Harwich Walk: Town Centre【4K】
Located in the county of Essex, and around 70 miles northeast of London, is the town of Harwich.
The town's name is derived from Old English 'here' and 'wīc', meaning 'army camp', allegedly because the Danes camped here in the 9th century. Geographically it stands at the mouth of the River Stour as it feeds into the North Sea. As such, it has been a key ferry port for several centuries.
During the 13th century, the Earl of Norfolk transformed Harwich from a tiny village into a busy town with a grid layout. Wool was exported from its port, while wine was imported upon return. It was the embarkation point of various English fleets during the Hundred Years War with France.
In circa 1570, Christopher Jones was born in Harwich. It was in the town that he learned to become a master mariner. In 1605 he built a ship which he later traded in 1608 for a smaller one called 'Mayflower'. Jones moved to Rotherhithe in 1611, and in 1620 he would transport his ship first to Southampton, then to Plymouth as an emergency stop, and finally to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Whilst originally intended for exporting and importing goods such as wool and wine, Mayflower transported over 100 passengers over the Atlantic in extremely cramped conditions. The passengers were known as the Pilgrims, and they became the first Europeans to settle permanently in North America. Jones's house features just before the 18-minute mark.
Between 1808 and 1810 the Harwich Redoubt was built. Situated on a hilltop just south of the historic town centre, this fort was constructed to safeguard against the threat of Napoleonic invasion, complete with effective artillery power to withstand a lengthy siege. Today it serves as a museum.
In 1818 the High Lighthouse was built. This, alongside another, known as the Low Lighthouse, helped to guide the ships entering Harwich Harbour. However, due to the silting up of the surrounding waters, they became known as 'misleading lights', and their use was discontinued in 1863.
By 1819 the town's original church had become dilapidated. It was pulled down and rebuilt from scratch. Thus, in 1822 St Nicholas Church was consecrated.
During the 1850s the neighbouring settlement of Dovercourt, just to the west of Harwich town centre, began to be developed as a seaside resort. The man largely responsible for its growth was East India merchant John Bagshaw, who discovered a chalybeate spring here. Bagshaw's plan to turn it into one of the great spa towns fell short, and he was declared bankrupt in 1859. Dovercourt forms part of a continuous settlement just adjacent to Harwich's historic town centre.
In 1854 the railway arrived in Harwich with the opening of stations at both the town centre and Dovercourt. This was followed, in 1883, by Harwich International station just to the west - originally known as Harwich Parkeston Quay until 1995. All three stations remain open today, and form the final three stops on the Mayflower Line. This is a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line which links up to Manningtree to the west, which in turn connects to London Liverpool Street and Norwich. Harwich International provides access to the town's ferry port with services to Hoek van Holland.
In 1911 the Electric Palace Cinema opened in Harwich. This is one of the earliest purpose-built cinemas still operating. It closed in 1956 following flood damage a few years earlier, but was restored and reopened in 1981.
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Filmed: 31st July 2023
Link to the walk on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/jmA67CHx13q1ExG86
Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Main Road
1:22 West Street
2:55 Church Lane
3:35 Church Street
5:35 Market Street
7:01 Kings Quay Street
8:36 Cow Lane
9:19 Wellington Road
10:42 Outpart Eastward
11:21 Angelgate
14:43 Wellington Road
15:23 Outpart Eastward
15:41 Market Street
16:17 King's Head Street
19:01 The Quay