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Original poster

Clacton on Sea

30 replies

treacledan71 · 16/09/2018 08:04

Hi. I wonder if anyone could advise me please. Found a real reasonable priced caravan in a camp in Clacton for summer hols next year. Just wondered if anyone has been on holiday here or from area who can advise me what is like. DH and DS aged 11 be going as well. I googled the sea front etc and it looks nice with lots to do but a family member who went along time ago saying not but think been done up since then. Many thanks

OP posts:
caprifun · 16/09/2018 08:05

Bit

caprifun · 16/09/2018 08:09

Oops... Bit of a typical seaside town - was more run down but the pier has recently been done up and is a bit nicer. The rides are not too much of a rip off and you can buy day passes which seem good value.. Town has a bit of a problem with unemployment and some social problems. Not much to do other than the pier. There is a bowling alley there too. Nice fish and chip shop. Some of the close villages are pretty. Colchester is not too far for a day trip.

confusedofengland · 16/09/2018 08:10

We live about an hour's drive from there. I would say Clacton itself is a bit rough around the edges (although we have avoided for years so it may have changed), but there are some lovely beaches nearby. Frinton is a couple of miles away & is a beautiful, clean beach with free parking & no shops/stands etc on the beach front, so it tends to be quieter than Clacton. There is a high street a 5 minute walk from beach front with shops & chippy etc, quite posh! Next door to Frinton is Walton which has a nice pier with reasonably priced fairground rides.

Hope that helps.

Original poster
treacledan71 · 16/09/2018 08:12

Thank you Caprifun that is really helpful. x

OP posts:
HarryBob · 16/09/2018 08:12

Clacton town itself isn’t what it used to be I’m afraid, however the peir is still nice and if you are driving there are lovely smaller beaches nearby at Frinton on Sea and Walton on the Naze, Walton also has a nice smaller amusement arcade. Colchester Zoo is great for kids.

Original poster
treacledan71 · 16/09/2018 08:15

Thank you confusedofengland. One camp looked at is near Frinton. x

OP posts:
cricketmum84 · 16/09/2018 08:22

We were at clacton earlier this year and loved it. We stayed at highfield grange caravan park which was really nice, it was during the heatwave so the outdoor pool got plenty of use. Found plenty to do, the kids loved the pier and the beach, Colchester was lovely for a day visit. There's plenty of smaller pretty towns nearby too.

Donthugmeimscared · 16/09/2018 08:25

We stayed there a couple of weeks ago and had a great time. We didn't stay in the best caravan park but the pier was good £15 for an all day wristband. We only went for a long weekend so didn't get to go to many places but really enjoyed it. As others have said the town is a bit sad but I think alot of seaside are like that these days.

Original poster
treacledan71 · 16/09/2018 08:44

Thank you everybody. Much appreciated.

OP posts:
QueenOfCatan · 16/09/2018 08:50

Run down seaside resort, the pier has been renovated and I'm actually impressed, but there is sod all else going on unless you drive out of Clacton. If you like beaches you'd be best avoiding the main beach area in Clacton as the water quality is awful. Frinton, Walton and Holland all have lovely beaches, Brightlingsea too, and the Naze is a nice half day trip. Colchester is just down the road, has the castle and a nice zoo.
Unemployment and social problems are big issues but stick to the main town, avoid Jaywick and you'll avoid most of it. The town centre is completely run down so don't expect any interesting restaurants or anything, it's all fast food places, the few good non-chain restaurants often disappear before too long, except the Mexican on the seafront which is amazing!
I wouldn't pay to visit Clacton, but then I unfortunately pay to live here.

Branleuse · 16/09/2018 08:56

I thibk its fine for a day out. Its quite deprived, high unemployment, and its ukip central . Plenty to do though, Kids like the pier and the beach is nice, great fish and chip shops.
Theres arcades etc. The pier has rides and good value.

I prefer walton and frinton for the beaches and better water quality.

Original poster
treacledan71 · 16/09/2018 09:44

Thank you x

OP posts:
lljkk · 16/09/2018 09:50

What do you want to do on hols, what would be your ideal?

FrayedHem · 16/09/2018 10:03

Another vote for Walton on the Naze. We also hired a beach hut which we found really useful. There's a few websites where you can see hire prices and book.

As well as the beach there's also Naze Tower which my DC enjoyed and the admittance price is v reasonable. (There is a separate car park charge too).

