SOUTHEND ON SEA
ENJOY THE PLEASURE OF PIER
THE
LONGEST PLEASURE PIER IN THE WORLD
Standing for over a century it extends 2.158 kilometres (1.341 miles) into the Thames Estuary, and is a well loved and recognised symbol of Southend and the pleasures of the English seaside. With truly stunning 360 degree views all year round, Southend Pier is the perfect place to go for a taste of the invigorating fresh air, and experience the freedom of the sea or to simply spend the day fishing at Southend pier. At the Pier Head you can visit the active RNLI station and gift shop, relax and take in the fantastic views from the superb sun-deck or stop by The Royal Pavilion, which dominates much of the Pier Head and provides the perfect place for an afternoon tea in the in-house cafĂŠ. Throughout the year Southend Pier plays host to a number of fantastic events, from live music and puppetry, to spooktacular Halloween fun and even a visit from Santa, as well as visiting Tall Ships, which offer unique trips and a taste of the nautical life.
Southend Pier is now home to The Royal Pavilion, which officially opened on 19th July 2012. The 350sq m building, which was designed by White Arkitekter working in partnership with London-based architects Sprunt, was constructed off-site at Tilbury Docks in Essex. It was then lowered onto a barge at the docks on Wednesday 16th May 2012 and transported along the Thames to the Pier. The Pavilion was officially named in a unique ceremony conducted by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, on Tuesday 16th July 2013. It is the first structure to be added to the pier head since 2000 when a new RNLI lifeboat station was constructed. Now completed, the Pavilion is capable of seating 185 people in it’s main hall and also houses a 40 sq m artists’ studio and Café, a unique eatery which is open every day, and offers fantastic, unrivalled views over the Thames Estuary from its covered terrace. There are a variety of events, concerts and exhibitions to enjoy over the coming months including music, theatre, art and photography, and to find out more about what’s going on and when, follow the links on the right.
Southend Town Centre is a unique shopping destination – if you love to shop, you’ll love Southend.
Here we have two main shopping centres that anchor each end of the bustling High Street, where you’ll find all kinds of great independent boutiques to the usual big name high street retailers. The range of shops include WH Smiths, River Island, H&M, JD Sports, The Works and many more. You can stop for a cake in Patisserie Valerie, or Lemon Witch, or go for more fast-food options at McDonalds, Burger King or KFC.
Southend’s markets are the place to shop! Cook up a feast with the very best of produce direct from the grower. Find local specialities and fresh food at Farmers’ Markets held twice monthly in Southend’s bustling Town Centre. Southend High Street Market is held every Thursday. Market stalls will line the pedestrianised High Street (outside Nat West Bank) selling a variety of goods such as:-
Ladies Fashions, Children’s wear, Luggage and handbags, Footwear, Haberdashery and linens, Household goods, Fruit and Vegetables, Confectionary, Toys, Plants, and much more. Southend High Street Market really caters for customers looking for both the unusual and more traditional items. So make sure you pop along to the market regularly to see what’s on offer.
THE NATURE OF SOUTHEND
Chalkwell Park Facilities • • • • • • • • • • •
Beautiful ornamental gardens Colourful bedding displays An environment garden Courtyard style sun garden Rose garden recognised by the National Rose Society Football Cricket Tennis Basketball Skate/BMX 2 children’s playgrounds
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idely regarded as the flagship green space for the area, Belfairs Nature Reserve - also known as Hadleigh Great Wood - has been managed, through coppicing, to create a perfect home for a diverse range of wildlife. The heath fritillary is a rare butterfly reintroduced to the site ten years ago. Conservation efforts have seen numbers increase from the original 37 to several thousand - in late May to early June roughly 10% of the butterflies you will see across the reserve will be
PARK INN BY RADISSON PALACE I
n the centre of Southend-on-Sea, The Park Inn by Radisson Palace is opposite the vibrant Southend Pier and amusement park. It has modern rooms, a lively bar and grill and an on-site gym. This Park Inn hotel has spacious air-conditioned rooms, each with a
flat-screen LCD TV with pay-perview movies. Rooms also have a laptop safe, and every bathroom has a hairdryer and toiletries. The RBG Bar & Grill serves a varied breakfast and evening menu, including modern British and European dishes. Guests can enjoy as cock
tail in the bar, which overlooks the Thames Estuary. Park Inn by Radisson Palace hotel is a 5-minute walk from Southend Central Rail Station. With just a few minutes’ walk guests can find bars and restaurants.
