Clacton-on-Sea is a seaside resort located in the southeast English county of Essex. Founded in 1871, it is the largest town on the Tendring Peninsula. Ideally located on the shores of the North Sea, the town attracts numerous visitors during the summer months eager to enjoy the town's sandy beaches. Clacton-on-Sea also offers a vibrant nightlife, plentiful shopping and entertainment opportunities, as well as annual festivities such as the Clacton Airshow, which is held every August and features aerial displays involving historic aircraft, including Lancaster bombers and Spitfires.
Dating from 1871, the 1,182-foot-long and 300-foot-wide Clacton Pier features a 50- foot helter-skelter, among other amusement rides. The pier also has a retro-style 10 pin bowling alley with American-style diner, an aquarium and a bar. Visitors can try their hand at sea fishing directly from the pier, which has long been regarded as one of the prime sea fishing spots along the Tendring coastline. The cost of a day pass is £6 (as of February 2014), and you will need to bring your own equipment. The pier is open from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. year-round and is free to enter.
Located in the old fortress of Martello Tower on the seafront Marine Parade, Clacton Zoo is home to a variety of child-friendly animals, ranging from miniature pigs and pygmy goats to rabbits and a couple of alpacas named Nuzzle and Scratch. Visitors are invited to pet the animals. Admission is £3 (as of February 2014), but children below the age of three can enter free of charge. The zoo is open every day from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Easter through November 1st.
Located in the small seaside village of Jaywick, three miles southwest of Clacton, the Jaywick Martello Tower was originally built as a fort during the Napoleonic era in order to protect the coastline against French invasion; it is one of several in the area. Today, it is open to the public as an arts and heritage space that features an active calendar of entertainment like live music and theater. The tower also hosts workshops for the local community in a variety of disciplines, including writing, film, photography and sculpture. Entrance for children is free, while adults pay £1 (as of February 2014). From April to September, the tower is open from Wednesday to Sunday and holiday Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From October to March, it is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.
The Beth Chatto Gardens are located in the town of Colchester, 8 miles northwest of Clacton-on-Sea. Since 1960, the gardens have developed from an overgrown wasteland of brambles and boggy ditches into an attractive informal garden. The site also has a nursery that stocks over 2,000 plants and a tearoom which serves homemade baked items. The tearoom is also the venue for events and workshops that include gardening lectures, painting classes and craft fairs. From March to October, the gardens, nursery and tearoom are open from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5. p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From October to February they are open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m.to 4.p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the gardens is £6.95 (as of February 2014) per adult (free for children under 14).
