Leigh-on-Sea is a civil parish in Essex. It is a district of Southend-on-Sea, with its own town council, and is at present the only civil parish within the borough. The town is located on the northern edge of the Thames estuary, being only several miles from the open waters of the North Sea and from the Kent coast. Featuring on the town's coastal area is a nature reserve at Two Tree Island and a centrally located beach alongside Bell Wharf. Leigh's foreshore is mostly viewed as being an area with notable mud flats and creeks when the water is at low tide. Between the 1870s and the 1920s, Broadway, formerly a residential street, was changed into a commercial parade of shopfronts. In the 1930s, London Road and Leigh Road additionally ended up being identified as commercial roads, holding shops, workshops, commercial properties, and leisure venues. Due to the dominance of 24 hour grocery stores and online shopping from the 1990s, much of the town's independent firms underwent redevelopment, with bars, cafés, eateries, galleries and gift shops replacing many of the traditional shops. Continuing city regeneration continues to attract brand-new homeowners to the town, as well as intending to accommodate for the growth in Southend's increased population. With a population of over 20000, Leigh was graded by Rightmove's 2016 Happy at Home Index as the happiest area to live in Great Britain, with attention being drawn to the strong community spirit, a sense of belonging, and excellent access to sports and arts ventures. A number of local activities are well established, such as the Leigh Regatta, taking place over one September weekend, the Leigh Folk Festival and the Leigh Art Trail. For all your house upgrades, make certain to make use of trustworthy experts in Leigh-on-Sea to make certain of quality.