Walton-On-The-Naze

Walton-On-The-Naze combines an expansive sandy beach and fossil-rich cliffs with nature and fossil hunting, as well as historic buildings. When planning your stay, you can choose between coastal walks, walks through the public open space and cultural attractions. Different questions can help guide your choice: What appeals to you about the coast, which aspects of nature interest you, and which buildings would you like to learn more about?

Beach and Cliffs at The Naze

The Naze Beach has an expansive sandy beach. Visitors can explore fossil-rich cliffs there and enjoy leisurely walks along the coast. Both activities relate to the coast, but each has a different focus: a walk centres on travelling along the coastline, while the cliffs draw attention to the abundance of fossils. When planning your time at the beach, you can use this distinction to decide whether to focus on coastal walks or the cliffs.

The cliffs are around 50 million years old and are designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These two details describe different characteristics: the age places the cliffs in a geological context, while the designation identifies their protected status. The Naze is also an important site for migratory birds. So, alongside the geological features, migrating birds are another distinct aspect of the natural environment.

Nature and Fossil Hunting

From the The Naze Nature Discovery Centre, visitors can take nature and fossil-hunting walks through the public open space at The Naze. Unlike a leisurely walk along the coast, these walks specifically involve starting at the Centre and looking for nature and fossils. The Centre also has a café. If you plan to visit, check the current opening hours in advance.

You can therefore choose between two distinct ways to experience nature: taking in the fossil-rich cliffs and walking along the coast, or setting out from the Centre on walks through the public open space. The importance of The Naze for migratory birds is another aspect. These features give you specific points of focus when planning your visit, without suggesting that the beach, walks and bird migration offer the same experience.

Historic Buildings and Culture

The Old Lifeboat House was built in 1884 to designs by C H Cooke. Its historic exterior details and open interior have largely been preserved in their original condition. Both features help bring the building’s historic architecture to life: the design details remain visible on the outside, while the open layout defines the interior space. This makes the Old Lifeboat House a different cultural focus from the two towers.

The Martello Tower is located on Kirby Road in Walton-on-the-Naze. This Grade II listed building dates from around 1810 to 1812 and is one of the largest of the 11 Clacton Defence Towers. For those interested in the buildings, it offers details about its age and protected status, as well as a clear point of comparison: the tower belongs to a group of eleven named defence towers and is among the largest in that group.

The Naze Tower was built by Trinity House in 1720 as a navigation tower. Today, it houses an art gallery with exhibitions by artists from East Anglia. It also has an open rooftop platform offering views of the landscape and coastal waters of Essex and Suffolk. The gallery and platform provide different cultural experiences: the exhibitions showcase art from the region, while the views take in the landscape and coastal waters. Together with the Old Lifeboat House and the Martello Tower, the Naze Tower adds art and views to the choice of attractions.

Discover more destinations: Coggeshall, Great Baddow, Stondon Massey, Clavering, Halstead, Harlow, Boxted, Gosfield.

For the main travel overview: Essex.