Pier View

Let the train take the strain up the hill.

by sourbugger

Southend in common with many seaside places has a funicular railway which climbs the cliff face.

These were all the rage in the late Victorian period and every new seaside resort needed it's cliff lift (unless they were utterly flat like Skegness)

Southend's is a compartively late development as it was only opened in 1912.

The 'Cliff railway' as it is grandly called, runs from the seafront promenade (to the London side of the pier) up to an area called 'Clifftown' which is well worth a wander as it was developed with cresents and villas to kick-start the tourist trade in the early part of the 20th century.

Usually open from Easter through to October

Sea-life adventure..

by marsistanbul

A short distance from the pier,you can voyage beneath the ocean waves at Sea-Life Adventure.Housing over 30 aquatic displays,with everything from sharks to starfish and stingrays..At the popular Rock Pool and HMS Sub tropical,you can discover more about the amazing creatures through a series of talks and even watch the sharks' feeding time-from the safety of the Deep Water World tunnel.
Another point of interest is the Conservation Adventure,where you can learn about the care of marine life and how young fish are reared before they enter the aquarium.
price: adults 6,5 pound
children(4-14 years old) 4,95 pound

Priory Museum

by gabriellefox

This museum is housed in the remains of the Cluniac Priory of St. Mary's, founded in the early 12th century by Robert fitzSuen.

The building work began quite soon, first in wood, and by the late 12th century, in stone. While much was demolished following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, the magnificent Refectory (the dining room) has survived, although much restored, together with the Prior's Chamber and cellars below and the Cloisters. The site of the church and chapter house are marked out on adjacent lawns.

The museum now houses a major "communications" display, centred around the products of the EKCO (E.K. Cole) factory which used to stand in Priory Crescent, just to the north of the Priory. There are also major displays on the wildlife of south east Essex, and on the history of the Priory, including items found during excavations on the monastic site. But the most important artefacts are the buildings themselves, and especially the roofs.

Among the most important items on display are a series of paintings; one of these, by Stephen Pearse, is of Daniel Robert Scratton, in the grounds of the Priory, and is dated 1870. The other paintings comprise a series of four large murals by Alan Sorrel, presented to the town from the 1930s.

Battlesbridge Antiques Centre

by gabriellefox

Its the largest Antiques centre in Essex. It has many buildings within easy walking distance of each other including a motorcycle museum and a penny arcade museum.

The little motorcycle museum evokes an ambience of motor cycling through the ages with assorted memorabilia scattered between the classic and vintage motorcycles.

The museum is open most Sundays between 11am - 4pm and at other times by appointment.

Telephone 01268 561700 for details

The Bridgebarn is home to this small 'Penny Arcade' with a roundabout, fortune-teller and 'What the Butler Saw' among others.
All the machines are working and use the original Old Pennies. Which are available at the front desk

Whitechapel-on-sea

by sourbugger

"Where Eastenders go for day trips"

Southend on sea is the classic day-trip seaside resort.

Due to this fact (Note it's nickname of Whitechapel on sea) it has relatively few hotels and guest houses compared other seaside resorts in easy reach of London such as Brighton.

Southend thus has few pretensions -and is about good 'ole working class fun - amusement arcardes, candyfloss, beer and chasing tarts - what could be better?

Southend is also a large town in it's own right, and is in fact the largest urban area in East Anglia.