Essex has plenty of pretty little villages that locals travel to for a breath of fresh air away from the hustle and bustle of city life. One that deserves a little more time in the limelight is Little Clacton – an adorably charming village with stunning homes and a rich history.
The parish of Little Clacton, in the Tendring District of North Essex, is located on the Tendring Peninsula, close to the popular seaside resort of Clacton-on-Sea. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 2,822, making it a small, tight-knit communuty.
The village is approximately 12 miles South East of Colchester and 2.5 miles North of Clacton-on-Sea, and is also close to Thorpe-le-Soken railway station, providing rail links to both London and Clacton-on-Sea.
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This adorable village definitely lives in the shadow of its larger, seaside town namesake. It is amazing in its own right, complete with lovely thatched cottages, multiple community pubs, a primary school and lots of independent shops.
With all of its rustic charm, you would think this village is very expensive to live in. This is actually not the case, as house prices in Little Clacton have an overall average of £307,435 over the last year according to Rightmove – over £100k less than the Essex house price average.
This village also has a rich history. Little Clacton Parish Council released a history book about the village in 1958, by Kenneth Walker, which tells the tale of the now quaint parish once a hub of military activity.
The tale reads: “During World War I, there was considerable activity in the village. Cavalry hourses were stabled on each side of the street, and a brigade of the Essex Regiment made it their headquarters for guarding this section of the coast.”
Following the opening of Thorpe train station, the village got many more visitors, and Little Clacton was often called a “charming rustic village”. New homes were then built in the parish, with lots of development going on.
A guide book at the time said: “A considerable amount of development has taken place in the last year or two, and a project is on foot for connecting it (Little Clacton) by means of a light railway with the Great Eastern Railway at Thorpe-Le-Soken Station.” This station, however, never appeared at the village.