Forget airport queues, luggage restrictions and setting the alarm for an ungodly hour to catch the first flight out of Stansted. Sometimes a proper holiday is sitting right under your nose. Less than two hours from London, Walton-on-the-Naze delivers an old-fashioned British seaside break — but with enough surprises to drag even the children away from their screens. We checked into Woodberry by the Sea, a beautifully renovated three-bedroom holiday home sleeping up to six in the heart of this Essex seaside town. With a private driveway, enclosed garden, fully equipped kitchen and Smart TVs in every bedroom, it has all the comforts families actually need — while the beach, pier, shops and restaurants are just a short stroll away.
But we hadn’t come to Essex to watch Netflix. Our first mission took us to The Naze, where the crumbling cliffs and shoreline are renowned for fossils. The prize everyone wants is a fossilised shark tooth and, armed with buckets and increasingly unrealistic expectations, we began searching. Within minutes we were hooked. Every suspicious-looking black triangle was triumphantly held aloft for inspection and suddenly a walk along the beach had become a prehistoric treasure hunt. Then, as darkness fell, Walton produced another surprise.
We headed back to the beach for a spectacular fire show, watching performers spin flames against the night sky as the sea disappeared into the darkness behind them. Wrapped up on the sand watching the shoreline glow, it was one of those wonderfully unexpected holiday moments that no amount of planning can manufacture. And perhaps that’s Walton’s real appeal.
There’s no pressure to race between expensive attractions. Instead, there are days on the sand, walks around The Naze, ice creams, fish and chips and the gloriously nostalgic Walton Pier. Afterwards, we could wander back to Woodberry by the Sea, kick off our sandy shoes and relax in a house that genuinely felt like a home rather than a hotel room.
Walton might not offer guaranteed Mediterranean sunshine. But on a warm Essex evening, watching the sun disappear after a day hunting for prehistoric sharks, you really don’t care.
Then, as darkness fell, Walton produced another surprise. We headed back to the beach for a spectacular fire show, watching performers spin flames against the night sky as the sea disappeared into the darkness behind them. Wrapped up on the sand watching the shoreline glow, it was one of those wonderfully unexpected holiday moments that no amount of planning can manufacture. And perhaps that’s Walton’s real appeal.
There’s no pressure to race between expensive attractions. Instead, there are days on the sand, walks around The Naze, ice creams, fish and chips and the gloriously nostalgic Walton Pier. Afterwards, we could wander back to Woodberry by the Sea, kick off our sandy shoes and relax in a house that genuinely felt like a home rather than a hotel room.
Walton might not offer guaranteed Mediterranean sunshine. But on a warm Essex evening, watching the sun disappear after a day hunting for prehistoric sharks, you really don’t care.