Harwich is a town in the English county of Essex. Positioned 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. As a result of its position on the estuaries of the River Stour and River Orwell, in addition to its benefit to mariners as being the only safe anchorage in between the Thames and the Humber, the town had substantial civil and military maritime significance for a long time. In 1657, the town came to be a marine base and was heavily strengthened with the construction of the Harwich Redoubt, Beacon Hill Battery, and Bath Side Battery. According to the 2011 Census, the town has a population of around 17684. Although it is a town of a reasonably modest size, Harwich has a high track record for its architectural heritage. The town continues to be structured making use of the conventional street plan incorporating principal thoroughfares linked by a number of small alleys, which indicates the town's medieval origins. Most of the existing medieval structures are private homes, although there is a variety of public structures of a historic nature. This includes the parish church of St. Nicholas, constructed in 1821 in a Gothic style, which consists of a number of the original home furnishings and an organ. Just one structure 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 stunning demonstration of the town's changing role after the arrival of the railway line in Colchester, attracting increasing numbers of visitors. For all your house upgrades, make sure to make use of reputable specialists in Harwich to make certain of quality.