Thorpe Bay is an area within the borough of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England located on the Thames Estuary. Thorpe Bay is situated within the Thorpe ward of Southend-on-Sea. It is around 4 miles to the east of Southend. Originally the area was called Thorpe, but it was renamed Thorpe Bay, after the railway station. The station had been given the name to indicate that it was a seaside settlement. The majority of Thorpe Bay consists of residential properties, mainly built in the 1920s, arranged in a grid pattern.
Location
Thorpe Bay can be defined as the area between the eastern side of Thorpe Hall Avenue to the west, Thorpe Bay beach to the south, Maplin Way to the east,, up to Station Road.
Shopping
The main shopping area, named 'The Broadway' – after the road on which it lies – is a parade of retail shops and restaurants, as well as medical and professional practices.
Thorpe Bay has one of Southend-on-Sea's main golf courses, the Thorpe Hall Golf Club. Thorpe Bay Bowling Club and Lawn Tennis Club are located in close proximity to each other on the north side of Thorpe Esplanade. As well as these clubs, Thorpe Bay Yacht Club is also situated along the seafront, to the eastern end of Thorpe Bay. These clubs are private organisations open for annual membership. Thorpe Bay does not have a cinema, a theatre or any other major cultural amenities, but leisure organisations, in addition to those already mentioned, include Thorpe Bay Bridge Club, The Rotary Club of Thorpe Bay and a well-equipped fitness gym.
Politics
, representing the Conservative Party, has been Thorpe Bay's member of parliament since 2005. Thorpe Bay is part of the Thorpe Ward of Southend-on-Sea. The ward currently has three independent councillors. These are Cllr Ron Woodley, Cllr Mike Stafford and Cllr Martin Terry.
Schools
Thorpe Bay only has a small number of schools, such as Bournes Green Infants and Junior School, which lies just above the Station Road northern boundary. As well as this, Thorpe Bay contains Thorpe Hall School, a non-selective, coeducational, independent day school.
Religion
There has been a church in Thorpe Bay since 1913. The three churches in Thorpe Bay include St. Augustine's Parish Church on St. Augustine's Avenue; Thorpe Bay Methodist Church on The Broadway, whose architectural predecessor was erected in 1921; and St. Gregory's Roman Catholic Chapel of Ease, opened in 1928, which sits opposite the Methodist church on The Broadway.
