Harwich is a town in the English county of Essex. Located on the coast in the Tendring district, it is near Felixstowe, Ipswich, Colchester and Clacton on Sea, and it is the most northern coastal town within Essex. Because of its position on the estuaries of the River Stour and River Orwell, together with its importance to mariners as being the only safe anchorage in between the Thames and the Humber, the town had significant civil and military maritime importance for a long period of time. In 1657, the town became a naval base and was highly fortified with the building of the Harwich Redoubt, Beacon Hill Battery, and Bath Side Battery. In accordance with the 2011 Census, the town has a population of around 17684. Even though it is a town of a reasonably modest size, Harwich has a high credibility for its architectural legacy. The town continues to be structured making use of the standard street plan incorporating principal thoroughfares connected by a number of small alleys, which indicates the town's medieval origins. The majority of the existing medieval structures are private homes, although there is a selection of public buildings of a historic nature. This includes the parish church of St. Nicholas, constructed in 1821 in a Gothic style, which contains a lot of the original furnishings and an organ. Only one building is Grade I listed, which is the Guildhall of 1769. A striking building is the Pier Hotel of 1860, renamed the Great Eastern Hotel of 1864, which is a brilliant demonstration of the town's changing role after the arrival of the railway line in Colchester, drawing in increasing quantities of visitors. For all your house upgrades, make sure to make use of trusted specialists in Harwich to make certain of quality.