Clacton
Clacton in Essex, also known as Clacton-on-Sea, is the largest town in the Tendring Peninsula. It's between Jaywick and Holland-on-Sea.
Get in
[edit]
By car
[edit]Exit the A12 at the Colchester North exit onto the A120, and then the A133 all the way into Clacton.
By train
[edit]- 1 Railway Station, Skelmersdale Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 6PU. Trains run to Clacton every hour from London Liverpool St and take approximately 90 minutes. If travelling from the Ipswich direction, change trains at Colchester North.
By bus
[edit]Buses serve Clacton from most parts of North-East Essex, including Colchester (every 30 minutes, approx. 1 hour journey time), Walton and Frinton (every 30 minutes, approx. 30 minutes journey time) and Harwich (every hour, approx. 45 minutes journey time). There are also 3 National Express coaches per day to London (#484, approx. 3 hours journey time) and 1 National Express coach per day to Liverpool, via Cambridge, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester etc. (#350, approx journey time 12 hours to Liverpool). As there is no distinct bus station, finding the correct stop within the town centre can be a problem, mainly because of a lack of any maps, and the digital displays at each stop only show departures for that street. If in doubt, walk out to the train station as most routes pass here.
By bicycle
[edit]National Cycle Route 150 runs along the coast from Frinton-on-Sea & Walton to the NE to Jawick (just past the golf club) to SW.
Get around
[edit]
The main town centre is fairly compact and can easily be covered on foot.
By car
[edit]Clacton is a fairly driver-friendly town with cheap, plentiful parking, although during the summer holidays or the Clacton Air Show, parking and traffic can be problematic.
By bus
[edit]The two main operators of suburban routes are First Essex[dead link] and Hedingham Omnibuses. The former operates a handful of suburban routes at half-hourly intervals, one of which serves the out-of-town Tesco hypermarket. The latter operates regular shuttle services to the Clacton Common Shopping Village.
See
[edit]- 1 Clacton-on-Sea. 360-m pier that opened in 1871. Now has amusement park with rides.
- 2 Clacton Seafront Gardens (Clacton Seafront and Garden Walk), Marine Parade W, Clacton-on-Sea CO15 1RH (Walk from the pier), ☏ +44 1255 686688, clc@tendringdc.gov.uk. 24/7. The Green Flag Award-winning clifftop gardens includes the Sensory Garden, Mediterranean Garden, Sunken Garden, Rose Garden and First World War Memorial Garden. Free.
- 3 Great Holland Pits (Nature Reserve), Little Clacton Rd, Great Holland (OS Grid ref TM 204 190), ☏ +44 1621 862960, admin@essexwt.org.uk. Best time to visit is Apr-Jul.
- 4 Jaywick Martello Tower. Arts, heritage and community venue in a renovated Martello tower.
Do
[edit]
- 1 Push Kiting (Kite Surfing School), ☏ +44 7736 052967, dave@pushkiting.co.uk. M-F 8AM-9:30PM, Sa Su 8AM-5PM. Kite surfing, kite buggy, kite landboarding, power kite, paddleboard. M-F taster (2 hr) £50. Sa Su taster (2 hr) £60. M-F ½-day course £50. Sa Su ½-day course £70..
- 2 Clacton Pier (Tenpin bowling, Bar, Rides, Seaquarium,), 1 North Sea, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1QX, ☏ +44 1255 421115, info@clactonpier.co.uk.
- 3 The Beach, CO15 6JS (OS Grid ref TM 1760 1445). Seasonal lifeguard.
- 4 Weeley Hall Wood (Nature Reserve) (Off the B1441 (Colchester to Clacton Rd) Weeley, Essex. OS Grid ref TM 156 212), ☏ +44 1621 862960, admin@essexwt.org.uk. Best times to visit are Apr-Jul & Nov-Feb. Dogs allowed.
Buy
[edit]
The town centre areas feature the usual high-street shops (Argos, WHSmith, Marks & Spencer etc.), as well as plenty of seaside tourist shops. There are several decent sized supermarkets including Fiveways, Morrisons, Lidl and Tesco, the latter of which is quite a way out of town but can be reached by local bus.
