Jaywick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jaywick |
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 Jaywick Sands |
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 Jaywick
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| Population | 4,665 |
| OS grid reference | TM151135 |
| District |
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| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CLACTON-ON-SEA |
| Postcode district | CO15 |
| Dialling code | 01255 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament |
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Jaywick is a small village by the sea in Essex, England. It is about 2 miles (3 km) west of Clacton-on-Sea. Jaywick is on the North Sea coast, about 60 miles (97 km) from London and 17 miles (27 km) from Colchester.
It was first built in the 1930s as a fun place for Londoners to go on holiday. Over time, it has become a place where many people live all year round. Jaywick has faced challenges and has been called one of the most in-need areas in the country.
The land where Jaywick stands was once just fields and salt marsh. This land was not good for farming. In 1928, a businessman named Frank Stedman bought it. He wanted to build cheap, affordable holiday homes for working-class families. It became a popular holiday spot in the 1930s.
After the Second World War, there were not enough homes for people. So, many holiday homes in Jaywick became places where people lived permanently. Even though these homes were not built for year-round living, people moved in. Today, some of these old holiday homes are in poor condition. The local community has worked hard to keep them from being torn down. Jaywick also has problems with people not having jobs and is at risk of flooding. The local council has tried to make the area better in many ways.
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Where is Jaywick Located?
Jaywick is about 60 miles (97 km) from London. It is also about 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Colchester. The village is part of the Tendring district in north-east Essex.
To the northeast of Jaywick is Clacton-on-Sea, separated by Clacton Airfield. To the west, you'll find the River Colne estuary. Jaywick is split into different areas. These include the Tudor estate (also called West Clacton) to the north, the Village to the southeast, and the Brooklands and Grasslands estates to the southwest.
Most of the shops in Jaywick are on its main street, called Broadway. There is also a very old Martello tower on the coast. This tower is over 200 years old and has been turned into a centre for arts and history.
A Look Back at Jaywick's History
What we know as Jaywick today used to be just fields and salt marshes. These were located near Clacton and St Osyth. An ancient wooden spear, called the Clacton Spear, was found nearby. It is the oldest known wooden item made by humans in the British Isles.
The name Jaywick was first written down in 1438. It seems to mean "farm visited by jays". In the 1800s, the area was popular for shooting and had a rifle range.
Because Jaywick is so close to the sea, it was never a good place for farming. This was due to the high risk of floods. So, the land stayed unused for a long time. In 1880, a sea wall was built to help protect against flooding. Maps from around 1897 show Jaywick as just a few farmhouses.
Around the early 1900s, people like William Morris suggested building self-sufficient communities. These would be for poorer families away from big cities. This idea led to places like Peacehaven in Sussex.
In 1928, a property developer named Frank Stedman suggested Jaywick. He saw that Clacton was a popular holiday spot. He thought he could sell small pieces of land to people from the East End for holiday homes. He sold plots for as little as £25. He told buyers a house could be built for about £395.
At first, the focus was on health and fitness. Outdoor exercises were very popular. Stedman mostly wanted to make money. He talked about plans for parks, a lake, and a sports centre, but these were never built.
The first part of Jaywick was designed to look like a car radiator grille. The roads were even named after car makers. In the 1930s, coaches regularly brought holidaymakers from Ilford and Romford. There was even a tiny train, the Jaywick Miniature Railway, that ran from 1936 to 1939.
After the Second World War, many similar holiday developments in Britain were torn down. The local council tried to demolish Jaywick too. But people living there fought against it. They won a special order in 1970 to protect their homes.
The council was worried about homes being on a flood-prone site. Modern services were slow to arrive. A proper sewer system was only put in place in 1977.
In 1978, the local council put special rules in place. These rules meant that people needed special permission for home improvements. This included things like extensions or garden sheds, which usually don't need permission elsewhere. These rules were updated again in 2010.
In the 1990s, forty prefabricated houses were built on an old holiday camp site. These new homes were for people from the worst-condition properties. Even though these new homes won awards, only a few of the old properties were torn down. The original homes in Brooklands have faced demolition, especially those in very bad shape. New homes are being built on empty plots nearby.
The Tendring District Council hopes that by 2026, Jaywick will be a better place for new buildings. They also hope it will have its own services for tourism. In 2018, the council worked with architects to design Sunspot. This £4.8 million project was named after an old amusement arcade. It was built to have offices, workshops, a cafe, training areas, and a market hall. By October 2023, almost all of its units were rented out to small businesses.
Challenges Faced by Jaywick
Even though Jaywick homes were sold as holiday places, many became permanent homes. This happened because of a shortage of housing after the war. By 1950, many people lived there all year. Today, Jaywick has many retired and unemployed people.
Reports have shown that Jaywick is one of the most in-need areas in England. For example, in 2011, a report found that many working-age people in Jaywick received government help. This was much higher than the national average. In 2015, it was again named one of the most in-need neighbourhoods.
The headmistress of Frobisher Primary School, near the village, said that some parts of Jaywick can be quite shocking to see in England. In 2012, Jaywick was called a place with a lot of youth unemployment. Since the Butlins holiday camp closed in 1983, there haven't been many jobs nearby. A local charity called Signpost helps young people find work. It can be hard because many jobs are far away in Colchester or Ipswich.
Reports in 2009 and 2013 showed that properties in Jaywick were very cheap. Some bungalows in the Brooklands estate were selling for around £20,000. Because of its reputation, private companies are not keen to invest money there.
The local council, Tendring District Council, is working with people in Brooklands to make the area better. They are trying to buy land to build new homes. The council leader, Mick Page, said they need to lead the changes in Jaywick. The council also suggested stopping some housing help for rented properties in Jaywick. This was to discourage renting homes that were in very poor condition.
The Jaywick Community Resource Centre is built on an old boating lake in Brooklands. It helps local people with support. In 2010, two filmmakers made a documentary called Jaywick Escapes. It showed what life was like in the village. In 2015, a TV show called "Jaywick – Benefits by the Sea" also showed the lives of people in the village.
Risk from the Environment
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During the terrible North Sea flood of 1953, Jaywick was flooded. Sadly, 35 people lost their lives. Since then, sea defences have been built. Many steps have been taken to prevent future floods. Jaywick's coast has received a lot of sand to improve its defences.
The homes in Jaywick are in an area with the highest risk of flooding in the country. A council report said that global warming could increase the danger to people's lives in Jaywick over the next 50 to 75 years. If a tidal surge happened over the marshes near St Osyth, Jaywick would be the first place to be hit by floods.
The main road into the village is very close to sea level. This means a flood could cut off access for emergency services. Many roads, especially around Brooklands, are not officially maintained by the council. This makes it hard for emergency vehicles to get through and makes the area look run down. Road improvements often don't last long because the properties are on marshland.
In December 2013, because of a serious flood risk, the police asked everyone in Jaywick to leave the area temporarily. They were moved to school buildings in Clacton. A similar event happened in January 2017. About 2,500 homes in Jaywick and nearby Lee-over-Sands were at risk of coastal flooding.
Images for kids
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Jaywick Sands
See also
In Spanish: Jaywick para niños
