Discover Harwich

Harwich offers travellers interested in maritime history and historic architecture several clear points of interest. If you are looking for a hotel in Harwich, you can plan your stay around your own priorities: Old Harwich features a medieval street layout, the Redoubt represents the town’s harbour defences, and cranes, lighthouses and a lightship point to different aspects of seafaring. The structures also date from distinctly different periods.

Fortress, Old Town and Lighthouses

Harwich Redoubt has a circular plan and a diameter of 61 metres. The fortified structure, listed Grade II*, was built between 1807 and 1809 on the orders of Major Bryce, the Royal Engineer responsible for the Eastern District. It was intended to protect Harwich’s deep-water harbour from an invasion or attack by Napoleon’s troops. The Redoubt’s size, construction period and defensive purpose give it a clear place in the town’s military history.

Old Harwich offers a different focus: the streets of this notable Conservation Area follow a grid laid out in the Middle Ages. Georgian and early Victorian buildings with brick façades shape the historic built environment. The High Lighthouse, built in 1818, now houses a museum of local history. Harwich therefore brings together a medieval town plan and a later lighthouse now used as a museum. A church has also stood on the site of St Nicholas Church since 1177.

Maritime Technology and Museums

The Treadwheel Crane was built in 1667 on the site of the Naval Yard, now Navyard. Around 1932, it was moved to its present location on Harwich Green. As far as is known, Harwich has Britain’s only example of a human-powered, two-wheel treadwheel crane. Its construction date, relocation and technical distinction make it a separate point of interest alongside the lighthouses and harbour defences.

The lightship LV18 was built in 1957 and is moored in the River Stour off Harwich Quay. Evening tours and visits for educational groups are available on the LV18 by arrangement. Harwich Maritime Museum is housed in the former Low Lighthouse. Its collections and exhibitions include nautical memorabilia, Royal Navy themes and material on local commercial shipping. The museum’s displays therefore add military and commercial aspects to the picture of Harwich’s seafaring history.

Harwich Maritime Museum is a five-minute walk from Harwich Town station. It can also be reached on foot from Felixstowe via the foot passenger ferry. If you plan to make this crossing, check the ferry timetable in advance.

Other Places and Practical Information

Harwich’s Guildhall is a Grade I listed building; its current design dates from 1769. The Electric Palace Cinema was built in 1911 and is one of the oldest surviving cinemas in Britain built specifically as a cinema and remaining substantially unaltered. Together with the church on the site of St Nicholas, the Guildhall and cinema offer further points of reference for placing Harwich’s architectural and urban history in context.

The Harwich Society offers free guided tours for individuals every Saturday from May to September. They start at 2 pm at the Ha’penny Pier Visitor Centre; advance booking is not required. The regular day, seasonal period and meeting point make it easier to plan a suitable date. Evening tours and visits for educational groups on the LV18 are available by arrangement.

The Harwich Harbour Foot and Cycle Ferry connects with bus services and enables onward travel to Felixstowe and the Shotley Peninsula. It can therefore be useful when finding your way around areas beyond Harwich. Check the timetable if you include a ferry crossing in your plans. You can choose between a ferry trip, a guided walk and visits to historic sites, each with a different focus, without combining the individual offerings into a single tour.

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