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Oxford Archaeology (South)
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Walton on the Naze is a traditional seaside town with beaches and cliffs and one of the longest piers in the country, once 300ft long.
The town started its life as Walton-Le-Soken, forming a soke with Kirby and Thorpe in the Saxon period. Much of the original town was lost to the sea through erosion and the church was lost in 1798. Much of the original settlement lies around the region of west rocks in the Rough Shoals character area. The town was once characterised by its copperas industry (see link) and although the copperas works closed in 1850 copperas collection continued.
Walton became a seaside resort at the beginning of the 19th century, with the involvement of railway entrepreneur Peter Bruff. The pier was built at this time to accommodate steam ships from London and Ipswich with a tram running to the end. The heyday was brought to an end by WW2 and tourism never returned in such a large volume. Walton has been known for its sea holly, bought by tourists for its supposed aphrodisiac properties.
Caption: Walton-on-the-Naze
Photo Source: Oxford Archaeology