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town in Essex, England
Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > England > East of England > Essex (England) > Harwich (England)

King's Head Street

Harwich, pronounced 'Harich' or 'Harridge', is a port town in Essex, East Anglia.

The ancient town centre is predominantly residential with a series of independent shops and the Harwich Redoubt Fort built in 1808 to defend its port against a Napoleonic invasion. Dovercourt boasts a sandy beach and seafront parade.

Harwich lies at the point where the rivers Stour and Orwell meet, opposite the UK's largest container port at Felixstowe, in Suffolk. Ferries operate daily between Harwich and the Hook of Holland (Netherlands Netherlands), around 10 miles south of The Hague city centre and just under 55 miles south of Amsterdam.

Get in

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By air

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Essex's two international airports are London Stansted Airport (STN IATA) and London Southend Airport (SEN IATA). Neither has a direct public transport link to Harwich.

Several international operators fly into London Stansted Airport, with routes from across the UK, Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. By road, the link Stansted Airport with Harwich. By bus, Airlink X20 connects Stansted Airport with Colchester (including overnight services), with connecting routes 102/104 to Harwich (daytimes only).

Southend Airport is a small international airport, with routes from destinations in Europe.

Alternatively, Norwich Airport (NWI IATA) lies around 75 mi (121 km) by road from Harwich, with a small selection of domestic and international flights.

By train

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Harwich, including the international port, is served by Greater Anglia trains, on the Mayflower Line.

There are three stations in Harwich and Dovercourt:

  • 1 Harwich International, Parkeston Quay, Harwich, CO12 4SR. Harwich International is linked to the passenger ferry terminal, off platform 1. Harwich International railway station (Q2058152) on Wikidata Harwich International on Wikipedia (updated Sep 2024)
  • 2 Dovercourt, Kingsway, Harwich, CO12 3AG. Around five minutes from Dovercourt Beach. Dovercourt railway station (Q2135790) on Wikidata Dovercourt railway station on Wikipedia (updated Sep 2024)
  • 3 Harwich Town, George St, Harwich, CO12 3NA. In the town centre, around five minutes' walk from the Ha'penny pier. Harwich Town railway station (Q4654950) on Wikidata Harwich Town railway station on Wikipedia (updated Sep 2024)

Trains operate from Manningtree, Mistley and Wrabness.

From London Liverpool Street (Interchange:  CEN   CIR   H&C   MET   ELI   WEA ), London Stratford (Interchange:  CEN   JUB   ELI   MLD ), Chelmsford and Colchester, join trains bound for Ipswich or Norwich and change at Manningtree for services into Harwich. A small number of trains operate direct from London Liverpool Street, London Stratford, Chelmsford and Colchester.

From Norwich and Ipswich, join trains bound for London Liverpool Street and change at Manningtree for services into Harwich. A small number of trains operate direct from Ipswich, Cambridge and Lowestoft, which do not call at Manningtree.

Stena Line sells Dutchflyer Rail and Sail tickets, inclusive of travel from any Greater Anglia station to Harwich International, plus a North Sea crossing to Hook of Holland. The Stena Line and Greater Anglia websites include the full terms and conditions.

By bus

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From Colchester, use routes 102/104. Longer distance routes into Colchester which connect with routes to Harwich include Airlink X20 from Stansted Airport, Great Dunmow, and Braintree, Essex Bus 71/X71/371 from Chelmsford, and National Express 717 from Stansted Airport and Ipswich. All require a change.

From Clacton-on-Sea, use route 3.

Route 22 operates within Harwich, between the international port and the town centre.

By road

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Harwich lies at the eastern end of the , which is part of European route . European routes (E-roads) are not signposted within the UK.

To access the (), leave () at Junction 29 near Colchester.

Harwich appears on signs from as far away as London and Catthorpe Interchange (near Rugby, Warwickshire). To join ():

By boat

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Harwich Harbour Ferry

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The Harwich Harbour Ferry operates between Shotley, Harwich and Felixstowe. Journeys between Harwich and Felixstowe take around 15 minutes.

The foot and bicycle ferry operates daily during spring, summer and autumn. Ferries arrive into 4 Ha'penny Pier in the town.

Hook of Holland

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From Netherlands Netherlands, Stena Line operates daytime and overnight ferries from Hook of Holland, near The Hague and Rotterdam.

Ferries carry motor vehicles across the North Sea, along with cyclists and passengers without vehicles.

By road, Hoek van Holland is signposted from from Rotterdam (via ) and from Amsterdam (via ).

By train, Hoek van Holland Haven is on the Rotterdam Metro  B  with trains direct from Beurs and Blaak in Rotterdam city centre. The Stena Line terminal is opposite the station, signposted for "England".

Stena Line sells Dutchflyer Rail and Sail tickets, inclusive of travel from any Greater Anglia station to Harwich International, plus a North Sea crossing to Hook of Holland. The Stena Line and Greater Anglia websites include the full terms and conditions.

By bicycle

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Harwich lies on National Cycle Route 51. The long-distance, signposted route has its western terminus in Oxford and passes through Bicester, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich before reaching Felixstowe. It follows mainly quiet, on-road routes, with some lengthy traffic-free sections through city and town centres, and in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

From Felixstowe, use the Harwich Harbour Ferry to cross into Harwich.

