Seal colony watching join-in boat tour from Harwich port

Work began on this pier in 1852 and it was opened on the 2nd of July 1853. It was so-called because of the ½d toll charged (like a platform ticket). Originally the pier was twice as long as the present one but one half burnt down in 1927. It was a popular departure point for paddle steamers until after the First World War. The Pier Ticket Office is charming, typical example of late 19th century architecture. It previously had two storeys, but was without the bell cage. The ticket office now houses the Ha’penny Pier Visitor Centre (an information office for Old Harwich run by the Harwich Society). The Visitor Centre is open daily from May 1st until the 2nd weekend in September. It also houses the ‘Harwich and the New World’ exhibition which has free admission and gives information on links with early voyages of exploration including Jamestown and Christopher Newport and the Mayflower and Christopher Jones.

Constructed in 1853 it was a popular departure point for paddle steamers until the First World War. The name of the pier originates from the ½d (half an old penny) toll that was charged. Today, the charming and typically 19th century ticket office is home to the local historical society. The Visitor Centre is open daily from 1 May to 30 September and free guided tours of Old Harwich run every Wednesday and Saturday in the summer at 2pm. The pier also has a cafe, free moorings for visiting yachtsmen, and provides the best vantage point to see ships coming in and out of the Haven.

Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest, and Clacton-on-Sea to the south. It is the northernmost coastal town within Essex. Its position on the estuaries of the Stour and Orwell rivers and its usefulness to mariners as the only safe anchorage between the Thames and the Humber led to a long period of maritime significance, both civil and military. The town became a naval base in 1657 and was heavily fortified, with Harwich Redoubt, Beacon Hill Battery, and Bath Side Battery. Harwich is the likely launch point of the Mayflower which carried English Puritans to North America and is the presumed birthplace of Mayflower Captain Christopher Jones. Harwich today is contiguous with Dovercourt and the two, along with Parkeston, are often referred to collectively as Harwich.