Throughout this review I refer of Walton on the Naze beach, but in reality there’s a couple of beaches there. I just haven’t referred to them all separately! There’s 2 miles of beach, and it’s one of the best crabbing spots in Essex as well! Most importantly it’s a sandy beach – with perfect sandcastle sand!
Because the beach is so massive it naturally breaks itself into distinct sections really. There’s the Frinton-on-Sea end which has loads of beautiful beach huts. This tends to be quite a busy end of the beach. It’s also where Walton Pier is. On the other side of the pier is where the only life-guarded area is. The section alongside the Prince’s Esplanade is where we spent most of our time. It was always lovely and quiet despite being May half term during our visit. Beneath Cliff Parade is another section of beach with lots of huts and finally there’s Naze beach with all the fossil hunting.
Are there any toilets or facilities nearby?
There’s flipping dozens of toilets all along the beach at Walton on the Naze! The sections of the beach with huts on them have toilets every couple of hundreds meters. The other sections have loos within a few minutes’ walk.
Walton on the Naze only has a couple of beach gear shops and a few places to get ice cream. Overall it doesn’t have a massive “seaside” feel. It’s almost any normal town that just happens to have the sea next to it. We tried all of them and the one closest to the lifeguard station is probably my favourite. Tollgate Fisheries on the High Street is an excellent chippie, at really good prices.
Is there any beach at Walton on the Naze at high tide?
The beach at Walton on the Naze virtually disappears at high tide so make sure that you double check the tide times before you visit. There is the odd spot that remains sandy, but they’re few and far between. It also takes a surprisingly long time for the tide to drop after high tide. I’d assumed an hour after high tide we’d be making some progress but actually you couldn’t tell it had dropped at all! On the flip side, once it’s gone out it seems to be out for ages! This photo was taken at mid-tide;
What’s the parking like?
There’s free parking along the beach front at Walton on the Naze! Which is a result. This is both along Prince’s Esplanade and Cliff Parade. There might be other free parking spots as well. Coronation car park is right next to the beach as well (CO14 8PT) which costs £6 per day. There are also other car parks in the town centre.
If you’re going up to Naze beach there’s a large car park by Naze Tower (CO14 8LJ) which charges, but isn’t too expensive.
Is it dog friendly?
When I posted about Walton on the Naze beach quite a few people were asking is it dog friendly? Well, yes and no. Some parts allow dogs during peak season (May – September) and others don’t. There’s very clear signage though.
Where can you go fossil hunting at Walton on the Naze beach?
I’d heard that you can find loads of fossils just walking along the beach at Walton on the Naze, but you do have to go to the right bit. If you are fossil hunting then you need to go to Naze beach, which is accessed via some fairly steep steps from Naze Tower car park. Almost as soon as you get onto the beach you’ll start finding stuff because it’s everywhere, but it might not be what you’re expecting! Go at low tide but do keep an eye on the tide so you don’t get cut off.
There are three main types of fossils that you’ll find at Walton on the Naze beach; shark teeth, fossilised wood and shells. Yup in my, albeit it VERY limited experience, this is the only place I know that you find fossilised shells. The wood and the shells are everywhere. You’re literally tripping over them. The shells are in the Red Crag formation (the orange soil in the cliff face). To a novice it’s hard to tell if it’s actually a fossil but basically if a shell is orange, it’s a fossil!
The wood and the shark teeth are in the London Clay. This makes up a lot of the beach surface and looks like smooth rock. Until you walk on it and realise it’s actually got a little bit of give in it that is! We didn’t actually find any shark teeth on the beach because it turns out the vast majority are a lot smaller than I was looking for. And I was looking in the wrong place! I was looking for something about the size of my index finger. Whilst you go get some like that, most of them are more like a decent length fingernail!
Our Walton on the Naze beach review
We actually got to visit the beach loads because we were staying to Naze Marine holiday park which is a 5 minute walk away. Basically we popped down for at least a walk every single day for a week. We were there during May half term and it was incredibly quiet, with plenty of space for everyone. The beach is lovely and sandy and really clean.
Downsides? The water is quite rough so I wasn’t keen on the kids going anything other than knee deep. Being so rough also makes it quite brown from all the churned up sand. If you’re looking for pretty, turquoise coves you won’t find them here. It was also distinctly breezy the whole time we were there. The fact the beach disappears at high tide is a pain as you really have to plan when you’ll visit if you’re travelling a long way.
This review of Walton on the Naze beach is based on our experiences at the time of our visit. Things can change over time, including the facilities available. If you have any specific requirements such as access it’s always best to check with the site directly before visiting. If anything I’ve said in this review is no longer accurate then please do let me know. Thank you.
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook