Harwich, Church Street 1954
Harwich, the Quayside c1954
Harwich, West Street c1950
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Harwich, Essex
Harwich maps
Historic maps of Harwich and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Harwich maps
Historic map of Harwich
Illustrated Victorian map of Essex
Historic Map of any Harwich postcode
Harwich books
Displaying 2 of 13 books about Harwich and the local area. View all Harwich books
Braintree Town and City Memories
Hardback
rrp £16
£4.80
Chigwell Photographic Memories
Paperback
rrp £10.99
£3.30
Chigwell Photographic Memories
Hardback
rrp £14.99
£4.50
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Memories of Harwich
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Harwich
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My father's family moved to Harwich in the early 1900's to cottages below Upper Dovercourt Church and lived there for many years. I was born in 1950 when my parents lived in Ramsey then we moved to Valley Road. I still have family in the Harwich/Dovercourt area. I come down to the area for holidays and stay at one of the caravan sites. Since I moved I have come back on holiday and seen some big changes: the road from Parkestone roundabout to Harwich and the shopping area off Barthside mud/the building onto the low road to Tollgate.
Shared on 15 August 2006
Born in Harwich in 1940, I have many fond memories of Church Street both as a schoolchild and as a teenager. The car parked on the left of the picture is an Alvis estate car which had the exceptionally nice wooden side panelling. It is parked outside David Wills, the baker, and did in fact belong to Mr Thomas Wills, who I always called "Mr Tom". It was used for the daily bread and cake run to his sister's shop, who was always known as Miss Florrie, at Tollgate, opposite Ernie Gant's farm. Mind you this was in the day's when bread really tasted like bread...
Shared on 01 October 2007
Essex memories
I was born in Dovercourt in 1946, and lived there until 1957. My father, too, worked on Parkeston Quay, but moved to New England depot in Peterborough in 1956 - mother and I followed once I had taken my 11-Plus exam. My mother was from Waddesdon Road, opposite the old school which had by then become the library. My father met my mother during the war when he was posted to Dovercourt. Although we moved away, and I now live in Shropshire, I still have two aunts who live in Dovercourt, so I return from time to time.
One of my best friends was Phillip Cone, who lived a few doors away on Main Road. I see that he has now written at least one book about the town.
We used to go to the Regent cinema on Friday evenings, as it was just over the road. I seem to remember that nearly all the films were Westerns!
Shared on 20 May 2009
My father was inducted as the new vicar on 31st December 1949 at All Saints Church. I was just nine at the time but I retain some dim memories of a packed church! My dad stayed at Dovercourt until his retirement in 1976. I have many memories of Dovercourt for that period. I loved the West beach where I often used to take the dog on long muddy walks. Often as kids we would walk 'down town' to Woolworths or Candy Corner, usually in search of roughly the same things. Beach Stores though was the place where you could get something 'off coupons': a sort of Crunchy Bar without the chocolate. We were away at school and I was terrified of girls, but used to gaze soulfully at Jennifer in the choir in the hope she would notice me. She never did.
We had three cinemas in those days. I remember my dad taking us to The Quatermass Experiment, rated X, at the Regent, and telling them I was 16 when I was actually 15. Well done Dad!
Dovercourt was a lovely place to grow up in but, like many young people, I didn't really appreciate this at the time. Later when I took my own kids there years later I appreciated it more. Both my mum and my dad died in 1992 and are buried in All Saints churchyard.
Shared on 16 March 2009
Extracts From Harwich & Essex books
Displaying a selection of extracts from Frith books about Harwich, inspired by Frith photos.
The massive former Great Eastern Hotel, built in 1864, dominates this picture of the quayside. It was built for travellers who came to the Railway Pier to catch the steamers to the continent. It later served as Council Offices, but is now an apartment block.
This is an extract from Essex Pocket Album.
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Read more and see photos from this book.
A view looking south towards St Nicholas’ church of 1821 and the adjoining Three Cups Hotel, part of which dates from the early 16th century.Admiral Nelson and Lady Hamilton stayed there. The ‘half-timbered’ Wheatsheaf public house on the left dates from the 1920s.
This is an extract from Essex Pocket Album.
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Read more and see photos from this book.
Harwich is a well-kept secret. Ferry passengers only get to see Parkeston Quay, two miles away; they never see the town. Corporation Pier, seen here, is better known as the Ha’penny Pier, after its original toll charge. A small ferry goes from here to Felixstowe. The gazebo-type structure is the original ticket office, which was built in 1854.
This is an extract from East Anglia.
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Read more and see photos from this book.
