Hotels in Harwich, Essex
Harwich is the idyllic seaside town that is famous for its association with both architecture and naval tradition. Located in the upper northeast of Essex, it remains as one of the five haven ports, along with Felixstowe and Ipswich among others. Harwich currently specialises in ferry journeys across the North Sea to Holland and Germany. Harwich excels in commercial travel, with Hundreds of ferry's lined with various goods leaving Harwich International Harbour each week.
This makes the town of Harwich one of the major exporters in the UK.
Book Online Now and find the lowest prices for Hotels in Harwich.
Book Harwich Hotels Online Now
What to see and do in Harwich
Harwich’s positioning has made it a welcome base for the country’s navy for several years. Although it currently does not have any naval ships residing in the harbour, it is still one of the most vibrant ports on the east coast.
For a town with merely 15,000 permanent residents Harwich has still managed to harbour some of the 17th century’s most influential figures. The legendry diarist Samuel Pepys was the Member of Parliament for Harwich during the late 1600’s. Pepys spent most of his time away from the settlement, conducting affairs in London. It was here where he became so prominent for his work on a diary that he comprised over 10 years. The document detailed many national events, which changed the landscape of both London and England. Although the diary discussed his envy of certain gentry, political opinion and personal life events, it is the coverage of the great fire of London in 1666 for which it is most notorious. The way in which it is written coupled with the significant dramas that it commentates on has made ‘The diary of Samuel Pepys’ a social document in the UK and one of the most famous non-fiction titles of the past 500 years.
Harwich was also the launch pad for the famous maritime figure, Christopher Jones. Jones was one of the most well respected sailors of the 17th century, and captained many voyages that left from the east Essex port. Perhaps most famously, Jones was the Master on the journey across the Atlantic to founder the Plymouth Colony.
Harwich is a relatively modest town in terms of history, receiving its charter in 1238. Although reasonably non-descript in terms of development and industry, its positioning has always made it a popular target for invading forces. Specifically, Harwich is famous for being the location of William of Orange’s ill-fated attack in 1668. The durability of the town has led to it being referred to as an ‘impenetrable force’ by some 19th century poets.
As previously mentioned, Harwich is somewhat of an enigma when it comes to architecture. The main high street is an environmentally protected area and mirrors the landscape of the town during the middle ages. Nowhere else on the British Isles do you get such a reminder of an archaic time than by walking through Harwich. This is also combined with a stunning collection of neo-gothic architecture and a handful of grade 1 listed buildings. It seems that Harwich truly is the destination if you wish to capture the past of England.
Search for hotels and Guesthouses in Harwich with the hotel search form above.