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Old Images of Harwich, Essex

 Glimpse history through old images of Harwich, Essex, England.

Floating Train 1926

Filmed between the two world wars, this black and white silent footage shows the men and horses of the 17th Medium Battery arriving on a ship at Harwich, along with the train they had boarded in Cologne, Germany.



From Cologne To Harwich & Cuts (1926) - British Pathé on YouTube

Harwich Regatta 1934

By the time this brief newsreel clip from 1934 was filmed, the annual racing events for both yachts and working boats at Harwich had been held for just over a century.



Harwich Regatta (1934) - British Pathé on YouTube

Refugees from Germany 1938

Things were getting dire in Germany in 1938 for anyone who didn't support the ultra right wing government and many families had begun to flee.

The refugees arriving at Harwich are just the first 40 seconds. After that there are a couple of minutes of an unrelated boxing match.


GERMANY: Refugees arrive at Harwich (1938) - British Pathé on YouTube - no longer on YouTube

Historic Book

Extract from: The Sea-side Visitors'Guide, Showing at a Glance where to Go-how to Get There-what to See, Etc, by Charles Henry Montague CLARKE

Published in 1872

Pages 49 & 50

HARWICH , ESSEX .
69 miles north - east of London ,
FROM BISHOPSGATE STREET .
FARES .
1st Class , 14s . 6d .; 2nd , 11s . 6d .; 3rd , 8s . 9d .; Par . , 58. 91d . Return tickets ,
available for 2 days , 1st Class , 24s . 3d .; 2nd , 19s . 3d .
Average time of travelling , 3 hours .


HOTELS .
Great Eastern , The Pier , Three Cups .

HARWICH is a seaport and market town in the county of Essex ,
north - east by east from London , and containing about 5000 inhabitants .


It is situated on the extremity of a tongue of land projecting into the
estuary of the Stour and Orwell , 15 miles north - east of Colchester ;
and consists of three principal streets well paved and lighted with gas .


The name of this place is expressive of circumstances connected with
its early history , being derived from the Saxon Harewic , signifying a
station or harbour for soldiers .

The Romans had a camp here in
early days ; and the bones of large animals are found in the southern
cliff , which are , by some antiquarians , supposed to be the remains of
elephants brought into England by the Emperor Claudius .


It would be useless to mention all the circumstances which give
Harwich a prominent place in English history ; but we may observe
that , in 885 , a considerable battle was fought near this port , between the fleet of Alfred and sixteen Danish ships , which terminated in the
entire defeat and capture of the latter ; that , in 1338 , Edward III .
embarked here with a fleet of five hundred sail , manned with archers
and slingers , on his first expedition against France ; and that the
Princess of Mecklenburgh - Strelitz landed at this port on her arrival
in England to celebrate her nuptials with King George III .


Ship - building and the fisheries are extensively carried on here , and
Roman cement is largely manufactured from a stone dredged at the mouth
of the harbour - which is one of the best on the east coast of England ,
being at once safe and capacious , and having water sufficient to float
the largest ships of war .

The entrance is , however , encumbered with
rocks , and dangerous without a pilot .


Harwich is governed by a mayor , four aldermen , and twelve councillors .


Its chief church , St. Nicholas , is a large brick edifice in the Perpen
dicular style , with stone buttresses and steeple , erected in 1821.

There
are also chapels for Independents , Wesleyans , Methodists , and Baptists ;
a grammar school , town hall , gaol , theatre , assembly rooms , baths , and
custom house .


In summer Harwich is much frequented for sea - bathing .


Quantities of amber and transparent pebbles are occasionally found
on the shore .


Population , 6107 .

Labels:
Location: Harwich, UK

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