This film is part of Free

About Harwich

Joan Hammond, an experienced amateur filmmaker from Frinton, Essex filmed this travelogue in the picturesque coastal town of Harwich.

Amateur film 1981 11 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for East Anglian Film Archive

Overview

Notable sights include the Church of St Nicholas, the Three Cups public House and numerous other drinking establishments, the Guildhall, Bridewell House, ‘Foresters’ – apparently the oldest house in the town, the Fire Station, The Admiral’s Ballroom, The Electric Palace Cinema – the oldest purpose-built cinema in Britain, Trinity House Yard, Sealink Ferry terminal, the Town Hall, the Halfpenny Pier, the two Lighthouses, and The Redoubt.

Harwich is the most northern coastal town in Essex, at the mouths of the rivers Stour and Orwell where a natural harbour became a vital sanctuary for mariners sailing between the Thames and the Humber. Currently, over 40% of deep sea cargo entering the UK arrives via Harwich, as well as a significant share of the region’s passenger ferry traffic. The harbour has played an important role in numerous wars, especially the Napoleonic and the two World Wars. The German U-Boat fleet surrendered to the Royal Navy in Harwich harbour at the end of hostilities in November 1918.