‘ENGLISH EXCURSIONS’
It’s a huge circular fort built in 1808 to defend this coast against invasion from Napoleon. On two levels, you can see original cannons and other firearms on display, while a series of rooms cut into the stone walls of the lower level show reconstructions of how the men who manned the fort lived day to day.
Harwich boasts two lighthouses, one unexpectedly standing in the centre of the town. This is the High Light, 90 feet tall and 150 yards from the Low Light, half the size and nearer the sea. In 1818, when the two lighthouses were built, they worked as a pair. Sailors would position their vessels so that one light was seen directly above the other, as an aid to guiding their ships through the coast’s shallow waters.
In 1863, as sea currents shifted, the lighthouses were decommissioned and two new cast-iron lighthouses, still standing and recently restored, were built to serve a similar purpose nearby at Dovercourt. These days, the older Harwich lower lighthouse is a maritime museum, and the higher one houses the National Wireless and Television Museum.
A short walk along the coastal path from the Harwich Low Light you’ll find the Treadwheel Crane, used in the town’s naval yard from 1667 until as late as 1927. Men walking around the interior of two gigantic wheels worked this type of crane, whose design is unique to Britain.
Strolling from here to the town quay, you pass along King’s Quay Street and the Electric Palace Cinema. It’s one of the oldest purpose-built cinemas in the country, offering an eclectic programme, ranging from the latest blockbusters to cult films and vintage silent movies.
On your way to the quay, watch out for the many murals that decorate walls around the town. The Angelgate Mural painted along a wall in Wellington Road depicts all the major landmarks of Harwich. Among many others is one that depicts what Captain Jones might have looked like, along with his ship and house. Another shows the signing of the Mayflower Compact, a ceremony which took place during the original voyage, and which many believe was a forerunner of the US Constitution. A great many wall plaques around the town bring you information about people and events for which Harwich is famous.
At the town quay, you’ll find the Ha’penny Pier, where you can stroll out to sea and enjoy a cup of good English tea in the, hopefully, English sunshine. The name of the pier dates back to 1853 when admission was charged at half a penny, or ha’penny. (This was in the days when British currency consisted of 12 pennies to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound.)
Moored alongside the pier is LV18, the last surviving example of a Trinity House manned light vessel in British waters. As a provider of marine navigation aids, Trinity House is the General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar. Light vessels like this, moored off the coast, once performed similar functions to lighthouses. Decommissioned in 1958, LV18 has now been restored and transformed into a fascinating museum.
It’s just another way in which history mixes with mystery in this part of unexpected Essex.