Things to do in Southend-on-Sea
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Where is Southend on Sea?
If you're looking for an old English seaside town with plenty of history and entertainment, then Southend-on Sea is the place to go. This traditional Victorian resort has drawn six million tourists every year since its inception—despite recent struggles in tourism due to tourists travelling abroad. Southend, once a thriving seaside resort from the 1900s to the 1960s has definitely made a comeback. With its new shopping arcades, cafes, fine dinning, and a pier that stretches a mile out to sea, there are many things to do and places to see. Southend-on-Sea is known as the premier resort for activities among the youth, with its amusement arcades and rock climbing at Adventure Island being very popular during the summer months. Southend has been named as Britain's Best Seaside Town by Wanderlust magazine twice . It is home of Southend United football club who currently play in Football League two. The promenade is a mile long stretch of coastline that hosts many events including carnivals throughout the year. People also use it as a walking trail along with their dog or simply on a stroll with their family. The pier provides enough entertainment on its own from rides to food stalls and cafes as well as many other attractions. If you are visiting Southend on Sea for the first time, why not visit the pier? You will not be disappointed. Southend on Sea to London There are many ways to get to Southend from London and vice versa. You can travel from 2 major train stations in London which are Liverpool Street and Fenchurch Street. Both these stations feed Southend on sea and arrive at the 2 Southend stations which are Southend Victoria and Southend Central respectively. Travelling by road from London you have 2 choices, the A13 and the A127, which are mostly dual carriageways. Both roads are best avoided during rush hour traffic as they can become heavily congested. There are also bus routes with various pick-up points in London which will deliver you to many drop-off points within the Southend borough, depending on the bus company and road they take. Local Events For something a little different, Southend Seafront hosts an annual lantern parade at Christmas time for children of all ages to enjoy. The evening starts in Priory Park with a choir performing songs from their favourite festive stories. Then a procession of over 100 lanterns with music guiding the way, marches along the seafront to Prittlewell Square with Father Christmas in his sleigh following closely behind. During the summer months many people visit Southend on Sea for free entertainment at the seafront bandstand. There is also a large amusement arcade where you can win prizes such as stuffed toys by playing classic old-fashioned amusements such as hoopla stalls, ball shooters and much more! Shopping The town's shopping centre underwent a major redevelopment between 2004 and 2008 with units being refurbished and new units constructed such as Primark, Topshop and H&M . The main shopping street, Victoria Avenue has seen major changes with the former Eaden Lilley department store being redeveloped as well as smaller shops. Southend on Sea is not only an exciting place to visit - it's also home to many exciting events throughout the year both indoors and outdoors. These include; Proms In The Park , a lively music festival held each September under a big top on Prittlewell Green, and the famous torchlight procession. Southend History Southend on sea is a seaside resort in Essex that sits between Vange Creek to the east and Shoeburyness to the west. The town has been inhabited since at least the Roman period. "Sudfole" appears in records of 827, while other place names include Soeflete, Suthflete and Sutfliet(e) meaning 'the south dwelling' or 'the south field'. The settlement's name lends itself to its position upon flat land by the Thames Estuary, giving Southend it's etymology as soot-hynt (southern landing-place). Southend first appears in official records in 1201 as "Soende By 1281 Southend was part of the hundred of soethenstede. During the 13th century, Southend was a small hamlet with two manor houses and a chapel on what is now Central Park. Fishing was its main industry, though overfishing led to the village being described as "a desolate little fishing-town" in 1753. The resort's development began when Benjamin Fordham built Fordham Lodge beside his house on Westborough in 1815. This attracted wealthy residents who formed an exclusive new settlement along The Crescent. Nearby are the Fordham Springs, which were used for leisure purposes by Fordham's family, and by the visitors who came to their estate. A pleasure garden that opened in 1840 at North Shoeburyness was popular with the wealthy visitors and is still remembered today in the name of a local pub. The growth continued after The Crescent Hotel opened in 1844, followed by the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital in 1852. This encouraged an influx of visitors, keen to benefit from sea water believed to have healing properties. Henry Jones opened Seawater Hall at Southchurch in 1854 for this purpose. It was replaced by Southend's first grand hotel, the Royal Hotel (now Royal Terrace), which opened on the seafront in 1856. The town became a favoured resort for day-trippers who arrived by steamer or train at Rochford station served by several operators. The pier was built in 1864 at a cost of £17,000; this was extended in 1885 and 1886. Many other railways were built to serve visitors. By the end of the century Southend had become one of Britain's largest holiday resorts, boasting a famous pier, a large esplanade and a fine seafront promenade. A Yachting lake was created near the town centre in 1888, but it was often rather shallow – reaching a depth of just 7 feet – and parts were filled with artefacts from the various wrecks off the Essex coast to enhance its appearance. The railway brought many day trippers from London to Southend which helped ensure that the resort continued as an entertainment destination. However, this did not help the local economy which suffered a downturn during the Second World War. Looking for a plumber, gas engineer, or boiler replacement in this area? then call our professional plumbers S.O.S PLUMBING & HEATING
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