The Clacton Common Shopping Village, located on an industrial estate on the edge of town, is one of two 'factory outlet' shopping malls in Essex (the other being Freeport, near Braintree). It mostly consists of numerous stores selling discontinued clothing lines at discount prices.
- 1 Lidl (Supermarket), St Osyth Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 3BN. M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
- 2 Morrisons (Supermarket), Waterglade Retail Park, Old Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1HX, ☏ +44 1255 221127. M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM. ATMs.
- 3 Asda, Bull Hill Rd, Clacton-on-Sea CO15 4AU, ☏ +44 1255 258498. 7AM - 10PM. Supermarket.
- 4 Morrisons, Little Clacton, Centenary Way, Little Clacton, Clacton-on-Sea CO16 9SB, ☏ +44 1255 862423. 7AM - 10PM. Supermarket.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Armstrongs at the Pavilion (Restaurant), Pier Gap, Marine Parade East, Clacton On Sea, CO15 1PS, ☏ +44 1255 688819, gary@armstrongsatthepavilion.com.
- 2 Franco's (Italian Restaurant), 4 Colne Rd, Clacton On Sea, CO15 1PX, ☏ +44 1255 426647. W-Sa 12:00-1:45PM (last orders) & 6-10PM (last orders).
- 3 Aroy (Thai Restaurant & Take-away), 19 Rosemary Rd, Clacton-On-Sea, CO15 1NZ, ☏ +44 1255 435599. M-Th 5-9:30PM, F Sa 5-10PM, Su 5-9:30PM.
- 4 Toby Cavery, Marine Parade West, Martello Bay, Clacton-On-Sea, CO15 1NW, ☏ +44 1255 425739. Daily 8AM-11PM; food: 8AM-10PM.
Drink
[edit]- 1 [dead link] Cup of Coffee (Cafe & Take Away), 82 Rosemary Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1TG, ☏ +44 1255 433665. M-Sa 8AM-5PM, Su 9AM-4PM.
- 2 The Moon & Star Fish (Pub & Food), 1 Marine Parade East, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1PU, ☏ +44 1255 222998. M-Th 8AM-11:30PM, F Sa 8AM-1AM, Su 8AM-11:30PM. Free Wi-Fi.
- 3 The Robert Burre (Pub & Food), Burres Rd, Great Clacton, CO15 4LN, ☏ +44 1255 434904, info@robertburreclacton.co.uk. Su-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa noon-midnight. Large carpark opposite pub. Wi-Fi.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 [dead link] Esplanade (Hotel), 27-29 Marine Parade East, Clacton on Sea, CO15 1UU, ☏ +44 1255 220450.
- 2 Lyndale Lodge Hotel, 2-4 Colne Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1PX, ☏ +44 1255 423340, langtryhotel@gmail.com. Free Wi-Fi. Free parking. No pets.
- 3 Melrose Hotel, 53 Marine Parade, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 6AD,, ☏ +44 1255 421392, piajohn@hotmail.co.uk. Free Wi-Fi (in public areas). Free on-site parking.
- 4 [formerly dead link] Stonar Guest House, 19 Agate Rd, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1RA, ☏ +44 1255 221011, stonarguesthouse@btconnect.com.
- 5 The Sandrock (B&B), 1 Penfold Rd, Clacton-On-Sea, CO15 1JN (OS Grid ref TM 174 145), ☏ +44 1255 428215, info@thesandrock.co.uk. Free parking. Free Wi-Fi. Single £55, double/twin £69 (per night).
- 6 Premier Travel Inn, Marine Parade West, Clacton-On-Sea, CO15 1RD, ☏ +44 871 527 9552 (premium). Free Wi-Fi. On-site parking £2. from £46.
- 7 The Beaches (B&B), 12-14 Ellis Rd, Clacton On Sea, CO15 1ER, ☏ +44 1255 421713, daljitdayal@hotmail.co.uk. Check-in: 2-10PM,, check-out: 10AM. Free Wi-Fi. No pets.
Connect
[edit]Clacton and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of Feb 2023, 5G has not reached this area.
Stay safe
[edit]General precautions and common sense apply, avoid anywhere that looks rough and try to avoid walking the streets at night. Jaywick to the west of Clacton is extremely impoverished and rundown (especially the Brooklands area), commercial areas and the beaches are safe, but wandering around residential streets is ill-advised.