Great Oakley

For a number of years the five acre site stood in splendid isolation with magnificent views of the sea across open fields which had formerly been Clacton’s first golf course and was later to become the Gardens area. The home had cost £30,000 to build and was designed to accommodate 26 men, 17 women and 12 children. An annexe for consumptive patients was subsequently added. The home’s most notable role however was to accommodate wounded soldiers throughout the First World War. Shortly after the Second World War the home was transferred to the Kensington and Chelsea Health Authority and it was closed by them in 1977. It was subsequently taken over by the North East Essex Health Authority and was used to accommodate up to 70 mentally handicapped patients and as a small day care unit. It was finally closed in 1985 and the site was acquired by Wimpey Homes. The building still stands and is given over to private dwellings. Eventually Page’s Estate, Bruff’s Estate, together with other estates around Clacton such as Round’s Estate and Burrsville, linked up with the ancient villages of Great Clacton and Magdalen Green as well as the outlying areas of Jaywick and Little Holland, to form what we know today as Clacton-on-Sea. Maybe its glory days of the 1920s and 1930s are gone, but with its several miles of golden sand, its gardens and its entertainments and amusements Clacton-on-Sea still has much to offer to the holidaymaker and resident alike.
An extract from from"Clacton-on-Sea Town and City Memories".

To the right of christ church is the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Light. The architect was F W Tasker and the church was opened on 15 October 1903. It is cruciform in plan and consists of a nave of five bays with transepts to the north and south.
An extract from from"Clacton-on-Sea Town and City Memories".

The passmore Edwards Convalesent Home stood at the far end of the Promenade. It was concieved by John Passmore Edwards as a holiday home for deprived children. The foundation ston was laid by Sir H H Fowler MP on 19 May 1898 and the building officially opened on 23 June 1899. It eventually became a convalescent home and medical rehabilitation center for the North East Metropolitan Region and was closed and demolished in 1986.
An extract from from"Clacton-on-Sea Town and City Memories".

To the right, behind the flagpole is the Life Boat House, designed by Charles H Cooke and opened in 1878. The building was enclosed by a fence to protect it from damage by cattle. The round dormer window at the top admitted light to the roof space which housed two large hook for raising and lowering the boat on to its carriage. A winding staircase led up the tower to the left where a warning bell was hung to summon the crew when needed. The boat was then drawn down to the beach by horses and launched from the beach.
An extract from from"Clacton-on-Sea Town and City Memories".

The building on the right was built in 1899. Part of it was a pumping station used to pump sea water to standpipes dotted around the town for Council workmen to draw off water to wash down the dusty streets. Residents could also buy a key to enable them to bring relief to their tired feet.
An extract from from"Clacton-on-Sea Town and City Memories".