A woman visited one of Essex’s most well-kept beaches, and found it to be the ultimate hidden gem.
Reporter Jodie Bradley headed to Thorney Bay beach, which is a small, sheltered sandy beach on Canvey Island, and found the destination to offer stunning views across the River Thames estuary and Kent coast.
“There are great views across to the Kent coast across the river and it is an ideal spot for watching the ships come and go up the Thames,” she said. “I visited in February, so the weather was a little overcast – however, the beach had lots of dogwalkers and people enjoying the scenery and sea views.”
Jodie shared how Canvey Island’s Thorney Bay has been kept pristine due to a local voluntary group, Canvey Bay Watch, who are committed to keeping the beach in top condition to allow it to become one of the island’s “most picturesque and serene spots”.
“I simply have to agree – the beach is completely sandy, and one of the cleanest that I have seen in the county. The beach also features a large, flat grassy spot behind it, complete with a play park,” Jodie added. “I also loved that the beach was rather secluded, as it is situated in what looks like a bay. The beach is not huge, like Southend’s or Clacton’s, but Thorney Bay is definitely a matter of quality over quantity.”
Wandering on the beach, Jodie found plenty of amenities including picnic benches, public toilets, and a wide choice of food outlets. “There is also a small amusement park with rides and arcades within a five minute walk, too,” she shared.
A car park is also conveniently located within one-minute of the beach, and dogs are allowed on the beach during the winter months.
Jodie said: “In summary, Canvey’s beach is sometimes overlooked by visitors in Essex, but this shouldn’t be the case – as not only is the beach absolutely stunning, there is plenty to do in the nearby town, too!”
Another visitor mentioned in a Google review: “It’s such a lovely beach. My family really enjoyed spending time there so much. Lovely sea view. Most importantly for us was that the beach is dog friendly, and we have two dogs who enjoyed time on a beach so much too. There are toilets, a car park, and plenty of benches to sit. Not too far away from London (you can get there by C2C train). We are definitely gonna go back there.”
Canvey Island lies off the south east coast of Essex, in the Thames estuary. It has a diverse history and inhabitation on the island dates back to the late Iron Age. It takes around 40 minutes to get to Benfleet from Fenchurch Street station in London, and then a 20 minute bus will get you to the beach.
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