Shoeburyness
Encyclopedia
Shoeburyness is a town
in southeast Essex
, England, situated at the mouth of the river Thames Estuary
. It is within the borough of Southend-on-Sea
, and is situated at the far east of the borough, around 3 miles (5 km) east of Southend town centre. It was an urban district
of Essex from 1894 to 1933, when it became part of the county borough
of Southend-on-Sea.
The eastern terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
(c2c line) is at Shoeburyness railway station
. The eastern end of the A13 is at Shoeburyness. The Ministry of Defence
(MOD) site at Pig's Bay is situated nearby and the facility is run by the company QinetiQ
.
Shoeburyness has two beaches; East Beach and Shoebury Common Beach (also known as West Beach), both Blue Flag beach
es:
East Beach is a sandy/pebbly beach around a quarter of a mile long and is sandwiched between the Pig's Bay MOD site and the former Shoeburyness Artillery barracks. Access to the large gravel/grass pay-and-display car park is via Rampart Terrace. East Beach is the home of a defence boom, built in 1944, to prevent enemy shipping and submarines from accessing the River Thames
. This replaced an earlier similar boom built 100 yards (91 m) east. The majority of the boom was dismantled after the war, but around one mile still remains stretching out into the Thames Estuary. East Beach benefits from a large grassy area immediately adjacent to the sands that is suitable for informal sports and family fun.
Shoebury Common Beach is bounded to the East by the land formerly occupied by the Shoeburyness Artillery Barracks and continues into Jubilee Beach. Shoebury Common Beach is home to many beach huts located on both the promenade and the beach. Uncle Tom's Cabin provides visitors with the usual seaside refreshments. A Coast Guard
watch tower at the eastern end of the beach keeps watch over the sands and mudflats while listening out for distress calls over the radio.
A cycle path skirts around the sea-front linking the East Beach to Shoebury Common Beach, and thence into Southend.
A tower was planned to stand in the Shoeburyness Garrison housing development. The tower was to be 18 storeys high and designed to mark the start of the Thames Gateway
development.
.
Shoeburyness is also mentioned in The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams et al. The Meaning of Liff is a fictional dictionary assigning names to local English towns. Shoeburyness is described as "that uncomfortable feeling one experiences when sitting in a chair that is still warm from the last occupant."
In the fifth Temeraire
novel Victory of Eagles
, it is the setting of a fictitious climactic battle in which Wellesley
and Nelson
drive Napoleon
out of England in early 1808.
Philip Reeves's Larklight
mentions 'a squalid spot called Shoeburyness'.
Billy Bragg
's Essex
-style reworking of Route 66
, A13, opens with the line "If you ever go to Shoeburyness".
Ian Dury
's Billericay Dickie
mentions Shoeburyness.
Shoeburyness is home to "the commuter", protagonist in the eponymous song and music video by Ceephax Acid Crew
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in southeast 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, situated at the mouth of the river Thames Estuary
Thames Estuary
The Thames Mouth is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea.It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary, although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary...
. It is within the borough of Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
, and is situated at the far east of the borough, around 3 miles (5 km) east of Southend town centre. It was an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of Essex from 1894 to 1933, when it became part of the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Southend-on-Sea.
The eastern terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
(c2c line) is at Shoeburyness railway station
Shoeburyness railway station
Shoeburyness is a railway station located in the small town of Shoeburyness in the borough and unitary district of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England. The station serves as the eastern terminus of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway from Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London,...
. The eastern end of the A13 is at Shoeburyness. The Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
(MOD) site at Pig's Bay is situated nearby and the facility is run by the company QinetiQ
QinetiQ
Qinetiq is a British global defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former UK government agency, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency , when it was split up in June 2001...
.
