Frinton-on-Sea
Encyclopedia
Frinton-on-Sea is a small seaside town
in the Tendring
District of Essex
, England
. It is part of the Parish of Frinton and Walton
.
, was bought out by R Powell Cooper, who had already laid out the golf course. Powell Cooper rejected Bruff's plans for a pier, stipulated the quality of housing to be built and prohibited boarding houses and pubs. The Sea Defence Act 1903 established a project to stabilise the cliffs, with the Greensward, which separates the Esplanade from the sea, put in place to stabilise the land further.
In the first half of the 20th century, the town attracted visitors from high society with a lido complete with palm trees, shopping with, Connaught Avenue, named after the Duke of Connaught
and opened by his wife, being dubbed East Anglia's Bond Street, high class hotels along the Esplanade, a tennis tournament second only to Wimbledon
; the Prince of Wales
frequented the golf club and Winston Churchill
rented a house. Frinton was the last target in England attacked by the Luftwaffe
, in 1944.
The town has a reputation for a conservative
nature (although it was in a Labour
constituency from 1997
to 2005
). Until recently there were no pubs, although there have long been bars in seafront hotels and at the golf
and War Memorial clubs. The first pub, the Lock and Barrell, opened in 2000.
In 2008 the town was the subject of a BBC
Wonderland documentary, which focused on the campaign to 'save' Frinton gates and on a number of elderly residents.
At 2am on Saturday 18 April 2009, Network Rail
replaced the old wooden gates on the level crossing
at the entrance to Frinton with remotely operated lifting barriers. Network Rail did this, in spite of a three-year-long campaign by the town's people to save the gates, in order to improve performance and safety, and to reduce costs. The morning following the gates' removal, around a hundred people gathered to protest over the decision.
in the north, a residential road, and a CCTV monitored level crossing
adjacent to the railway station which replaced the older gated crossing in 2009. Frinton was once geographically distinct, but housing estates now line the roads between Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze, Kirby Cross and Kirby-Le-Soken.
The town has a sandy beach
, more than a mile (1,600 m) long, with wardens in season, and an area of sea zoned for swimming, sailing
and windsurfing
. The shore is lined by a promenade with several hundred beach huts. Landward from the promenade is a long greensward, popular with young and old alike, stretching from the boundary with Walton-on-Naze to the golf club in the south.
Six miles offshore lies Gunfleet Lighthouse
, constructed in 1850 but abandoned in 1921.
is Norman
in parts and once the smallest church in England
. The church of St Mary Magdalene was built in 1928 to accommodate worshippers from St Mary the Virgin. Across the road from St Mary Magadalene is the Evangelical
Gospel
Chapel. Frinton has a Methodist church, a Free church
; a hall of Christian Scientists and a Roman Catholic church
(the Church of the Sacred Heart
), the last occupying a converted cinema. There is a small convent
of nuns who founded the independent
St Philomena's day school for 4-to-11-year-olds.
, Vanessa Redgrave
, Timothy West
, Jane Asher
, David Suchet
, Gary Oldman
, Owen Teale
, Linda Bellingham, Jack Klaff
and Neil Dudgeon
all started their careers at Frinton. For many years it was run by the British actor Jack Watling
, and his son Giles
and son-in-law Seymour Matthews. His daughters Debbie
and Dilys
often appeared on stage, as did 'Allo 'Allo!
star John D. Collins
. It is now run by the actor Ed Max.
Frinton's old-fashioned nature made it the butt of music hall jokes, such as: "Harwich
for the Continent, Frinton for the incontinent". However, its genteel nature has ensured that property 'within the gates' is well sought after.
Frinton was used in a recent Subway
Sandwiches commercial for the UK although the advert was not actually filmed in Frinton.
was living in Frinton-on-Sea at the time of his death in October 2006. The actor James McKenna
, who plays Jack Osborne
in Hollyoaks
, resides there.
Disc jockeys Mike Read
, Adrian John and David Hamilton lived in the town whilst broadcasting on Big L
.
David Evans, co-founder of AOL UK and AOL Canada grew up in Frinton-on-Sea while attending The Boys High School (Colchester).
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
in the Tendring
Tendring
Tendring is a local government district in North East Essex, England. It extends from the River Stour in the north, to the coast and the River Colne in the south, with the coast to the East and the town of Colchester to the west. Its council is based in Clacton-on-Sea. Towns in the district...
District of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is part of the Parish of Frinton and Walton
Frinton and Walton
Frinton and Walton is a civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex, England.It had a population of 19,039 according to the 2001 census. The parish consists of the towns of Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze, together with the villages of Kirby-le-Soken, Kirby Cross and Great...
