1
Leave the car park and walk towards the Naze Tower (A), going between a small café and the Naze Centre (there are lavatories at the Centre). Continue to the left of the fire beacon, continuing along the line of seats. Keep ahead, crossing a concrete track and continuing on a mowed pathway. At a multitude of crossing tracks fork slightly right passing a wood carving of a bird. Soon fork right again at an elephant, going to the right of a World War II pill box and continuing downhill. Keep forward at two more forks to swing left along the cliff-top at the bottom. (Even if you don’t quite follow these directions, as long as you keep going downhill, you will arrive at the cliff-top.)
(A) The Naze Tower is a precursor of what became the conventional lighthouse. It was built by Trinity House in the early18th C nearly 90 feet it was built to support a beacon which aided navigation. It is open to visitors between April and October each year and houses a gallery, museum and tea rooms and, more interestingly, a viewing platform from which, on a clear day, you can see views of Essex, Suffolk and Kent over a radius of 30 miles.
2
Keep forward to climb up to the surfaced path along the top of the sea wall. (Across the bay you now have good views of the cranes of Harwich.) The surfaced path ends.
3
Continue along an ordinary grass sea-wall path, initially with an iron border, which you will follow for about 2¼ miles/3.5km. (You are now between two distinct Nature Reserves. To your left is the John Weston Reserve, run by the Essex Wildlife trust and named after a prominent local naturalist. To the right is Hamford Water, a National Nature Reserve; it is an internationally important breeding ground for Little Terns and wintering ground for Dark-bellied Brent Geese, wild fowl and waders
4
Eventually you swing left with the Walton Channel to your right. Now your back is to Harwich but you have clear views of Walton-on the-Naze ahead and the tower, your starting point, to the left. (The northern end of the Naze tends to flood in winter, substantially increasing the available habitat for resting birds.) Eventually arrive at a private boat compound.
5
Cross over through squeeze barriers onto a path atop another wall with Naze Marine Holiday Park. Residents of the park can join the walk by using several opportunities to climb steps to the wall-path and turning left. After the Holiday Park, continue with a school to the left and Walton Mere on the right. Begin the approach to the town along the backs of houses. At the end of this stretch there is a waymarker indicating left but you should go right between bollards to continue along a flood-defence wall. Emerge on concrete standing between garages to reach a road.
Residents of the park can join the walk by using several opportunities to climb steps to the wall-path and turning left.
6
Go left then right. Go left at a junction with Whites Pie and Mash shop then left along the High Street passing the Queen’s Head on the right and some delightful houses on the left. At the end, cross the road to the sea front.
7
Now, depending on the weather; the tide; and your inclination you can choose to walk along the shore or the promenade. You can see your destination, the Tower, in the distance. Whatever your decision, it is recommended that, in time, you descend to walk alongside the beach huts which are rather less impressive than those further along the coast at Frinton. Where these huts start to be terraced, climb steps.
8
Walk across to a surfaced path and go right past a playground. Just before the road go right through a barrier. (Look to your right to see a large off-shore wind farm.) Go left along a very narrow path and emerge to choose an upper path to return you to the car park.
