The Naze Centre opens
Tuesday 24th May 2016
The Naze Centre, our new visitor centre at Walton’s historic Naze, is open!
The state of the art visitor and education centre will be open weekdays and weekends throughout the year. An official opening will follow this September.
The Naze Centre will provide information and facilities for visitors to the Naze, as well as running events and educational facilities for a wide range of school and college groups. Events next week, during half-term, include guided walks, a sandcastle-building competition and fossil hunts.
The Naze is one of the textbook case studies, covering such aspects as wildlife, fossils, geology, coastal processes and coastal communities.
Essex Wildlife Trust has four staff based at The Naze Centre: a Team Leader/Centre Manager, an Assistant Centre Manager and two Education Rangers. Volunteers will also play an integral role.
The Naze Centre is designed by Laurie Wood Associates and was constructed by Cadman Construction Ltd. Essex Wildlife Trust now runs 11 visitor centres in Essex. The Trust works with several partners at the Naze, via the Naze Management Board.
Lisa Smart, Essex Wildlife Trust’s Operations Manager, said: “We are very excited to be opening The Naze Centre. Open all year, it will be a focal point for the Naze, championing its rich history, natural history and more. Please come to vist us - we look forward to providing a warm welcome.
“We would like to thank all contributors to the project, especially our major funder, the Coastal Communities Fund, and our project partners, Tendring District Council (TDC) and the Naze Management Board.”
Nick Turner, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Coastal Protection, said he is delighted that both residents and visitors can now make use of the new centre.
“This has been a very successful and well-managed project and now that the building is open to the public I am sure that it will be very well-used,” he added.
“It will become an important facility and attraction along the Tendring coastline and a vital addition to what we have on offer at Walton.”
The Naze Centre is at The Naze, Old Hall Lane, CO14 8LE; phone number 01255 679379.
More details: The Naze Centre