From Colchester, follow National Cycle Route 51 through Wivenhoe, Elmstead Market and Great Oakley into Harwich. The route follows local roads, except for a traffic-free section between Colchester and Wivenhoe, along the River Colne's north bank. This section is part of EuroVelo 2 (Capitals Route). The route ultimately connects Galway in Ireland with Moscow in Russia. Within the UK, EV2 connects the Port of Holyhead (ferries from Dublin), Bangor, Hay-on-Wye, Bristol, Bath, Reading, London, Harlow, Chelmsford, Colchester and Harwich International Port (ferries from Hook of Holland).

Get around

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Map
Map of Harwich (England)

Harwich is fairly small and it is eay to walk between all the main sights. First Bus runs two urban bus routes, the most useful of which is route 20 or 20A which run every 30 minutes between Old Harwich and Parkeston International Ferry Terminal and also serves the Parkeston Retail Park. Local trains bound for Manningtree also link the three railway stations (see Get Around/Rail) every hour. Driving a car around Harwich is easy - traffic is light and parking in the town centre is cheap.

Harwich Redoubt
Harwich Maritime Museum
Ha'penny Pier
Electric Palace Cinema

Local attractions include two lighthouses; the Electric Palace cinema, one of the oldest in Britain and now restored to its original state; the Redoubt fort, dating from the Napoleonic era; a lighthouse museum; a small beach; and of course ship-watching. Many attractions are open during the summer only.

  • 1 Harwich Redoubt. 1 May-31 Aug: daily 10AM-5PM. A circular fort built in 1808 to defend the port, restored by volunteers from the Harwich Society. Harwich Redoubt (Q5677857) on Wikidata Harwich Redoubt on Wikipedia (updated May 2017)
  • 2 Beacon Hill Battery, Barrack Ln, Harwich CO12 3NS. Late 19th/early 20th century coastal artillery fortification Beacon Hill Battery (Q4875953) on Wikidata Beacon Hill Battery on Wikipedia (updated May 2017)
  • 3 Maritime Museum, The Low Lighthouse, Harbour Crescent, Harwich, CO12 3NL, . May-Aug: F-Su 11AM-3PM. Adults £1; children free. (updated May 2017)
  • 4 Lifeboat Museum, 6 Wellington Rd, Harwich, CO12 3EJ. May-Aug 10AM-5PM. (updated May 2017)
  • 5 Ha'penny Pier, The Quay, Harwich, CO12 3HH. Wooden, working pier (updated May 2017)
  • 6 LV18 Lightvessel (Right at the end of the A120.), ☏ +44 7446 171320 (mobile). Mar-end Oct: daily 11AM-4PM. The last surviving example of a manned light vessel in British waters. Adults £2; children £1. (updated May 2017)
  • 7 High Lighthouse, West Street, Harwich, CO12 3DQ, ☏ +44 1255 506183, . Harwich High Lighthouse (Q17663783) on Wikidata Harwich High Lighthouse on Wikipedia (updated May 2017)
  • The Treadwheel Crane is the strange contraption on St Helen's Green, 100 yards east of the lighthouse. It worked from 1667 in the Navy dockyard but was moved here in 1932. The crane was powered by men walking within two wheels, which are within the pantiled hut, only open by arrangement. The main design flaw is that it doesn't have a brake, so if the load started to gather momentum, general wreckage could ensue.
  • 8 Mayflower Project, The Railyard, George St, Harwich, CO12 3ND, ☏ +44 1255 318023, . M-F 9AM-5PM. Project to reconstruct a full sized seaworthy replica of the Mayflower vessel. Visitors Centre. Harwich Mayflower Project (Q20642320) on Wikidata Harwich Mayflower Project on Wikipedia (updated May 2017)

Shopping in Harwich is limited, although there are some art, antique and book stores. Nearby Dovercourt has a number of small supermarkets, mainstream high-street shops, banks and so on, while the Parkeston area has Peacocks, B&M, Home Bargains and Argos. Harwich has several supermarkets including the Co-op in both Dovercourt High Street, and Fronks Road.

  • 1 Morrissons (Supermarket), Iconfield Park, Garland Rd, Harwich, CO12 4EN, ☏ +44 1255 556383. M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Also petrol station, cafe & Garden Centre (different hours from main store). ATMs. (updated May 2017)
  • 2 Asda (Supermarket), Main Road, Harwich, CO12 3HJ, ☏ +44 1255 202900. M-Sa 7AM-11PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Petrol station (different hours). ATMs. (updated May 2017)
  • 3 Lidl (Supermarket), Parkeston Rd, Harwich, CO12 4NX. M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM. (updated May 2017)

The Pier Hotel has a well-regarded restaurant specialising in seafood. The Pier Cafe, opposite the hotel on the pier itself, is especially popular during the summer. A number of pubs also serve food, notably the New Bell Inn (lunchtimes only).

Drink

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Popular pubs include the traditional New Bell Inn and Hanover and the Stingray with large-screen TV.

Sleep

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There are a number of Hotels, B&Bs and pubs with accommodation in or around Harwich.

Dovercourt offers a wider range of accommodation.

If camping, you will probably prefer to use campsites on the outskirts of Harwich, rather than the campsite near the center of Harwich.

Connect

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As of Feb 2023, Harwich and its approach roads have 4G from EE, Three and Vodafone, but a poor signal from O2. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

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Routes through Harwich
END ←  UK  NL  → E → Hook of Holland
London via A12 ← Colchester ←  W  E  → END


This city travel guide to Harwich is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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