Shoeburyness

Infobox UK place
official_name= Shoeburyness
unitary_england= Southend-on-Sea
lieutenancy_england= Essex
region= East of England
country= England
latitude= 51.5316
longitude= 0.7978
population= 19,991 (2001 Census)
constituency_westminster= Rochford and Southend East
post_town= SOUTHEND-ON-SEA
postcode_area= SS
postcode_district= SS3
dial_code= 01702
os_grid_reference= TQ941851

Shoeburyness is a town in southeast Essex, England, situated at the mouth of the river Thames. It is within the borough of Southend-on-Sea, and is situated at the far east of the borough, around convert|3|mi|km|0 east of Southend town centre. It was an urban district of Essex from 1894 to 1933, when it became part of the county borough of Southend-on-Sea. [ [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10023713&c_id=10001043 Shoeburyness UD Essex through time | Administrative history of Local Government District: hierarchies, boundaries ] ]

The eastern terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (c2c line) is at Shoeburyness railway station. Oddly enough, the station was served by London Underground trains from 1911 to 1939. The eastern end of the A13 is at Shoeburyness. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) site at Pig's Bay is situated nearby.

Shoeburyness has two beaches; East Beach and Shoebury Common Beach (also known as West Beach), both Blue Flag beaches:

East Beach is a sandy/pebbly beach around a quarter of a mile long and is sandwiched between the Pig's Bay MOD site and the former Shoeburyness Artillery barracks. Access to the large gravel/grass pay-and-display car park is via Rampart Terrace. East Beach is the home of a defence boom, built in 1944, to prevent enemy shipping and submarines from accessing the River Thames. This replaced an earlier similar boom built convert|100|yd|m|0 east. The majority of the boom was dismantled after the war, but around one mile still remains stretching out into the Thames Estuary. East Beach benefits from a large grassy area immediately adjacent to the sands that is suitable for informal sports and family fun.

Shoebury Common Beach is bounded to the East by the Shoeburyness Artillery Barracks and continues into Jubilee Beach. Shoebury Common Beach is home to many beach huts located in the promenade and on the sand. Uncle Tom's Cabin provides visitors with the usual seaside refreshments. A Coast Guard watch tower at the eastern end of the beach keeps watch over the sands and mudflats while listening out for distress calls over the radio.

A tower is currently in the planning stages that will one day stand in the Shoeburyness Garrison housing development. The tower, proposed to be 18 storeys high, is being designed to mark the start of the Thames Gateway development. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/articles/2007/03/21/thames_gateway_shoebury_tower_feature.shtml BBC - Essex - Thames Gateway - A new landmark for Shoebury? ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.shoeburynessmrc.co.uk/index.html Shoeburyness Model Railway Club]
* [http://www.visitsouthend.co.uk/Beaches/EastBeach.htm East Beach]
* [http://www.visitsouthend.co.uk/Beaches/WestBeach.htm Shoebury Common Beach]
* [http://www.shoeburybaptistchurch.org.uk Shoeburyness and Thorpe Bay Baptist Church]
* [http://www.shoebury.energise.com Shoeburyness High School]
* [http://www.southshoebury.org South Shoebury Parish]
* [http://www.shoeburyyouthfc.co.uk Shoebury Youth Football Club]
* [http://www.gnometech.freeserve.co.uk/html/defence_boom.html Defence Boom]