Walton-on-the-Naze

Despite my many travels and delights of the Summer holiday, I had a real yearning to go to the seaside in September, to grasp as the residual Summer days and to extend that feeling that the Summer holidays have rather than giving into the mundane chores of September.  My love of Summer and my, well,maybe it could be phrased as Autumnal contempt is well documented here.

 Like a rather pestery child, I kept on at CBC to take me to the seaside. My friend Natalie has often talked of her love for Walton-on-the-Naze out on the Essex coast.  She used to holiday there in a caravan as a child and when she was having some stressful times a few years ago, I remembered her love of it and suggested she go and spend a day there and think about things. She did that, staying a night at a hotel, and it really helped her.

You can get the train there from Liverpool Street- that train line is rather nice as it calls at all the seaside towns like Frinton-on-Sea which I have shared here before and other places.

 Upon arrival, CBC and I went to buy fish and chips to eat on the beach. I was dismayed at being served in Polystyrene and regretted not bringing my plastic box so they could have put it in there.

 However, despite this, the food was tasty.  We found a nice spot and sat and ate. And yes, that was my choice instead of fish- I know they look awful and they are probably full of unspeakable bits of animal, but I do really like them.

 CBC firmly kept his shoes on, I shed mine immediately.

 Upon completion of eating, I headed straight to the waters to paddle. It was an excellent temperature, and I did sigh, wishing I had bought my swimsuit, because it was a temperature that I would have happily bathed in.

 I must have spent about half an hour ambling about with the cool waters lapping over my feet, searching for sea glass which is a little harder at the water's edge on a sandy beach though I did find a few pieces including my first piece of brown!

 CBC went to put more money on the car and then enquired as to whether we might actually take a walk. I reluctantly concurred and began the inevitably impossible task of ridding my feet of sand particles and getting them back into my shoes.

 We walked along. CBC pressed on ahead whereas I skulked slowly, still keeping my beady eye out for sea glass.

 The colours of the day, though it was not the brightest day,were really beautiful and we had a very pleasant temperature.

 We moved on and the beach became a little more interesting in terms of debris underfoot and consequently, my pace decreased..

 We reached a pretty stretch of beach huts.  Am I the only one who cannot resist the temptation to occasionally gawp into an open beach hut when the opportunity presents itself?  I usually manage not to, but when I see one open with someone not sitting facing out,I do scan with my eyes inquisitively- the innards of beach huts are an eternal mystery to me as I haven't been in one although there is a Flute trio trip to Walton potentially pencilled in and L's parents own a beach hut here!!!

 Fossils can be found on this beach including shark's teeth although I had no chance to seek any such treasures as CBC's back in the distance seemed to express displeasure.

 A candy confection of huts!

 And stripes like pyjamas!

 Soon, we climbed steps and along a path with houses with a sea view to reach the Naze Tower.  This was built in the 1700's and acted as a sort of lookout, lighthouse.

 It now houses an art gallery and tea room. You can climb to the top for £3.

 A newly-opened Essex Wildlife Trust visitor's centre has opened alongside it which seems to have an extensive, varied and interesting programme of events which I would like to explore. It was very pleasant.  We had tea and cake there.

 CBC was very sleepy and happy sitting my in my moon chair so I went to take a look at the Cliffs.

 Apparently, the erosion here is so bad that much of the cliff is being lost to the sea every year.

 As always, I wish to remain indefinitely, so I was reluctant to drag ourselves away from this pleasant environment but the walk back to the car and back to real life was beckoning unrelentingly.

 As we returned from whence we came, the beach had cleared (although it was hardly busy- only a few people), and the tide was going out.  We could see the pier stretching out to sea which is apparently the UK's second-longest pier after Southend. Essex does piers apparently!

It was a truly joyful afternoon for me and I was so glad and grateful to experience it before the  inevitable, unpleasant weathers make such endeavours less favourable.

Have you been here ever? Do you try to grasp at days like this?

xx