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A History of the County of Essex

May 2012
18 colour, 86 black and white, 30 line illustrations
403 pages
30.5x20.8 cm
Victoria County History
ISBN: 9781904356394
Format: Hardback
Victoria County History
BIC HBJD1, 1DBKEAX, 2AB, 3J
BISAC HIS015000

A History of the County of Essex

Name: A History of the County of Essex
SKU: 9781904356394
Price: 165.00 USD
Availability: InStock

XI: Clacton, Walton and Frinton: North-East Essex Seaside Resorts

Herbert Eiden

Edited by Christopher C. Thornton

Hardback
9781904356394

$165.00

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An important contribution to the social, cultural and economic history of seaside resorts.

From the 1820s the Essex seaside towns of Walton, and later Clacton and Frinton, were promoted as high-class residential and holiday resorts. After a slow start, hampered by poor communications and low demand, growth was stimulated by steam-ship companies which landed visitors on newly built piers in Walton and Clacton and by the railways that reached Walton in 1867, Clacton in 1882 and Frinton in 1888. The contemporary emphasis upon the health advantages of the seaside also led to the establishment of many convalescent homes. However, working-class excursionists newly attracted to Clacton, and to a lesser extent Walton, then irrevocably changed the social tone of the resorts.
By the 1920s and 1930s Clacton was a commercialized holiday destination and the funfair-style facilities of its pier rivalled those of any other resort. Nearby Jaywick was established as a cheap and cheerful chalet development. While Walton remained popular with families, Frinton continued as a "select" resort, with building development and commerce strictly controlled. The town remains famous for its wide unspoilt greensward facing the sea and its resistance to any threats to its exclusive character.
Camping, caravanning and holiday camps replaced the traditional seaside holiday after 1945, but from the later 1960s the increase in overseas holidays led to a steep decline of the seaside resorts. The economy has, however, since diversified with large dormitory-style housing developments, light industry and new shopping centres, and the coast becoming increasingly popular for retirement homes.
This volume presents an authoritative account of the growth and development of these towns on the so-called "Sunshine Coast".

Keywords: Victoria County History, Early Modern History, Local History, Modern History

Introduction: the North-East Essex Seaside Resorts - Christopher Thornton
Walton-on-the-Naze to 1914 - P B Boyden and Andrew Senter
Clacton-on-Sea to 1914 - Christopher Thornton
Frinton-on-Sea to 1914 - P B Boyden and Shirley Durgan
The Resorts in the First World War - Paul Rusiecki
The Resorts Between the Wars - Herbert Eiden
The Resorts in the Second World War - Christopher Thornton
The Resorts 1945 to c.1970 - Herbert Eiden
The Resorts 1970 to c.2009 - Paul Rusiecki
Institutions - Andrew Senter
Built Environment - James Bettley
Bibliography

Reviews

[A] first-rate resource for historians and a fascinating reference work for general readers. It is meticulously researched and written in a detailed yet accessible manner. THE LOCAL HISTORIAN

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