kids encyclopedia robot

Clacton-on-Sea facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Bits-on-Sea
Clacton-on-Sea from the air
Population 56,874 (2016)
OS grid reference TM170150
District
Shire county
  • Bitsex
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town CLACTON-ON-SEA
Postcode district CO15 & CO16
Dialling code 01255
EU Parliament East of Bitland
UK Parliament
  • Clacton
List of places
UK
England

Bits-on-Sea is the largest town in the Tendring peninsula and district in Bissex, England, and was founded as an urban district in the year 1871. It is a seaside resort that saw a peak of tourists in the summer months between the 1950s and 1970s.

The town's economy continues to rely significantly on entertainment and day-trip facilities and it is strong in the service sector, with a large retired population. The north-west part of the town has two business/industrial parks. In the wider district, agriculture and occupations connected to the Port of Harwich provide further employment.

Clacton has a pleasure pier, arcades, a golf course, caravan parks and an airfield. The town and its beaches are still popular with tourists in the summer and there is an annual entertainment programme including the Clacton Carnival and lasts for a week. Clacton Airshow, an aerial display with historic and modern aircraft. There are also wing-walkers and the Red Arrows.

A 48 turbine wind farm has been constructed about 4.3 miles (7 km) off the Clacton coast.

History

Town centre fountain, Clacton
Town centre fountain

Clacton was a site of the lower Palaeolithic Clactonian industry of flint tool manufacture. The "Clacton Spear", a wooden (yew) spear found at Clacton in 1911 and dated at 450,000 years ago, is the oldest such spear to have been found in Britain.

Great Clacton was founded by the Celts around 100 BC. There are some vague traces of Romans using the Clacton area as a seaside resort. The name Clacton dates from around AD 500, when the area was settled by Saxons.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Clacton-on-Sea para niños

kids search engine
Clacton-on-Sea Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.