Counties > Essex > Westcliff-on-sea

Westcliff-on-sea

WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA is a dignified old Victorian lady of a town that is failing to fend off the encroaching seaside tat. Sadly, her densely layered streets of 19th-century houses, many of them now converted into flats, tend to be jammed with cars that can’t find anywhere to park. She has a more cosmopolitan air these days, thanks to her appeal to asylum seekers. Average prices of flats range from around £95,000 for one bedroom to £125,000 for two, and up to £400,000 for something along the front. The Cliff Gardens run all the way along the cliffs to Southend.

Good for: Victorian seaside grace, brilliant schools.
County:Essex
London terminal: Fenchurch St
Journey time: 52 mins
Season ticket: £2700
Peak trains: 8 per hour
Off-peak trains: 4 per hour