Tourism

Summer is here and of course we all enjoy the traffic jams driving to the coast, particularly the nightmare on the A13 as three lanes tunes to two, then two turns to one, all topped off with the concrete squalor of Southend . . . a kind of Poundland version of Brighton I always think. It's not without its merit at-all, and if you are of a certain age then it will tick all the pleasure boxes I suspect. On hot days with a cappuccino and table view of the sea I must admit to being quite smitten. But personally and mostly we recommend when you reach Southend you keep going a little bit further and you will find yourself away from the noise, squalor, pollution and the tackiness that defines Essex's premier beach resort. Head to Thorpe Bay instead.
Like so many communities existing outside of their popular bigger brother's orbit, they actually thrive on being all the things that the neighbouring "resort" isn't, peaceful, beautiful, and slightly classier. In truth there's not too much there, but just enough to give you a beach experience that's more at one with nature and less like sticking your head in a washing machine for half an hour. Mostly it's a walking experience with plenty of opportunity to relax and take in the splendour that is the Thames esotery flowing in front of you. Curiously it's still hard to park without paying a dubiously excessive parking toll, but that aside it's still better than the concrete clutter just down the road.

Postcode: SS1 3NS