Life is Always Sunny in Southend-on-Sea
In Essex County of Merry Old England lies the seaside resort town of Southend-on-Sea. This quaint coastal community is really quite remarkable. It boasts seven miles of beaches, great shopping, a seaside amusement park, and the world’s longest leisure pier in the world. Knowing all this, this was one place that Big John wanted to experience first hand.
It appears boating is still very popular along this particular section of coastline.
Southend-on-Sea began its humble beginnings as a place for poor fishermen’s huts and farms at the southern end of the village called Prittlewell. In the 1790s, the first buildings around what was to become the High Street of Southend were completed. Southend continued to stay pretty much off the radar until the 19th century when Princess Caroline of Brunswick just happened to pay a visit to the small seaside community. Well, the princess quickly fell in love with the place and a seaside resort sprang up not long after, giving the community some much needed fanfare.
Rows of coloful beach huts on the Southend-on-Sea beach
Prior to visiting this town, I had never even seen a beach hut before. These colorful wooden boxes, absent of windows, aren’t like anything you would normally find in the United States. From what I gather, the majority of them are privately owned and they are commonly not used for any type of overnight stay.
The European-style beach hut is simply a modest structure in which to seek temporary shelter from the sun, wind, and rain. They also serve the purpose of being an oversized dressing room if you will. The beach hut provides a private and convenient place to change into and out of beach clothing. In addition to this, these boxy structures are perfect for storing those personal items too cumbersome to tote around. All in all, these beach huts seemed to be all the rage in Southend-on-Sea.
Rebecca on a breezy beach at Southend-on-Sea.
Seagulls splashing in the silvery tides.
Southend-on-Sea has numerous parks and green spaces that are a beautiful contrast to the pebble-strewn beaches.
Rebecca is ready to do some shopping in the town centre.
The “American Merry Poppins” in an English seaside town.
Southend-on-Sea has a town center that can please almost any shopper.
In addition to its quirky mom-and-pop shops, Southend also has its share of ‘big name’ high-end retailers.
Rebecca particularly liked this café bearing her name.
Adventure Island at Southend-On-Sea
Who doesn’t like a rollercoaster on the beach? While this is no Atlantic City, amusement parks and video arcades make this British town a family-friendly getaway that’s sure to make the kids smile.
A vintage phot of Southend-On-Sea Pier.
Southend-on-Sea is home to the longest leisure pier in the world. This way-long wharf was built in 1830 and stretches to an amazing 1.33 miles offshore.
See the longest leisure pier in the world at Southend-on-Sea!
The Sands Bistro Restaurant was one of my favorite dining experiences in all of England. I was so impressed with the place that I’ve attached their entire lunch and dinner menu in the link above. If you’ve been there before, then you know precisely what I mean!
Red, red wine makes me feel so fine…
She’s into the rough stuff, what can I say?
A romantic night to wine and dine at Sands Bistro in Southend-On-Sea.
It’s not just the delicious food that makes Sands Bistro such a magnificent experience. Just look at that window view from the dinner table!
What a gorgeous sunset!
No matter the time or season, life is always sunny in Southend-On-Sea! Thank you for reading my article and I hope you visit my site again real soon. Feel free to explore other areas of my blog, post a comment, and show some love on social media.
Happy travels,
Big John
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Great Dining and tagged England, Essex County, merry old england, southend, Southend-on-sea by Big John with comments disabled.