The Naze
The Naze is a headland on the coast of Essex, extending into the North Sea just north of the Blackwater and ending in the north at the broad, messy, tidal inlet known as the Hamford Water. Further north up the coast is the double estuary of the River Stour and River Orwell at Harwich
The Naze is best known as the location of the small town partly named after it; Walton-on-the-Naze. Also on the headland is the Naze Tower, an 18th century monument. The peninsula extends north of Walton, which has a marina on the Walton Channel leading into the Hamford Water.
This low peninsula is important for migrating birds and it has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and brent geese. Many bird watchers visit at migration times.
History
The name "Naze" derives from Old English næss ('ness') meaning a promontory or headland. In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the nearby town Walton calling it "Walton, under the Nase".[1]
The tall brick Naze Tower on the highest point was a lighthouse. It was built up to its present height in 1796. In the Napoleonic and 1st World Wars it was a naval signal station. In the Second World War, a Chain Home Low radar station was built on the Naze to track German warships and low-flying aircraft, and extended in 1942 to include the old tower.[2]
Threats
The Naze is eroding rapidly and threatening the tower and the wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork into erosion and methods to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. The cliff is receding fast and within 50 years Naze Tower may have tumbled into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
See also
Location
- Location map: 51°52’8"N, 1°16’46"E
Outside links
References
- ↑ Daniel Defoe, A tour through England and Wales, J.M. Dent and Sons Ltd, London (1959) Available online here
- ↑ Refs; WO series and AVIA 7 and AIR 26 series files at the National Archives, Kew