Leesa65 · 16/09/2018 10:13

Went to Clacton many years ago . Only the beach and pier though which was nice enough.

However, I watch coaster addicts on YT and happened to see some the other day . One was Clacton and the Pier and the other Walton on the Naze and the pier and beach . To me, Walton looked superior .

Leesa65 · 16/09/2018 10:13

PS Colchester Zoo is a smashing zoo .

Took my oldest DCs one Christmas (as well as a Summer trip) and the whole thing was fantastic .

Donthugmeimscared · 16/09/2018 10:35

Our caravan was really cheap for the weekend and right next to jaywick I had never heard of it but my aunt was saying it had been on t.v.

Leesa65 · 16/09/2018 10:53

Probably really cheap as some of Jaywick (not Jaywick Village apparently) is home to a lot of unemployed people who live in ex chalets there (that may have been what your Aunt saw as one of the appalling let's bash benefits channels done a whole series or two on them)

Original poster
treacledan71 · 16/09/2018 11:18

thanks everyone. it does seem lots diff places to go which we like and Highfield looks a good site. Alot cheaper too than the 1000 quoted for cornwall which not in my budger next year!

OP posts:
romany4 · 16/09/2018 11:26

I've stayed in Clacton 3 times in the last 5 years.
DH and I love Essex.

Westayed at a site in Jaywick one year which everyone said was rough as fuck but the caravan site was clean with a pool and a clubhouse and we liked it!
We usually stay at Weeley Bridge now because DH likes the fishing lake.
Go and enjoy!

SodTheBloodyLotOfThem · 16/09/2018 11:30

I wish everyone would stop recommending Frinton and Walton

You'll all make people go there and they'll be too busy when I visit Grin

Op if you go to Walton there's a fab chippy about a minute from the front but watch out for theiving bastard gulls.

lljkk · 16/09/2018 11:47

I went to central Walton 20 yrs ago & found it grim. Frinton is just boring as heck. Clacton is cheap & cheerful & rundown. They are all kind of close to each other so easy to stay wherever is cheapest & go to the others. Is there a proper chippy in Frinton nowadays?

Look for shark teeth fossils at the bottom of the cliffs (on beach) below the Walton on Naze tower. We've found some Yuge ones.

confusedofengland · 16/09/2018 12:57

We don't find Frinton boring in the slightest! Lovely clean, sandy beaches when the tide is out, with dividers (don't know what you call them) so there are lots of little sections of beach which don't get too busy. Then the greensward when the tide is in, great for picnics, flying kites, boules etc. Plus a lovely high street with cafes, ice cream parlours & about half a dozen charity shops with good prices on decent brands! There is a great chippy just off one end of the high street, can get busy at peak lunchtime. All with free seafront parking. Nothing in the way of amusement aracades etc but that's what Walton is for & we prefer it that way Smile

Branleuse · 16/09/2018 13:34

i dont think frinton is boring, but it IS just beaches, which is what I like. There arent arcades etc.

Walton has a pier and amusements too and youve got the naze and yeah, good for fossils.

walton and frinton have better water quality than Clackers.

Im pretty sure that as a holiday, my kids would love clacton. Its got all you need. Theres nothing pretentious or middle class, and that is reflected in the fact its not expensive. I take my kids there sometimes for a treat to the pier etc. Theres also a really cheap cinema that is quite magnificent inside.

QueenOfCatan · 16/09/2018 13:47

lljk I'm jealous, we go to the naze at least once a month and I've never found any fossils or sharks teeth down there!

op a lot is going to depend on what you like to do on holiday tbh.

Nice walks in the countryside? Probably not. Nice walks along beaches? Lots of lovely ones between Walton and Clacton Pier, especially Holland Haven which has a lovely nature reserve too, or The Naze at Walton.

Days at the beach you want Walton or Frinton (hiring a beach hut is a stellar idea too!) or if you have to go to Clacton you want to go towards martello tower.

Clacton Pier is the only decent attraction for an older child that we have, and from outside the pier you can get a 'train' to Holland and back again which is a novelty.

Waltons pier is apparently really good these days but I haven't been in years.

Jaywick really is not a good place, "Jaywick Village" or "jaywick sands" are rebranding attempts, just don't go there. It has been on a lot of the benefits TV shows (and had a few specifically about it) I think because it is a massive culture shock, the main area is mostly these little shacks that were only ever designed to be temporary holiday homes but have become permanent accommodation.