Thorpe Bay
Thorpe Bay is an affluent area within the Borough of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England, situated on the Thames Estuary.
Thorpe Bay is situated within the Southend ward of Thorpe. It is around 4 miles to the east of Southend. Originally the area was called Thorpe, but it was renamed Thorpe Bay after the railway station. The station had been given the name to indicate that it was a seaside settlement. Thorpe Bay can be defined as the area between Liftstan Way to the west (beyond which is Southchurch), Maplin Way to the east, (beyond which is Shoeburyness), and Acacia Drive/Station Road to the north (beyond which is Bournes Green).
The main shopping area, named The Broadway, is a parade of shops and restaurants, surrounded by residential houses (mainly built in the 1920s) in a grid pattern. Thorpe Bay railway station is the penultimate station on the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line served by c2c from London Fenchurch Street (the last being Shoeburyness railway station). Consequently, a large number of residents commute to London. Thorpe Bay boasts one of the main golf clubs in Southend-on-Sea, the Thorpe Hall Golf Club. Thorpe Bay Bowling Club and Lawn Tennis Club are located on the north side of the B1016 (the main road along the seafront) in close proximity to each other and are private annual organisations open for membership, as is Thorpe Bay Yacht Club, a short way further down the seafront. Thorpe Bay has no cinema, theatre or other major cultural amenities, but leisure organisations in addition to those already mentioned include a bridge club and a coffee shop/bar with a gallery on the Broadway.
Schools
Thorpe Bay has four schools, Bournes Green Infants and Junior School and Thorpe Greenways Infants and Junior School. Also, it has Thorpe Bay High School (Futures College) and Southend High School for Girls.
Famous People
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- James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, lives in Thorpe Bay.
- Rachel Riley, co-presenter on the Channel 4 gameshow Countdown, also lives in the area.
- Jim Peters, marathon runner, was a resident of Thorpe Bay until his death on 9 January 1999, aged 80.
- Mark Foster (swimmer), lived in Thorpe Bay and was educated at Alleyn Court School.
Coordinates: 51°31′58″N 0°45′33″E / 51.53267°N 0.75909°E