Southend On Sea, England
Southend-on-Sea-Where-The-Sea-Sometimes-Is
"Home of the world's longest pier and the world's shortest tides"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield bearing the world's longest pleasure pier stretching improbably toward a horizon where the sea has clearly gone on its lunch break, flanked by two jellied eel tins rampant. Above, a seagull mid-theft clutches a Rossi's ice cream, motto scroll beneath reading 'Sooner or Later, The Tide Returns'.
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Walked the pier because I heard it was the longest in the world, ended up questioning my life choices around the 1.3 mile mark with no train in sight. The arcade lights were doing their best 1987 impression and I respect the commitment. Cockles were genuinely great, saw a kiss-me-quick hat being worn unironically, and the sunset over the estuary almost made up for the fact the tide had vanished to Kent. Would return, mainly out of morbid curiosity about the pier train timetable."— Barry Winklestone, Basildon
Property Listing
Stunning coastal residence in vibrant Southend-on-Sea, mere minutes from the iconic pier, award-winning cockle sheds, and London (via a 55-minute train that occasionally runs to schedule)! Enjoy sweeping estuary views, a thriving nightlife scene along the seafront, and the unbeatable lifestyle perk of living somewhere the sea visits rather than resides.
Twinned With
Blackpool — Both built entire identities around a very long pier and the heroic denial that the weather is a problem.
Supporting Evidence
Southend Pier is officially the longest pleasure pier in the world at 1.34 miles, complete with its own train, because walking to Kent-adjacent water levels was never going to happen on foot.