Beacon Hill Beach (Harwich)

This shingle beach stretches down from Beacon Cliffs in a south-westerly direction, just to the south of the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers.  The beach has views towards the cranes and industrial buildings of Felixstowe.

The estuary is known to have been fortified since at least Roman times.  At the north-eastern end of the beach, one finds the solitary buildings of Beacon Hill Fort. There has been a fort on this exact spot since the time of Henry VIIIth. 

In the Second World War, a gun battery, known as Cornwallis Battery was built here.  Today most of the remains of the fort are inaccessible, but the former radar tower is generally open to the public in summer, for a small entrance fee, on one Sunday each month.