Shoeburyness has two beaches; East Beach and Shoebury Common Beach (also known as West Beach), both Blue Flag beach
Blue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
es:
East Beach is a sandy/pebbly beach around a quarter of a mile long and is sandwiched between the Pig's Bay MOD site and the former Shoeburyness Artillery barracks. Access to the large gravel/grass pay-and-display car park is via Rampart Terrace. East Beach is the home of a defence boom, built in 1944, to prevent enemy shipping and submarines from accessing the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. This replaced an earlier similar boom built 100 yards (91 m) east. The majority of the boom was dismantled after the war, but around one mile still remains stretching out into the Thames Estuary. East Beach benefits from a large grassy area immediately adjacent to the sands that is suitable for informal sports and family fun.
Shoebury Common Beach is bounded to the East by the land formerly occupied by the Shoeburyness Artillery Barracks and continues into Jubilee Beach. Shoebury Common Beach is home to many beach huts located on both the promenade and the beach. Uncle Tom's Cabin provides visitors with the usual seaside refreshments. A Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
watch tower at the eastern end of the beach keeps watch over the sands and mudflats while listening out for distress calls over the radio.
A cycle path skirts around the sea-front linking the East Beach to Shoebury Common Beach, and thence into Southend.
A tower was planned to stand in the Shoeburyness Garrison housing development. The tower was to be 18 storeys high and designed to mark the start of the Thames Gateway
Thames Gateway
The Thames Gateway is an area of land stretching east from inner east London on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. The area, which includes much brownfield land, has been designated a national priority for urban regeneration, taking advantage of the development opportunities...
development.
Popular culture
The most famous work of literature in which Shoeburyness is mentioned is H.G. Wells's The War of the WorldsThe War of the Worlds
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells.The War of the Worlds may also refer to:- Radio broadcasts :* The War of the Worlds , the 1938 radio broadcast by Orson Welles...
.
Shoeburyness is also mentioned in The Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams et al. The Meaning of Liff is a fictional dictionary assigning names to local English towns. Shoeburyness is described as "that uncomfortable feeling one experiences when sitting in a chair that is still warm from the last occupant."
In the fifth Temeraire
Temeraire (series)
The Temeraire series of novels by Naomi Novik is composed of His Majesty's Dragon , Throne of Jade, Black Powder War, Empire of Ivory, Victory of Eagles, and Tongues of Serpents...
novel Victory of Eagles
Victory of Eagles
Victory of Eagles is the fifth novel in the Temeraire alternate history/fantasy series by American author Naomi Novik. The series follows the actions of William Laurence and his dragon, Temeraire....
, it is the setting of a fictitious climactic battle in which Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
and Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
drive Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
out of England in early 1808.
Philip Reeves's Larklight
Larklight
Larklight is a children's novel by author Philip Reeve. Illustrated by David Wyatt, it is the first book in the Larklight Trilogy. The hardcover edition has alternate title lines Or the Revenge of the White Spiders! or to Saturn's Rings and Back!...
mentions 'a squalid spot called Shoeburyness'.
Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
's 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...
-style reworking of Route 66
Route 66 (song)
" Route 66", often rendered simply as "Route 66", is a popular song and rhythm and blues standard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. It was first recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole, and was subsequently covered by many artists including Chuck Berry in 1961, The Rolling...
, A13, opens with the line "If you ever go to Shoeburyness".
Ian Dury
Ian Dury
Ian Robins Dury was an English rock and roll singer, lyricist, bandleader and actor who initially rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and New Wave era of rock music...
's Billericay Dickie
Billericay Dickie
Billericay Dickie is a song by Ian Dury, from his debut album New Boots and Panties!!. It is narrated by a bragging bricklayer from Billericay, and is filled with name-checks for places in Essex...
mentions Shoeburyness.
Shoeburyness is home to "the commuter", protagonist in the eponymous song and music video by Ceephax Acid Crew
Ceephax Acid Crew
Ceephax Acid Crew is a British acid techno and drum and bass electronic musician named Andy Jenkinson. Jenkinson is also known simply by the pseudonym Ceephax, which is a pun on the BBC teletext service Ceefax...
.