Southend-On-Sea

Westcliff Walk

Well worth a mile or so walking on the pavement along this famous promenade. Starting from the Southend Pier end you will quickly leave the very obvious sights, sounds and smells of traditional seaside Southend and start to discover other, natural attractions of nearby Westcliff. On the shore-side you will pass the odd yacht club and new casino. On your right there are hilly cliffs covered in flowers (and fairy lights in the summertime) that are great for exercising children and dogs. There are scenic views of the estuary, Kent and the vast selection of small yachts, fishing vessels, either beached on miles of sand by the vast tides or bobbing about in the waves on a spring or summer tide.

I last made the walk in winter and the sunset was equal to any Mediterranean delight. It was a bit cooler of course and many of the boats were on dry land but there was a bonus in a pot of hot tea and a plate of the tastiest, freshest fish and chips you will find anywhere (available from the archway cafes at Westcliff). I include in this comparison fish and chips from Great Yarmouth, Blackpool and even Ullapool in Scotland.

When you leave the shelter of the archway cafes you must prepare yourself for a mile or two of isolation with barely a kiosk in sight to break your thirst as the cliffs give way to residential splendour. Some may chose the car or bus at this point but I was able to smugly congratulate myself on a truly heroic achievement of nearly 3 miles continuous walking the length of the promenade from Southend to Leigh-On-Sea. It is a great place to jog or cycle as well.

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