| Harwich | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Harwich Location within Essex | |
| Population | 17,684 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TM243313 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HARWICH |
| Postcode district | CO12 |
| Dialling code | 01255 |
| Police | Essex |
| Fire | Essex |
| Ambulance | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Harwich /ˈhærɪtʃ/ is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on-Sea to the south. It is the northernmost coastal town in Essex.
Its position on the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers, with its usefulness to mariners as the only safe anchorage between the Thames and the Humber, led to a long period of civil and military maritime significance. The town became a naval base in 1657 and was heavily fortified,[2] with Harwich Redoubt, Beacon Hill Battery, and Bath Side Battery.
Harwich is the likely launch point of the Mayflower, which carried English Puritans to North America, and is the presumed birthplace of Mayflower captain Christopher Jones.
Harwich today is contiguous with Dovercourt and the two, along with Parkeston, are often referred to collectively as Harwich.
- ^ "Town population 2011". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Trollope, C., "The Defences of Harwich", Fort (Fortress Study Group), 1982, (10), pp5-31