Often overshadowed by Clacton, Southend and Frinton, locals say they love their town on the Essex coast for its sandy beach and friendly people
Lisa at Quinn’s in Thorpe Bay
Everyone’s heard of Clacton, central Southend and Frinton as popular seaside destinations in our county. One small Essex seaside town is sometimes forgotten, but this really shouldn’t be the case!
Thorpe Bay is located four miles away from Southend, right on the Thames Estuary. Arguably the finest area in the Southend borough, Thorpe Bay is famed for its large houses and rows upon rows of privately owned beach huts.
The town was originally simply known as Thorpe, but was later renamed Thorpe Bay after the railway station, to indicate the seaside location. As the name suggests, Thorpe Bay has a pretty mixed sand and shingle beach.
It’s got a mini high street named the Broadway, with a mix of independents and chain stores. There are also a few schools and churches in Thorpe Bay, and its proximity to Southend provides easy access to the city’s facilities and services.
It is revered for its commuter value, too, being plonked directly on the c2c line. This takes commuters from the town directly to Fenchurch Street in London.
EssexLive headed to Thorpe Bay on one of the hottest days in Essex so far to find out more about what it’s like to live there. One thing was clear – it’s a “lovely” town with lots of “friendly” people.
“The community is very close-knit”
Lisa at Quinn’s, an “eclectic” independent shop in Thorpe Bay, has lived in the area for most of her life. She said: “I never tire of being by the seafront.
“I love the smell of the sea, the cleaner air down here. We have lots of regulars, and there are a lot of people who really like to support the independents. It’s really lovely living in Thorpe Bay. The community is great, too – I’d say it’s very close-knit.”
“It’s a very safe place to be”
Elise lives in Southend, but visits Thorpe Bay’s beach for the “peacefulness”. She said: “Thorpe Bay has a pretty miniature high street, which is nice.
“The beach is just a 15-minute walk away from the station, and it’s much more peaceful than Southend seafront. I also think it’s a very safe place to be.”
“The people are really friendly”
Another local, who did not wish to be named, added: “It’s close to the beach, and we have a decent train station. If you need more shops and things, central Southend isn’t far away.
“The beach isn’t the most sandy, but it’s so clean. The people in Thorpe Bay are really friendly too.”
At EssexLive we’re on a mission to highlight every corner of Essex. We will be visiting a new neighbourhood every week to talk to the people who live there and capture what life is like across our county. For some places that will highlight the hidden gems there or the reason people are flocking to live there, for others it might allow us to shine a light on an issue that’s troubling residents.
Our aim is to get everyone #ExploringEssex more, and venturing further across the county to discover different areas to visit and live in. If you have a suggestion for where we should visit next let us know below or in the comments.
