Clacton-on-Sea

This seaside town on the Essex coast that developed as a resort from the 1870s, Clacton-on-Sea has a walkable centre with a concentrated food-and-drink scene and a photogenic seafront. The largest settlement on the Tendring Peninsula, it sits on the coast north-east of London, within reach of Colchester and Harwich. The town's peak popularity as a holiday destination ran from the 1950s through the 1970s, and some listed heritage architecture remains in the area.

• Population50,548
• Nearest water from center 1.7 km1.1 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 32 km20 mi