Southend-on-Sea Off The Beaten Path

Central Museum is home to major exhibits from the region's natural and human history.The Discovery Centre includes a section for hands-on learning where visitors can handle and examine the exhibits using video microscopes,computers and magnifiers.An impressive collection of historic photographs can be accessed by computer.
Planetarium;The only public planetarium in the South East outside of London.A range of talks on astronomy and the fascinating night sky are performed live,allowing the audience to ask questions..
address;Victoria avenue.in town center,next to Southend Victoria Railway Station
Prices;adult 2.40 pounds Planetarium(central museum free)
Days and times open;tuesday to saturday,all year round except Public Holidays.
10.ooam-17.oopm

As you know,Odeon is the largest cinema chain in the UK. with over one hundred cinemas.and as I remember that last time I've been watched Manoj N.Shyamalan's disappointment movie "the Village"..I see a dead movie:)
Days open;every day,all year round except Christmas day.
Times open;usually 11.ooam to 9.30pm Sun to Thur and 11.ooam to 10.30pm on Fri and Sat but times dependant upon the film programme.
address;the Broadway,High Street,Southend-on-Sea

13th-14th century timber-framed moated manor house with Tudor,Stuart and Victorian times...Period room settings from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.Exhibition of history of house and manor.Attractive gardens and ornamental ponds.
Free admission
Days Open:Tue-Sat 10.oo-13.oo 14.oo-17.00 except Public Holidays.
During term time school are given priority to the museum in the mornings so it is advisible to phone in advance of your visit to check if Museum will be open.
address;Park Road,Southend-on-Sea

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8000 square foot play area of bouncy inflatable obstacle courses,climbs,runs and tubular slides,including a 14 foot vertical drop slide and 14 foot jelly mountain.A dedicated pre-school area has soft play and small twist slides.Large thermed diner,regular BBQ in summer.Can be booked for special after hours parties for "young at heart" adults :)
Days open;daily except Christmas Day,Boxing Day,and New Year's Day.
Times open; 10.ooam-18.ooam
Prices;pls see web page.
address;Garon Park,Eastern Avenue,Southend-on-Sea

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

Very few people seem to realise that tucked away somewhere underneath the train station at the land end of the pier railway lies an interesting little museum about the pier.

It is only 60 pence to get in but has a well presented display about the pier itself, the disasters that have beset it, the threat of closure, it's use in wartime and much else besides.

It's prize exhibits are some well restored examples of old rolling stock of the pier railway which at one time carried over Five million people a year.

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Some five miles to the east of the Pier, is the wreck of USS Robert Montgomery which went aground and broke its back in August 1944. The vessel was carrying a huge amount of munitions but has been deemed too dangerous to try to remove the cargo which rumour has it, contains some "dirty weapons" such as mustard gas. If it did explode, it would be one of the largest non nuclear explosion in history,causing damage to seafront property from Southend to Shoeburyness, although it is thought the danger of the cargo exploding after all these years is remote. There is however an exclusion zone around the vessel which is controlled by radar but even this has not prevented vessels hitting the wreck, including a cargo vessel which actually dislodged one the Montgomery’s guns.

Nearer to the Pier and visible from Southend or Thorpe Bay seafront, is the wreck of a section of WWII Mulbury harbour. It was being towed from Humberside to the South coast as part of the D-Day landings, when it developed a leak and was diverted to the Thames where it sank and broke in two. As it is not in a shipping lane it has been left where it foundered.

Further to the East is Foulness where the UK Government Defence Evaluation and Research Agency [DERA] operated.The area is still restricted under the Official Secrets Act and from where over the past fifty years or so, some pretty spectacular explosions can be heard up to 20 miles away around Southend.

see my intro on "Foulness"