Beautiful Brightlingsea

This East Coast harbour town offers enjoyment for everyone... Alexandra George explains why

Essex has the longest coastline of all the counties in England, and as a child I was convinced I knew it all. Harwich, Walton-on-the-

Naze, Frinton-on-Sea, Clacton, Mersea Island,

Bradwell, Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend… any one would be a go-to on high days and holidays. In those formative years when the shops were shut on Sunday and the time was spent catching 34 TheCoastalGuide 2022

up with family and friends, it was my parents who’d decide where to head; ‘traffic’ seemed an overriding concern, necessitating early starts and late nights.

Today, however, as a rose-tinted cast appears on the photographs of children squealing in the surf, sulking over beach sports and devouring seafood suppers, I sail this same coastline and

it’s the tide tables and wind direction that dictate my destination. And it’s this new approach to exploring my former home county that has led to the discovery – better late than never! – of a very special site of seaside loveliness I’d never visited before: beautiful Brightlingsea!

Unusual for Essex, perhaps, this delightful Tendring town remains both understated and authentic. But if you know, you know: Brightlingsea is a prime location for sailing and watersports – definitely one to rival the more widely known Burnham-on-Crouch or West Mersea – a fabulous choice for a day out and, I believe, the epitome of all that’s best about the East Coast. On the following pages, I’ll explain why… »

LOCATION

Almost totally surrounded by the Colne Estuary, Brightlingsea Creek and salt marsh, Brightlingsea’s road links with the rest of the world are rather limited. In fact there’s only one road into and out of the town; during the North Sea Flood of 1953 Brightlingsea was cut off from the outside.

For sailors, the Colne/Blackwater estuary provides sheltered sea sailing at all states of the tides and the location can be unbeatable for racing, while for those who want to simply ‘potter’, the creeks and rivers – so full of wildlife – offer a lifetime of exploration and discovery.

Everything you’d expect from a good oldfashioned family day out is here: beach huts, a swimming pool and boating lake. The sandy beach is safe for paddling and swimming, and even on the busiest of Bank Holidays there’s space for everyone to enjoy a walk along the Prom.

BOAT TRIPS

Even those who arrive at Brightlingsea by sea will want to take advantage of some of the trips on offer aboard other types of vessel, beginning with the Water Taxi which transports passengers from the Harbour’s linear pontoons to the shore. Buy tokens from the Harbour Office or the coxswain on board, and don’t forget to check the ‘last trip of the day time’ if you’re heading into town for food and drinks.

For those wishing to explore further afield, the Foot Ferry will take you to both Point Clear and East Mersea. Custom-built, it has a ramp which can be lowered to allow access for wheelchair users and cycles, and dogs are welcomed aboard too.

If your schedule allows for a longer trip, a river cruise along the Colne to Wivenhoe is a must. With its narrow streets and quaint buildings, Wivenhoe has been home to many famous people and

included in the price of this return boat trip is a main meal at the 300–year-old Black Buoy Inn, which is steeped in maritime history. Harbour tours and private boat charters are also offered by the Brightlingsea Harbour team. •www.brightlingseaharbour.org

SITES TO SEE

Located at Westmarsh Point at the entrance to Brightlingsea Creek, Bateman’s Tower is a folly built in 1883 by wealthy local merchant John Bateman as a place of recuperation for his daughter who was suffering from consumption. Now often mistaken for a Martello Tower, during the Second World War the original roof of the folly was removed so that the tower could be used as an observation post.

Supported by Heritage Lottery and using local craftsmen and suppliers, in 2004-5 the roof was reinstated in its original form and the tower opened to the public. The Colne Yacht Club managed the project through a small committee and match-funded the process with volunteer labour and expertise from members. It is now used exclusively by Colne Yacht Club for race officer duties and available for the public to visit on race days.

