Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for WALTON-LE-SOKEN, or W.-on-the-Naze

WALTON-LE-SOKEN, or W.-on-the-Naze, a village and a parish in Tendring district, Essex. The village stands on the coast, at the terminus of the Tendring Hundred railway, 7½ miles by water S of Harwich; is a sea-bathing resort; includes cliffs recently protected from sea encroachment, and disposed in building plots and meandering walks; includes also a marineter-race, a handsome row of new houses, and several detached villas, overlooking the sea; is a sub-port to Harwich, and a resort of many yachts; and has a post-office‡ under Colchester, a r. station, three hotels, many lodging-houses, a music-hall, reading rooms, bathrooms, a fine beach well-supplied with bathing-machines, a crescent pier 300 feet long used as a promenade, a copious Artesian well, a church of 1804, Independent and Primitive Methodist chapels, a parochial school, and charities £81. The parish comprises 2,600 acres of land, and 660 of water. Real property, £5,148. Pop., 697. Houses, 169. W. Hall is the seat of P. Bloefield, Esq. W. Tower was built by the corporation of Trinity House. Two martello towers stood on the coast, but one of them has been taken down. Much land, probably as far as to a shoal called West Rocks, 5 miles from the present shore, has been washed away by the sea. The bold promontory of the Naze forms the N part of the parish; and is mostly separated from the mainland by a sea-inlet called Walton-Creek. Many interesting fossils, of the crag formation, have been found on the coast; and coprolites, pyrites, and fine clay are collected. The living is a vic arage in the diocese of Rochester. Value, £130. Patrons, Trustees. The old church, with its churchyard, and with adjoining houses, was swept away by the sea.


(John Marius Wilson, Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales (1870-72))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a village and a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Walton le Soken AP/CP       Essex AncC
Place names: WALTON LE SOKEN     |     WALTON LE SOKEN OR W. ON THE NAZE     |     W. ON THE NAZE
Place: Walton on the Naze

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