.
History
Until late Victorian times Frinton-on-Sea was a church, several farms and a handful of cottages. In the 1890s, the original developer of the town, Peter BruffPeter Bruff
Peter Schuyler Bruff , born in Portsmouth, England, was a civil engineer best known for founding the seaside resort town of Clacton on Sea, Essex, and for improving the lives of residents in the Essex towns of Walton-on-the-Naze, Colchester and Harwich...
, was bought out by R Powell Cooper, who had already laid out the golf course. Powell Cooper rejected Bruff's plans for a pier, stipulated the quality of housing to be built and prohibited boarding houses and pubs. The Sea Defence Act 1903 established a project to stabilise the cliffs, with the Greensward, which separates the Esplanade from the sea, put in place to stabilise the land further.
In the first half of the 20th century, the town attracted visitors from high society with a lido complete with palm trees, shopping with, Connaught Avenue, named after the Duke of Connaught
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
and opened by his wife, being dubbed East Anglia's Bond Street, high class hotels along the Esplanade, a tennis tournament second only to Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
; the Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
frequented the golf club and Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
rented a house. Frinton was the last target in England attacked by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, in 1944.
The town has a reputation for a conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
nature (although it was in a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
constituency from 1997
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
to 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
). Until recently there were no pubs, although there have long been bars in seafront hotels and at the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and War Memorial clubs. The first pub, the Lock and Barrell, opened in 2000.
In 2008 the town was the subject of a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Wonderland documentary, which focused on the campaign to 'save' Frinton gates and on a number of elderly residents.
At 2am on Saturday 18 April 2009, Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
replaced the old wooden gates on the level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
at the entrance to Frinton with remotely operated lifting barriers. Network Rail did this, in spite of a three-year-long campaign by the town's people to save the gates, in order to improve performance and safety, and to reduce costs. The morning following the gates' removal, around a hundred people gathered to protest over the decision.
Geography
Frinton has three points of entry by road: an unadopted road from Walton-on-the-NazeWalton-on-the-Naze
Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of...
in the north, a residential road, and a CCTV monitored level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
adjacent to the railway station which replaced the older gated crossing in 2009. Frinton was once geographically distinct, but housing estates now line the roads between Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze, Kirby Cross and Kirby-Le-Soken.
The town has a sandy beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, more than a mile (1,600 m) long, with wardens in season, and an area of sea zoned for swimming, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
. The shore is lined by a promenade with several hundred beach huts. Landward from the promenade is a long greensward, popular with young and old alike, stretching from the boundary with Walton-on-Naze to the golf club in the south.
Six miles offshore lies Gunfleet Lighthouse
Gunfleet Lighthouse
Gunfleet Lighthouse is a screw-pile lighthouse lying in the North Sea, six miles off the coast at Frinton-on-Sea in Essex constructed in 1850 by James Walker of Trinity House. It is 74 feet in height and hexagonal in plan; mounted on seven piles forming a steel lattice and originally painted red...
, constructed in 1850 but abandoned in 1921.
Religion
There are two Anglican parish churches: St Mary the VirginSt Mary the Virgin
-Churches:* St Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury* St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn Hamlet* St Mary the Virgin, Brighton* St Mary the Virgin, Barnes* St Mary the Virgin, Bathwick* St Mary the Virgin, Gillingham, Dorset* St Mary the Virgin, Henbury...
is Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
in parts and once the smallest church in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The church of St Mary Magdalene was built in 1928 to accommodate worshippers from St Mary the Virgin. Across the road from St Mary Magadalene is the Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
Chapel. Frinton has a Methodist church, a Free church
Free church
The term "free church" refers to a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government . A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission...
; a hall of Christian Scientists and a Roman Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
(the Church of the Sacred Heart
Church of the Sacred Heart
Church of the Sacred Heart may refer to:*Church of the Sacred Heart, Hove, East Sussex, England*Church of the Sacred Heart, Singapore*Sacred Heart Cathedral of Guangzhou...
), the last occupying a converted cinema. There is a small convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of nuns who founded the independent
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
St Philomena's day school for 4-to-11-year-olds.
Frinton in popular culture
Frinton is home to the Frinton Summer Theatre Season at the McGrigor Hall every summer. Started in 1937 by the Cambridge Academic T P Hoar as an amusement whilst he studied corrosion, it quickly developed a life of its own, employing many famous actors at the start of their career. Michael DenisonMichael Denison
John Michael Terence Wellesley Denison CBE was an English actor.-Background:Denison was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in 1915. He was raised by his aunt and uncle from the age of three weeks, following the death of his mother and his estrangement from his father. He was educated at Harrow...
, Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
, Timothy West
Timothy West
Timothy Lancaster West, CBE is an English film, stage and television actor.-Career:West's craggy looks ensured a career as a character actor rather than a leading man. He began his career as an Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre in 1956, and followed this with several seasons of...
, Jane Asher
Jane Asher
Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:...
, David Suchet
David Suchet
David Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
, Owen Teale
Owen Teale
Owen Teale is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Guildford School of Acting, Teale made his television debut in The Mimosa Boys in 1984. He later appeared in Knights of God , Great Expectations , Waterfront Beat and Boon before being cast as Will Scarlet in the 1991 TV movie Robin Hood...
, Linda Bellingham, Jack Klaff
Jack Klaff
Jack Klaff is a South African-born actor, writer, director and academic. Klaff has held four visiting professorships at Princeton University and was for four years Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Starlab in Brussels....
and Neil Dudgeon
Neil Dudgeon
Neil Dudgeon is a British actor best known for his many television appearances, most often in crime drama.-Early Life:Dudgeon was born 1 January 1961 in Doncaster, Yorkshire, and attended Danum Grammar School among others. He established himself as an actor in school plays and went on to study...
all started their careers at Frinton. For many years it was run by the British actor Jack Watling
Jack Watling
Jack Watling was a British actor.-Early life:Watling trained at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts as a child and made his stage debut in Where the Rainbow Ends at the Holborn Empire in 1936...
, and his son Giles
Giles Watling
Giles Watling is an English actor.Giles is the son of actor Jack Watling and actress Patricia Watling, and the brother of actresses Dilys Watling and Deborah Watling...
and son-in-law Seymour Matthews. His daughters Debbie
Deborah Watling
Deborah Watling is a British actress best known for her role as Victoria Waterfield, a companion of the Second Doctor in the BBC television series Doctor Who....
and Dilys
Dilys Watling
Dilys Watling is an English actress, possibly best known for appearing on British television ....
often appeared on stage, as did 'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo!
'Allo 'Allo! is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC One from 1982 to 1992 comprising eighty-five episodes. It is a parody of another BBC programme, the wartime drama Secret Army, and was created by David Croft, who also wrote the theme music, and Jeremy Lloyd. Lloyd and Croft wrote the first 6...
star John D. Collins
John D. Collins
John D. Collins is an English actor, perhaps best known for appearing in the BBC sitcom Allo 'Allo! in which he played Flt. Lt. Fairfax, a stranded British airman in occupied France during World War II...
. It is now run by the actor Ed Max.
Frinton's old-fashioned nature made it the butt of music hall jokes, such as: "Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
for the Continent, Frinton for the incontinent". However, its genteel nature has ensured that property 'within the gates' is well sought after.
Frinton was used in a recent Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
Sandwiches commercial for the UK although the advert was not actually filmed in Frinton.
Notable residents
The actor Ross DavidsonRoss Davidson
William Russell "Ross" Davidson was a British actor best known for his role as Andy O'Brien in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
was living in Frinton-on-Sea at the time of his death in October 2006. The actor James McKenna
James McKenna
James Stephen "Jimmy" McKenna is a Scottish actor. He has appeared on such television programmes as Hollyoaks, in which he has played the character of Jack Osborne since 1996, and A Touch of Frost....
, who plays Jack Osborne
Jack Osborne
Jack William Osborne is a fictional character from the long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jimmy McKenna. He first appeared on 18 November 1996 and is the second longest serving character although Cindy Longford and Mandy Richardson both appeared before him both have taken...
in Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
, resides there.
Disc jockeys Mike Read
Mike Read
Michael David Kenneth Read is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter.-Early life:...
, Adrian John and David Hamilton lived in the town whilst broadcasting on Big L
Big L 1395
Big L is the name of a broadcasting company registered by the British licensing authority Ofcom from for a satellite radio service known as Big L. The license states that the station "… will provide an eclectic mix of rock and pop, both modern and classic. News and weather will be broadcast hourly...
.
David Evans, co-founder of AOL UK and AOL Canada grew up in Frinton-on-Sea while attending The Boys High School (Colchester).
External links
- Association of Frinton Beach Hut Owners website
- Unofficial Frinton on sea website
- Frinton Golf Club website
- Essex Photos
- BIGL Radio has studios in Frinton
- Joke's over for the last resort (Ross Clark, Daily Telegraph, 19 July 2003)