Leigh on Sea

We live in a semi-detached house dating from about 1910. There are three double bedrooms, a bath/shower room/toilet and a second toilet downstairs. The front living room and dining area are open plan; the kitchen is well equipped with a washing machine and dishwasher and small table. There is gas central heating.
There is a small rear garden with benches and a small table and chairs; the garden room serves as our studio.

About the location

Around Leigh on Sea

At the end of our road, a couple of minutes walk, is Leigh Road with several convenience stores and many other shops. There is a wide selection of restaurants, cafes and antique shops on Leigh Road and extending toward the The Broadway where there are boutique shops, butchers, fishmonger, greengrocers and bakers. Old Leigh is a lovely place to walk with a museum, many old buildings, an art studio and restaurants and pubs overlooking the estuary.
It is a ten minute walk down to Chalkwell railway station where, alongside the estuary, is a promenade and cycle track extending east to Southend Pier and beyond to Shoeburyness. Peter swims in the estuary at high tide in the summer from Jocelyn Beach by Chalkwell Station but many intrepid bathers swim all the year round at high tide. From by the station a footpath runs west along the shore to Old Leigh, an historic fishing village with a fleet of cockle fishing boats and many pubs, cafes and restaurants. The footpath west takes you to Two Tree Island, a nature reserve, and further along the levy towards Benfleet and Hadleigh Castle.

Getting About and Further Afield

An excellent train service runs from Chalkwell east to Southend and Shoeburyness and west into London Fenchurch Street (by The Tower of London), taking 50 minutes; from there and previous stations you can connect directly into the London Transport network. We are well connected by buses from both ends of our road to Southend and beyond. A local service from Leigh on Sea to Southend airport is starting in August. There are further bus connections from Southend to Chelmsford and Stansted airport.

Places to visit

Southend pier at 1.3 miles is the longest pleasure pier in the world and has a 3/4 scale railway running the length of the pier for the less mobile. Jamie Oliver's Friday Night Feast cooking programme was set in a lovely cafe at the end of the pier. There is also a larger cafe and the lifeboat station which is open to visit. By the pier is Adventure Island, a large funfair and a short distance along the front is Sealife Adventure..
Chalkwell Park is a short walk from the house where you will find a lovely garden, children's playgrounds, tennis courts and a cricket pitch. The Metal Arts Centre often has events open to the public.
Southend Museum and nearby, The Beecroft and Focal Point Galleries, have interesting exhibitions and there is a large library in Focal Point (and a small library in Leigh).
Hadleigh Castle ruins were made famous in John Constable's late masterpiece of the same name. It is a good long walk from the house or can be reached by bus. From there are fine views across the Thames Estuary. Nearby Hadleigh Park contains the mountain biking tracks used in the 2012 London Olympic Games; bikes can be hired or take your own.
There are a variety of cinemas and theatres in Southend and a cinema on Canvey Island.
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Hyde Hall is about a thirty minute drive as are the lovely towns of Malden and Burnham on Crouch.

Conditions of exchange

Facilities

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