First recorded in 1315, Grade I listed Jacobs Hall on the High Street was used as a meeting place during the reign of Henry III, and visited by Queen Mary in 1938. Reputedly the oldest timberframed building in England, it is now a private residence. »

Brightlingsea Harbour is a small mixed leisure and commercial port situated in Brightlingsea Creek, close to the mouth of the Colne where it meets the Blackwater and Thames Estuaries

Brightlingsea Harbour is a Trust Port managed by Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners, who also run Waterside Marina. Harbour facilities include: Water Taxi • Fresh Water • Fuel • Sewage Pump Out • Laundry • Showers • Maintenance Posts • Wifi and electric in the marina • Waste Disposal

Brightlingsea has a great selection of hostelries, shops, clubs and services, and our Harbour boat trips and Foot Ferry make it easy for visitors to explore the area further... The marina has been dredged and now has 2m clearance. 01206 302200 • mail@brightlingseaharbour.org • www.brightlingseaharbour.org • VHF Channel 68 Coastal Guide half page advert.qxp_Layout 1 11/03/2020 10:00 Page 5

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THE HARBOUR

The main harbour here can be very busy – in a typical year there’ll be thousands of visiting yachts, power boats, paddle boards, canoes, sailing dinghies and large cargo ships all sharing the same stretch of water. Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners keep everyone safe, and after a sail along the coast it’s refreshing to find the Harbour Master and his team – they really are the friendliest bunch! – on their launch ready to meet and direct vessels to their berth. Fuel, water, shower and laundry facilities are all available, along with a choice of marina and pontoon berths. •www.brightlingseaharbour.org

FOOD & DRINK

Brightlingsea still feels like a ‘proper’ town, its High Street home to numerous shops including an independent butcher, baker and greengrocers. There are more than enough pubs to quench your thirst and a number of cafés, fish and chip shops, restaurants and take-aways that cater for all tastes.

Just a short stroll from the Harbour, the Yachtsmans Arms is steeped in local history, serves excellent food and welcomes kids, dogs and muddy boots… perfect! Slightly further away, but still within comfortable walking distance, The Rosebud on Hurst Green specialises in seafood, offers a good range of alternatives and has lovely views across Brightlingsea Creek to the sea beyond.

Expect the warmest of welcomes at The University Community Sailing Club – its Grade II listed HQ on Waterside is well worth a visit!

A social, sailing and rowing club with an interesting history, UCSC exists ‘to promote and facilitate the sport of sailing and the art of seamanship’ and it’s open to ‘all persons whether the owners of a yacht or boat or not, who are interested in the sea and ships’.

For those who’d like to get out on the water but don’t have a vessel of their own, the club has two Sonatas, three Wayfarers, a Laser and two gigs which are available for members to use. Training, crewing, racing and maintenance sessions are all part of the regular calendar of events, the RYA-affiliated clubhouse has a friendly licensed bar and is the setting for a number of social events, and there’s a boatyard with storage and maintenance facilities too. •www.ucscbrightlingsea.com

Brightlingsea Ferry and Harbour Tours

Explore the historic Harbour and its surrounds on board our family-friendly foot ferry and tour boats. Take a trip across the water to Mersea Island or Point Clear, or enjoy the stunning scenery alongside the River Colne on a cruise to the quaint village of Wivenhoe, where a delicious meal at the renowned Black Buoy inn awaits. Alternatively, book an exclusive charter and we’ll create the perfect private voyage for you, your family and friends. Bikes and dogs are welcome, so everyone can join in the fun!

For more on routes, fares, timetables and how to book, call into the Harbour Office, download the Brightlingsea Harbour App or see www.brightlingseaharbour.org

WATERSIDE MARINA DEVELOPMENT

Adjacent to Brightlingsea Harbour, this residential waterside development with apartments overlooking the water was, some time ago, something of an eyesore when building works were left unfinished. Now completed, it attracts new residents to the town and adds an upmarket punctuation point to the skyline, along with some great views of its 50-berth marina and the waters beyond.

This is also home to No.1 Harbour Square, a friendly, informal venue for food and drink – whether you’re ordering breakfast or a sundowner, the service and servings will be pleasing. •www.no1harboursquare.co.uk

PIONEER SAILING TRUST

The Trust was initially founded in 1999 with an ambition to restore a 70ft Essex smack, Pioneer CK18, which had fallen into decay after a life spent dredging oysters in the North Sea. Restored in 2005, the vessel forged a new life as a sail training boat, now an essential part of the Trust’s wider mission to facilitate learning opportunities for young people, through maritime experiences.

