Frinton-on-Sea

Infobox UK place
country = England
official_name = Frinton-on-Sea
static_

latitude = 51.8327
longitude = 1.2452
population = 5500
shire_district = Tendring
shire_county = Essex
region = East of England
constituency_westminster = Harwich
post_town = Colchester
postcode_district = CO13
postcode_area = CO
dial_code = 01255
os_grid_reference = TM236198

Frinton-on-Sea is a small seaside town in the Tendring District of Essex, England. It is part of the Parish of Frinton and Walton.

History

Until late Victorian times Frinton was a tiny hamlet, comprising a church, several farms and a handful of cottages. The whole area was later purchased by a developer with a view to building an exclusive seaside town for the wealthy to holiday in. Fact|date=February 2007

Frinton is also of note for being the last target in England to be attacked by the Luftwaffe, in 1944.Fact|date=February 2007

In 2008 the town was the subject of a BBC Wonderland documentary. [ [http://library.digiguide.com/lib/programme/Wonderland:+The+Curious+World+of+Frinton-on-Sea-641270 Wonderland: The Curious World of Frinton-on-Sea] ] The documentary focused on the campaign to 'save' Frinton gates as well as a number of elderly residents, many in the area felt the documentary misrespresented the area and people of Frinton.

Geography

Frinton has only three points of entry by road: an unadopted road from Walton-on-Naze in the north, a residential road and the manually operated railway barriers at the level crossing of the town's railway station.

Frinton was once geographically distinct, but a series of housing estate developments now line the roads between Frinton and the neighbouring settlements of Walton-on-the-Naze, Kirby Cross and Kirby-Le-Soken. Also fairly near Frinton is Thorpe-Le-Soken.

The town has a sandy beach, more than a mile long, with facilities and beach wardens in season, and an area of sea zoned for swimming, sailing and windsurfing. The shore is lined by a promenade along which there are several hundred beach huts. Landward from the promenade is a long greensward stretching from the boundary with Walton-on-Naze to the golf club in the south.

The town has a reputation for having a particularly conservative nature (although it was in a Labour constituency from 1997 to 2005). Until recently there were no public houses within its boundaries, although there have long been bars serving alcohol in the various seafront hotels, and at the Golf and War Memorial clubs. The first public house in the town was opened in 2000.

Religion

Frinton contains a large number of active churches. There are two Anglican parish churches: the church of St. Mary the Virgin is Norman in parts and was once the smallest church in England. The church of St. Mary Magdalene was built in 1928 to accommodate increasing numbers of worshippers from St. Mary the Virgin. Across the road from St. Mary Magadalene is the Evangelical Gospel Chapel. Frinton also has a Methodist church, a Free church; a hall of Christian Scientists and a Roman Catholic church (the Church of the Sacred Heart), the last having the architectural distinction of occupying a converted cinema. There is also a small convent of nuns who founded the independent St. Philomena's Day School for 4-to-11-year-olds.

Notable residents

The actor Ross Davidson was living in Frinton-on-Sea at the time of his death in October 2006.

The actor James McKenna, who plays Jack Osborne in Hollyoaks, currently resides there.

References

External links

* [http://www.frinton.org Unofficial Frinton on sea website]
* [http://www.essexphotos.co.uk Essex Photos]
* [http://www.bigl.co.uk BIGL Radio has studios in Frinton]