IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Marine Parade East, CLACTON-ON-SEA, CO15 6JS

Picture shows the southern section of Connaught Gardens, which lie between the two streets Connaught Gardens West and Connaught Gardens East. The street Connaught Gardens West is to the left. The photograph was taken from the opposite side of Marine Parade West which runs adjacent to these streets. Connaught Gardens are the last in a series of ornamental gardens running east to west between streets along this section of Clacton's seafront, the others being Lancaster Gardens and Albany Gardens.

The photograph shows the memorial at the entrance to Albany Gardens, Clacton, to Flight Officer Raymond Earl King of the 436th Fighter Squadron, 479th Fighter Group, US 8th Air Force. He was killed at the age of 22 on 13th Jan 1945 when his aircraft crashed into the sea nearby. Flight Officer King was returning to his base in Wattisham, Suffolk, accompanying a stricken comrade after a combat mission, when his aircraft developed engine trouble. He was brought ashore unconscious but died shortly afterwards. Flight Officer King came from North Braddock, Pennsylvania, and was the son of Harry King, a policeman at a steel works, and his wife Margaret. His aeroplane was recovered in 1987 and is displayed at the museum of the East Essex Aviation Society. The memorial was unveiled by his cousin, Mr Alvin J Stuart of Wildwood, Florida, on the fiftieth anniversary of Flight Officer King's death. [Sources for information: memorial inscriptions; Clacton Gazette, 14th Jan 2000; website of American Air Museum in Britain www.americanairmuseum.com/person/178362 , which gives further details and includes a photograph of Raymond King].

Picture shows the southern section of Albany Gardens, which lie between the two streets Albany Gardens West and Albany Gardens East. Albany Gardens are the second in a series of ornamental gardens running east to west between streets along this section of Clacton's seafront, the others being Lancaster Gardens and Connaught Gardens.

Picture shows the southern section of Albany Gardens, which lie between the two streets Albany Gardens West and Albany Gardens East. The street Albany Gardens West is to the left. The photograph was taken from the opposite side of Marine Parade West which runs adjacent to these streets. Albany Gardens are the second in a series of ornamental gardens running east to west between streets along this section of Clacton's seafront, the others being Lancaster Gardens and Connaught Gardens.

These sand cliffs are marked as coastal slopes on the O.S map.

This is a group of five listed street lights on Clacton Cliff and south-east of Marine Parade East. There are four visible in the photograph. The fifth is behind the photographer, and was in the shadow of a tree at the time the photograph was taken, so was left out, but is very similar to the others. The group is Grade II Listed and the Historic England website (abridged) describes them thus:- "Row of 5 street lights, south side of Esplanade between Lancaster Gardens and Connaught Gardens. Installed c.1912 together with group along Marine Parade east and west. Cast iron. The first electric street lights in Clacton. The very tall posts have 2 double bands with central heart motifs, the bases with moulded rings, reeded columns, moulded circles, rings and beadlets, acanthus vase with moulded rings and reeding over. The posts are topped with large ring moulded lidded urns with finials, the urn sides with acanthus mouldings. 2 pendant brackets curve outwards from the urn rims, each with terminal urns with square heads and finials and support the circular lamps. The brackets are supported by inner continuous curved and angled brackets the centres of which are attached to curved and angled panels with acanthus moulding. The lights are attractive giving the appearance of double pendants and are a rare survival in Essex." Alas the pendant brackets with their lamps have all gone, and the black paintwork is in a very poor condition, in places having peeled off with rust patches forming. Some of the larger group mentioned in the centre of Clacton-on-Sea do retain their brackets and lamps, as evidenced by Image The location description "between Lancaster Gardens and Connaught Gardens" is correct, but the co-ordinates and the map location are very inaccurate. The photographer intends to contact Historic England regarding this so it is possible that the description might change in the future. Update 10 November 2018 The co-ordinates on the Historic England website are now correct, and fixed on the middle street light of the five.

This house used to be Mannings Farmhouse in Hawstead near Bury St Edmunds but was moved here, lock stock and barrel, to Marine Parade in Clacton-on-Sea around 1911. Nonetheless it is a Grade II Listed Building and the Historic England website describes it thus:- "Late C15 and originally called Mannings Farmhouse, Hawstead, Bury St. Edmunds. Moved in its entirety and re-erected on its present site c.1911 under the direction of Messrs. Gill and Reigate of Oxford Street, London, architects, with the addition of the chimney stacks and some windows. Timber framed, vari-patterned red brick nogging infill. Red plain tiled roofs. Left and right external red brick chimney stacks each with 3 attached diagonal shafts, bands and capping, the rear stack with 2 similar shafts. T-plan, the rear wing with plaster infill. 2 storeys and attics. Jettied first floor and central feature gable with carved bressumers and carved bargeboards to gable. Close set heavy studding with diagonal halved braces and jowled storey posts. 6 light mullion window to gable. First floor central 5 light cross transom oriel with moulded head and soffit, right and left 4 light mullion windows. Ground floor, carved brackets to jetty. Left 6 light and right 4 light mullion and transom windows. Returns with smaller similar vari-light mullion windows. All windows square leaded, moulded mullions and transoms. Gabled porch and panelled door to rear right."

At first I thought it was a remarkably good reproduction of an old house, then perhaps it really is an old house. Both are partly correct. This was once the 15th century Mannings Farmhouse, Hawstead, Suffolk. It was dismantled and rebuilt here in about 1911, with some additions. Grade II listed.

Clacton has a great number of seafront shelters, all of which are of different designs. This one is near Connaught Gardens.