat for migrating birds on passage to and from the UK, including Ring Ouzel, Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear, Whinchat and even Yellow-browed Warbler. Hundreds of waders will gather along Gog’s Berth, while a Grey seal occasionally makes an appearance along the seawall. This area has more than 12 habitats to walk through, from coastal grassland and a large pond to remnant sand dunes and historic military buildings. This mosaic of habitats has allowed a range of species to thrive here, including the nationally scarce Sandwich Click Beetle, Bulbous Meadow Grass and the Cuckoo Wasp. The historic buildings are also used by wildlife – in the summer months look out for Barn Swallows zipping in and out of the gaps to feed their young nesting inside. The old pier here was used as a site for the Paul Cummins sculpture Poppies: Wave at Barge Pier. 2017

Gun Casements

As we continue along past the experimental casements, you are able to view the wide expanse of the mouth of the River Thames.

Drill gun pit mandala!

To the left of the sea wall path is evidence of the heritage of the area. To the right, the tide being out, we will hope to see wadding birds searching food on the mud flats.

Leaving Gunners Park

A short walk through the Garrison Estate.

Contemporary Beach Huts

Different beach huts at this end ! Southend Council funded the £120,000 cost of building the huts - there are eight more in the pipeline - and now plans to sell seven-year leases on each one for £20,000. The roofs are covered with small sedum plants, the walls are made of clear plastic filled with hardcore, and the fronts painted in bright colours. East beach is home to the Essex Kitesurfing.

Arriving at East Beach

While most Southend beaches are pebble, Shoeburyness East beach is long and sandy and backed by a large grassy area that’s very popular for family fun, picnics and barbecues. It is sandwiched between Pig’s Bay MOD site and the former Shoeburyness Artillery Barracks.

Water Sports and family fun!

While most Southend beaches are pebble, Shoeburyness East beach is sandy and backed by a large grassy area that’s very popular for picnics. Sandwiched between Pig’s Bay MOD site and the former Shoeburyness Artillery Barracks. East beach is home to the Essex Kitesurfing uk. The local kitesurf school uses this beach for teaching and have a designated kite area on the center of the beach between the boom and the slipway. No dogs May - Oct