The trust opened Harker’s Yard in 2009 to further its work with training and education in the marine industry, and now provides opportunities for work experience and apprenticeships in marine engineering and boat building and repair. Along with a base for Pioneer during the winter months, it also provides a quay and fuel barge facility for working vessels. The continued production of the cold-moulded wooden East Coast rowing gigs at Harker’s Yard is one of its other success stories. Apprentices are encouraged to row in the Trust’s own rowing gig, Matchless, and crew on Pioneer – this helps them develops a greater understanding of the craft and industry they are learning and absorbing.

As an RYA training venue, the Trust offers courses on Pioneer as well as the opportunity to race her in annual regattas on the East Coast and its estuaries. •www.pioneerck18.org

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THE LIDO

With such proximity to the salty waters of the East Coast, it’s lovely to see that Brightlingsea’s open air swimming pool, built in 1933, is one of the few remaining lidos still in use in the UK. An unheated freshwater facility, the lido comprises a 15m children’s pool and a 50m main swimming pool plus changing facilities and sunloungers; there’s an excellent café too.

COLNE YACHT CLUB

Colne Yacht Club boasts the finest views over Brightlingsea Creek and is hard to miss – a cheery blue and white building at the top of the Hard, it has its own private floating jetty offering easy, clean access to the water at all but the lowest of spring tides.

CYC offers lots of opportunities to get afloat and it manages, maintains and operates four Hunter Sonatas to deliver RYA qualifications, all of which will be in action when the club hosts the Sonata National Championships in August 2022. In recent years three particular club sections have grown in popularity: Women on the Water meet alternate Thursday mornings throughout summer, Blokes in Boats is run on a

Sunday morning, and on Wednesday nights there’s Sonata

Racing, a two-race meet followed by bevvies at the Oar Store Bar. CYC’s friendly clubhouse is home to a bar which leads onto a large, sunny balcony overlooking the harbour. The refurbished showers here are available for visitors’ use – the Harbour office can provide information on access if the premises are closed. •www.colneyachtclub.org.uk 42 TheCoastalGuide 2022

BRIGHTLINGSEA COASTAL ROWING CLUB

Brightlingsea Coastal Rowing Club, formed in 2011, is open to anyone interested in getting afloat and enjoying some exercise in beautiful surroundings with like-minded people. A full calendar of events ranges from regular sessions in Brightlingsea to exploring the creeks of the River Colne and trips further afield. Racing is encouraged and the club participates in many events, including local town regattas, the 21-mile Great River Race in London and the Harker’s Yard Gigs’ Winter Series.

The club started life with a pre-loved Admiralty Sailing Boat but everything changed

when local boat builder The Pioneer Trust was looking to provide apprentices with skills in the construction of traditional wooden boats. At the same time, a local architect had drawn plans for a traditional wooden four-oared rowing gig… with funding from Sport England, Velocity (above) was purchased in 2012, her vibrant red hull and ease of rowing attracting so many new members that, after a successful application for more grant funding, Vanduara joined the fleet too.

BCRC welcomes new members regardless of age, fitness or gender; no-obligation ‘come and try’ sessions are held once a week in summer. •www.brightlingseacoastalrowingclub.co.uk The medieval town of Brightlingsea grew up around two centres – the parish church and the port, where the trade was in oysters, fish, copperas – a green pigment made of iron sulphate – and locally made bricks.

Grade I listed All Saints Church contains a number of monuments dating from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Most notable is a band of 211 square memorial tiles dating from 1872 to 1973, each remembering a Brightlingsea person who has died at sea.

A marine chart dated 1590 shows Brightlingsea Church as a navigation mark; it’s said that Canon Arthur Pertwee, vicar from 1872 to 1917, even in his old age climbed the tower to give a guiding light to the fishing fleet entering the harbour.

