Child friendly spots on the East Coast

Malish

Malish

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 Nov 2004
Messages
3,958
Location
Rochester, UK, boat in SYH
Visit site
Having fairly recently moved from the status of cruising couple to cruising couple with two nippers (aged 1 and a bit and 3) our crusing habits are changing a bit and I am trying to identify locations on the East Coast (read greater Thames Estuary) which could be seen child friendly. By that I mean reasonable shore access (marina or sheltered anchorage with short tender trip) with a play area or at least space close by for them to run about when ashore with some degree of safety. What I want to avoid are marinas where the onshore consists of little more than a busy grotty car park, workshops and a boat park, where the bar is not child friendly or where the only grassy area is sprinkled with dog mess. I am not saying that every location we visit must fit these criteria ('twould be a short cruise!) but I am minded there may be locations that we have not already thought of (with a 4'8" fin keel) . My off the cuff list of places that ticks the vist box is

Gillingham Marina (home port)
Queenborough
Ramsgate
Burnham
Osea
Brightlingsea?
Stone Point
Ramsholt and the Rocks
Woodbridge
Orford
Aldeburgh
Southwold
Lowestoft (RNSYC)

I appreciate the response that cruising is what you make of it but over the next few years I want the nippers to ask to go cruising not see it as an imposition. Can the forum offer other locations?
 
When our's were that age, we always seemed to gravitate back to Stone point because the sprogs really only wanted a beach and other kids to play with. Also you can get into Titchmarsh for water, stores and adult conversation.
Another one to add to your list could be Felixstowe Ferry, if you can get a mooring near the landing.
Good pub, cafes & club, nice [shingly] beach, fresh fish and golf [if you like that sort of thing].
 
In our day, child-friendly meant having a pub with a separate room where children could legally sit, without having to play out in the cold. This often meant ploughing through the mud at places like Pin Mill. Our 2-yr-old was especially fond of Orford, but for what reason, I don't know.
 
Royal Harwich YC at Woolverstone on the Orwell, our marina is not expensive, there is a large expanse of lawn for playing on, there is a small play area with swings. We have toys in the foyer and even child sized chairs and tables in the clubroom. Bar and catering of course.

We regard ourselves as very child and visitor friendly.

Pin Mill and the Butt & Oyster pub is a mile along the pleasant riverside footpath. Although with such small children you may not wish to venture so far?
 
Leighb said:
Royal Harwich YC at Woolverstone on the Orwell, our marina is not expensive, there is a large expanse of lawn for playing on, there is a small play area with swings. We have toys in the foyer and even child sized chairs and tables in the clubroom. Bar and catering of course.
Click to expand...

This is now the prefered weekend stop over for my two (5 and 6) with Stone point a close second. Osea Island is a fave of mine, but that means more time sailing there and less on the beach.
 
The question mark next to Brightlingsea needs to be removed!
All you will need is some bait and a crab line.......and a big bucket.

Harry Ferry is local and does have a rough and ready outside play area next to the pub.

Having cruised with ours from age 3 upwards I would say anything over a couple of hours is a big trip for tiddlers, ie crashing down to Ramsgate on Saturday and coming back Sunday not good!

They need a couple of days somewhere to explore it and enjoy living on the boat. The Blackwater for a week is great, loads of easy 2 hour trips. Tailor your sailing to them and all will be well. (I'm sure you know all this already!)
 
Another vote for Tollesbury, we had a happy year there with very young children. Maldon quay is possible because of the town to explore. Tidemill at Woodbridge has lots of grassy areas, a council swimming pool and it's a nice town (on your list I know). We had a nice few days at Snape when the youngest was 2 years old, Orford was sort of OK for two days but there's not a lot to do. Stone Point our lot call Pirate Island for obvious reasons and we've yet to sample the RHYC. The walks at Bradwell are some of the best on the East Coast and a nice marina.
 
Children friendly !!

Hi,
Would agree with most of your replies but would also cast a vote for Southwold. Friendly and between the visits moorings and town there is 1/2 mile of fields/heather/blackberry bushes and another footpath goes via the fab beaches. Wrong time Stone point can get busy.

Col.

We are based Ipswich
 
East Coast Children

Our children are now 14 (x2) and 23 so the priorities have changed somewhat, but when they were little some of the places that worked for them were:

Stone Point, including leaving the boat at anchor and taking the dinghy up into Walton on the tide for a trip to the pier and shopping, beach and long grass ocasional wild camping,

Hamford Water with dinghy trips up the creeks to see the see the seals (loads of them),

Titchmarsh child friendly bar plus crabbing in the marina and walk/cab into town for beach, pier, fish and chips etc.,

Brightlingsea for crabbing (142 in an hour caught on squid is the boat record) swimming pool, park with playground, easy shopping, bus into Colchester for cinema and posh swimming pool with flumes etc longish walk into Clacton via Point Clear then cab back

Burnham for trains to Southend, cinema, park with playground, long walk along the seafront, dogs, easy shopping

Calais, good beach with trampolines etc. easy shopping, often lots of other kids on boats (Dutch and Norwegian), fishing in the marina, often fun fair etc in town square,

Ramsgate, good beach, donkey rides, cinema, shopping, bus to Margate for funfair that I think has now closed down for good, walk to Broadstairs with a stop to see the parrots in the park, ice cream parlour
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top