Essex: Naze GEOwalk and Beach Walk to Clacton (6 + 7 miles)

Clifftop Trees on the Naze Headland

I took the train to Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex. Here is a map of my walks.

It was a day of two halves.

First (BLUE route, 6 miles), I walked from the station up to, and climbed, the Naze Tower, a great viewpoint.

I then followed the GEOwalk Trail around the headland of "The Naze", as described in the explanatory leaflet, available from the Essex Wildlife Trust Centre next to the Tower. I went out along the clifftop path, and returned along the beach. The leaflet explains the geology visible in the cliffs in the form of layers of sand and clay. The beach under the cliffs is said to be one of the best spots for fossil hunting in Essex, the most common being sharks teeth. Plenty of people were trying their hand as did I: the most I found was what I think is a piece of fossilised wood. There are also several remains of concrete pill boxes and gun emplacements, originally on the clifftop, but now deposited by erosion on the beach. It all reminded me of my Warden Point walk on the Isle of Sheppey

After a cuppa and cake at the Tower kiosk, I returned to the town seafront at the pier. (NB you have a choice of three cafes at the Tower: the Tower Kiosk, cafe in the Wildlife Trust Centre, and the Naze Links cafe.)

By this time it was early afternoon. For the second half of my walk, starting around 2:00pm, I walked past Frinton and on to Clacton along the coast (RED route, 7 miles). I hadn't planned it specifically, but the tide was out, so I was able to walk most of the way along the beach. I have cycled this route in the opposite direction, sticking to the clifftop and sea wall paths, so it was good to get a different perspective from beach level. I took to the sea wall for the bit in the middle around Holland Haven, because there was little or no beach exposed.

There were quite a few people enjoying the late summer sun on Walton beach, but numbers thinned out as I progressed past Frinton. The beach was firm sand, great to walk on. Nearer Clacton, rock breakwaters have been installed, presumably to reduce erosion, and these have created a sequence of sandy bays. As it was getting late and a bit cooler, these bays were pretty much deserted.

Out to sea, the Gunfleet Sands wind farm was clearly visible, and beyond it, the London Array.

I ended at Clacton Railway Station at around 6:30pm and got the train home. It was great to feel close to nature along a coast best known for crowded beaches and seaside entertainments. A corner of Essex well-worth visiting, and (whisper it) a pleasant contrast to my other walks beside the muddy, flat estuaries and creeks further south.

Note that for some reason, these routes have not yet been made part of the England Coast Path.

Here are some photos. The day started rather overcast, but brightened by the time I reached the Naze headland. The rest of the day was mainly sunny.

GEOwalk around the Naze