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All children are welcome.
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All children under 12 years stay free of charge when using existing beds.
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All children under 2 years stay free of charge for children’s cots/ cribs.
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All older children or adults are charged GBP 25 per person per night for extra beds.
Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay. Free breakfast for all children under 12 years old.
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Play area suitable for children to stay in, with 24 hour CCTV control.
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There is no capacity for extra beds in the room.
The maximum number of children’s cots/cribs in a room is 1. Any type of extra bed or child’s cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
The U.K’s number 1 free admission fun park.
E R U ND T N LA E V IS D A With over 60 rides and attractions, there’s something for everybody to enjoy… Scream through the loops and twists of Rage – with its 75ft drop and 360 degree barrel roll it’s the only ride of its kind in England, and was voted the most thrilling rollercoaster in the UK by BBC1’s Blue Peter. The newest addition is their ‘Adventure Inside’ a brand new indoor centre that boasts a range of great rides, arcade games and attractions and a whole host of tasty food options. It’s open all year round! There’s always plenty of free entertainment on offer too. With themed weekends and not forgetting the spooky Fright Fantastic. And throughout September and October you can enjoy the “Big Saturday Night Out” with live music, DJ and fireworks.
Feeling hungry? Then there is the themed Jungle Jive Café and our new exciting restaurant ‘Feelgoods’ providing quality pizza and pasta with a super fun atmosphere, plus kiosks and carts serving everything from hot dogs and ice cream to candy floss and fudge – and not forgetting Southend rock of course!
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH
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irst impressions are always important to us aren’t they? If you walk into St Johns, what awaits you? Warm, friendly everyday day people, who have come together to worship God, give thanks and pray. We have a laid back, down-to-earth approach. We are modern mixed with a bit of tradition. What do we mean by that? You will find the services easy to follow and understand. Steve’s sermons are relative to current times and issues. By tradition we would say that St Johns is socially concerned. We support things such as the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City.
We are here to serve you, worship God and love the community in Jesus Christ.
We are very patriotic- we are the Church for the Southend Branch of the Royal Society of St George and are the Southend Lifeboat church. We also support various military associations. We are proud of our heritage. We would like to think that if you were visiting us for the first time, you were made to feel welcome, glad to have experienced our worship and want to come back for more.
So why not pop in and give us a go? You may be pleasantly surprised and find that worshiping with us is worthwhile, that you will be able to take something away with you that is personal, meaningful and a bit spiritual, which can be applied to our every day busy lives.
We are the Southend lifeboat church. Canon Stephen is proud to be the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Chaplain. After visiting us we hope you will take something personal away with you that is concrete for you to use in your day-to-day life.
Discover the pleasure of the world’s longest pleasure pier.
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sk anyone who’s heard of Southend to name one thing associated with the town, and chances are, it’ll be Southend’s long pier. At one and a third miles, Southend’s most famous landmark is the world’s longest pleasure pier. The original opening was back in 1830, and in 1890 the first electric trains started running the length of the pier.
The pier is open for business. The walkway is open, and trains are running. Trains run every 30minutes (at peak times, every 15 minutes). Since the 2005 fire, there’s much less to see at the end of the pier. At the sea-end, there’s the RNLI gift shop, temporary toilets, and you can buy light snacks. Later on this page, details of the plans to renovate the pier.