"Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland".
In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton, under the Nase".

The Naze is a peninsula north of the town.
It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve.
The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and Brent geese.
Many bird watchers visit at migration times.

The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast.
It is now privately owned and open to visitors.

Originally, Walton was a farming village situated miles inland.
Over the centuries a large extent of land has been lost to the sea due to coastal erosion.
The site of the medieval village of Walton now lies nine miles out to sea; its old church finally succumbed in July 1798.
Its last service was held on 22 July 1798.
This loss of land to the sea is recorded on a Canon's stall in St Paul's Cathedral with the inscription Consumpta per Mare.

The Naze continues to erode rapidly (at about 2 metres per year), threatening the tower and wildlife.
The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls.
The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork to investigate erosion and ways to protect the coast.
Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage.
Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding.
However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded.
It is receding fast, and within 50 years Naze Tower may tumble into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.

The cliffs themselves are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the base of which is London Clay (54 million years old) which is overlaid with a 2-million-year-old sandy deposit of Red Crag.
This sandy deposit contains many fossils including bivalve and gastropod shells, sharks' teeth and whale bones.
The clay base is considered one of the best sites for pyritised fossils (mainly wood) and for bird bones (which are very rare).
"Naze" derives from Old English næss "ness, promontory, headland". In 1722 Daniel Defoe mentions the town calling it "Walton, under the Nase".
The Naze is a peninsula north of the town. It is important for migrating birds and has a small nature reserve. The marshes of Hamford Water behind the town are also of ornithological interest, with wintering ducks and Brent geese. Many bird watchers visit at migration times.
The Hanoverian tower (more commonly known as the Naze Tower) at the start of the open area of the Naze was a sea mark to assist ships on this otherwise fairly featureless coast. It is now privately owned and open to visitors.
Originally, Walton was a farming village situated miles inland. Over the centuries a large extent of land has been lost to the sea due to coastal erosion. The site of the medieval village of Walton now lies nine miles out to sea; its old church finally succumbed in July 1798. Its last service was held on 22 July 1798. This loss of land to the sea is recorded on a Canon's stall in St Paul's Cathedral with the inscription Consumpta per Mare.
The Naze continues to erode rapidly (at about 2 metres per year), threatening the tower and wildlife. The Naze Protection Society was formed to campaign for erosion controls. The Naze has become popular for school fieldwork to investigate erosion and ways to protect the coast. Protection includes a sea wall, a riprap, groynes and a permeable groyne as well as drainage. Millions of tons of sand have been added to the beach to replenish it and stop the cliff eroding. However, the cliff near Naze Tower is greatly eroded. It is receding fast, and within 50 years Naze Tower may tumble into the sea like the pill boxes that can be seen on the beach.
The cliffs themselves are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the base of which is London Clay (54 million years old) which is overlaid with a 2-million-year-old sandy deposit of Red Crag. This sandy deposit contains many fossils including bivalve and gastropod shells, sharks' teeth and whale bones. The clay base is considered one of the best sites for pyritised fossils (mainly wood) and for bird bones (which are very rare).
Walton-on-the-Naze