Clacton Beach. 400.000. BC.
Believe it or not Clacton Beach is one of the oldest known sites of Human Habitation in Gt Britain yet to the modern world a reasonable new Seaside resort.

A 400.000 year old spearhead was found in the cliffs along Marine Parade West in 1911. Also found in these cliffs were flints named by the archaeological world as Clactonian Industry. A stoneage settlement is also recorded along the Clacton Beaches towards Lion Point. The wooden spearhead dates to the Hoxnian interglacial period when ice sheets reached as far south as the River Stour. Britain was joined to Europe at this time, which meant that fresh water passed by from the River Thames. Bones found locally show that Lions, Elephants, Bison, Woolly Mammoths, Giant Oxen to name but a few all drank by our riverside. Clactonian Man was well feed and watered.

Pottery found in the area known as Rinyo-Clacton dates to the Neolithic Period.

Moving on to more recent times 100 BC the Celts moved in to establish Colchester. They were good farmers and worked the land. Celtic Gold coins have been found on Clacton Beaches.

The Romans were next to take over Colchester using it as there administrative centre. Roman urns were found during 1897 while building the Grand Hotel in Clacton. St Johns Church in Gt Clacton has Roman Tiles built into its walls. The Romans left after 400 years to make way for the Saxons who like the Celts were good farmers.

It is during this period it is thought that a leader of Saxon man called Clacc lived in this area. Clacc-inga-ton, Clacc's people. The first records of Claccingtune are about 1000 years ago when the village was required to provide two men towards a ships crew. The next mention is in the Doomsday Book in 1086 with a population of 550. (Great Clacton)

The Viking came and went as it pleased them, and they still do, popping over from the Hook of Holland to Harwich just 30 minutes away.

St Osyth with its Priory was built in the 12c is worth a visit, as is the Cream Tea Room down by the boat yard, wonderful homemade cakes the size of which you have never seen before.

The next 700 years focus's much on Gt Clacton, The Queens Head dates to the 15c, good food and beer. The Ship Inn at Gt Holland is also 15c and serves a good pint. Smuggling was rife along the east coast, as was a good profit from the odd ship wreck.

Clacton's Martello Towers built to defend us from Napoleon still survive to-day, the British first came across these Martello Towers in there attacks on Corsica. The Navigational Tower in Walton down on the Naze is 280 years old, standing some 86 feet tall. Well worth a visit on a sunny day, when you can see as far as Kent to the south and Suffolk to the north

We now enter the mid 1800's, the aristocracy are discovering the benefits of Sea Bathing, It is recorded that 11 families lived in Rosemary Lane Clacton Beach where a Lady was selling refreshments from her cottage during the summer months.

Basically this area has always been popular, south facing Clacton-on-Sea is one of the driest towns in England (Rain). It also records more sunshine hours than any South Coast resort and has some of the best award winning sandy beaches along the east coast.

The sale of Seaside House Farm promoting its fine sandy beaches and purity of air by Clacton Beach in July 1865 sets the start of Clacton-on-Sea.