In 1867 the yacht Mignonette was built by Aldhous Successors in Brightlingsea. She foundered on her way to Australia in 1884, leaving four sailors adrift in a lifeboat. In desperation, three of the four killed and ate the sickest member, 17-year-old cabin boy Richard Parker – the subsequent trial, R. v. Dudley and Stephens, established the common-law principle that necessity is not a valid defence against a charge of murder.

SAILING HERITAGE

Brightlingsea was the birthplace of one of Britain’s best-known sailors and boat builders, Reg White. He won the Little America’s Cup a record five times between 1963 and 1968, and led the Olympic Tornado class for two decades, winning gold for Britain with another local, his brother-in-law John Osborn, at the 1976 Games in Canada. White – who also won the Tornado world championship in 1976 and 1979. Both men were awarded MBEs in 1997.

The town gave its name to the Brightlingsea One Design, designed in 1927 by Robbie Stone, which offers classic day-boat racing at its best. The fleet sails regularly throughout the season, with races mainly run by either Brightlingsea Sailing Club or the Colne Yacht Club, as well as at local regattas. •www.brightlingseaonedesign.com

MORGAN MARINE

Established in 1972 and located across a 10-acre site, Morgan Marine offers a wide variety of marina and boat yard services, a chandlery and marine clothing store and a brokerage for new and used boats. The on-site know-how here can be a huge help in times of trouble; there are always bargains to be bagged in-store too. •www.morganmarine.com

THE MUSEUM

Brightlingsea is a small town with a big history and its museum brings it all to life, with activities, photos and artefacts to appeal to all ages. It’s also a good starting point for any exploration – leaflets on two town trails are available to collect from the museum, which you’ll find on Station Road. •www.brightlingseamuseum.co.uk

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BRIGHTLINGSEA SAILING CLUB

Brightlingsea Sailing Club is always bustling but has a real family-friendly feel about it. Formed in 1888 – its first recorded race took place on Easter Monday of that year – it’s survived two World Wars, a high tide floating its starting hut off Point Clear and onto Cindery Island, and a December 2013 flood. Today it boasts excellent facilities including a wide launching ramp, adjacent dinghy and private car park, large bar and galley, spacious changing rooms and a south-facing terrace bordering the sandy beach – a safe place for the little ones and non-sailors to enjoy. A new Sailing Management Centre opened in 2020, replacing the old simple wooden start hut with a two-storey building that combines a race office on the first floor and an administration office/small training room on the ground floor.

At the core of the club’s activity is a wide variety of sailing, from beginners’ training through competitive racing to leading-edge boat development. BSC was awarded RYA Champion Club status in 2013, two years later it became RYA Club of the Year and was awarded High Performance status, and in 2017 it was further awarded RYA Sailability status. The club’s RYAapproved Sailing School runs courses for both non-members and members wishing to improve their skills, along with dinghy sailing taster sessions and beginners’ courses for newcomers to the sport.

Club racing takes place from March to the end of December and includes fleet and handicap racing on weekends and evenings, from May to August there are informal supported sailing sessions two nights a week which aim to encourage everyone to enjoy being at the BSC beach and ‘messing about in boats’, and there’s an active dinghy cruising section that’s all about the adventure of exploring the local coastal waters, rivers and creeks at a pace that suits. •www.sailbrightlingsea.com

TRADITIONS

Brightlingsea is one of a historic group of coastal towns known as The Confederation of Cinque Ports – the name is Old French, meaning ‘five harbours’ – originally formed for military and trade purposes. Every year the town hosts a Blessing & Reclaiming of the Waters, which, in 2022 will take place on May 29. As in previous years, a colourful procession of robed mayors, clergy and others will follow a band to the top of the Hard, for a service and the Blessing of the Waters on the jetty hammerhead and on board the historic oyster smack, Pioneer CK18. Following this, a flotilla of Brightlingsea’s historic fishing smacks leaves the jetty to cheers, horns and noise, the parade of vessels along the creek ‘beating the boundaries’ and re-asserting Brightlingsea’s rights to its own waters. It’s a colourful and fascinating tradition… one well worth watching.

Great food in a fabulous location!