More Noteworthy buildings and structures

Grade II listed structures

There are three structures within the Chalkwell ward that have been given Grade II listed status:

Chalkwell Hall

Chalkwell Hall, a Georgian farmhouse on four floors, built in 1830, now sits at the centre of Chalkwell Park. It gained Grade II listed status in 1974. In its listing particulars it is described by Historic England as follows: “3 window range on the north front and 3 window range on the south, double hung sashes with glazing bars, in plain reveals. The ground storey on the south front has French casements with a modern canopy and wood balcony across the front. The north front has a central doorway with projecting plain pilasters and an open pediment. Both fronts have plain end pilasters and raised bands between the storeys.” However, the south face has since been altered, with the removal of the canopy and wood balcony, while a new access ramp has been added to the north face.

Palace Theatre

 Plans for the Palace Theatre were drawn up in 1905 and it was originally intended to be an Opera House. However, when The New Palace Theatre eventually opened in 1912 it offered “Cinema and Vaudeville, The Best of Both”. Originally accommodating 1,200 seated and 300 standing guests (now 603 seated guests) it was one of many theatres and cinemas in Westcliff and the wider area. It was donated to Southend Council in 1942 by the owner, Mrs Gertrude Mouillot. Today it features a busy programme of entertainment under the banner of Southend Theatres. The Palace Theatre gained Grade II listed status in 1974.

The Crowstone

The first Crowstone was installed on what was originally the shoreline in 1285, marking the end of the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority on the Thames and visited by the Lord Mayor of London every seven years. Over the centuries the Crowstone has been replaced several times and the current version, dated 1837, was Grade II listed in 2021. An earlier version featuring the barely visible names of London Mayors of old can be seen in Priory Park.

Conservation areas

There are two conservation areas within the Chalkwell ward:

Crowstone Conservation Area

The Crowstone Conservation Area is designated by Southend Council and includes seven properties on Chalkwell seafront: 7 Chalkwell Esplanade, Crowstone House, Hamilton Grange and 30-34 The Leas.

Crowstone House

Imposing Edwardian Crowstone House was originally built as a private residence. Its front elevation dates to 1905 and the building was extended in 1913 for use as a school. According to Southend Council’s Conservation Appraisal, “The building displays many of the characteristic features of seaside buildings of the era: the front elevation is of red brick, with projecting bays and balconies with railings. The large gable on the south elevation has false timber framing in the Arts and Crafts style. In contrast, its most significant feature, the ornate three-story corner belvedere tower, with decorative stucco render, oval windows, and lead dome, is Edwardian baroque, comparable to the tower of the Kursaal.”

The house was in use as a school until 1928, when it was auctioned off. In more recent years it has been used as a residential care home.

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The Leas Conservation Area

The Leas Conservation Area lies at the eastern edge of the Chalkwell ward, which did not form part of the original Chalkwell estate. It runs along the seafront, up towards Station Road, and extending beyond the ward boundary into the Milton ward.

Southend Council’s Conservation Area Appraisal for The Leas observes that, in its major period of development between 1900-1922, it was transformed from a rural backwater into a smart suburban area featuring substantial homes and elegant hotels. It further notes that although many of the original villas remain, the character of the area has changed owing to modern alterations and sometimes insensitive development. Small things such as the loss of trees and front gardens, removal of towers and addition of dormer windows have diluted some of its character.

Key roads and buildings in The Leas conservation area that lie within Chalkwell are:

Cobham Road, nos 2, 3, and 5

Pembury Road, nos 2-22, nos 3-5 and nos 15-39

Palmerston Road (east side only is in Chalkwell) – all properties except no 29 Jersey House, Princes Lodge, Palmerston Court and The Colonnade

The Leas – nos 2-21 consecutively

Among the above addresses, two within Chalkwell ward have additionally been designated as Locally Listed Buildings:

21 The Leas (Henleaze)

Described in Southend Council’s appraisal of the conservation area as  “a distinctive feature of the street scene”, this is a large, three storey building which faces the sea. It is characterised by its red-tiled, pitched roof with a central curved gable “of unique design”, as well as its ground, first and second floor balconies with decorative, white-painted timber balustrades. Although it has been fitted with replacement PVC windows, its double front doors appear to be original, along with stained glass panels above the windows.

20 Pembury Road (Ozone Cottage)

Bracingly named Ozone Cottage in Pembury Road was designed by Parker & Unwin. It was singled out and described by architectural historian Nicolas Pevsner as possessing a “narrow front, central canted bay rising through eaves like a large dormer”.

Chalkwell Shelter

Completed as part of the original layout of Westcliff seafront, the Chalkwell Shelter, with its distinctive 1920s architecture, was one of the first buildings to be constructed along Chalkwell Esplanade in 1927. The Shelter is currently home to the Chalkwell Lifeguards, a Volunteer Rescue Unit founded in 1978 to save lives at sea and on the mudbanks at Chalkwell. The boardwalk on the foreshore has recently been repaired and additional funding granted for the steps to be upgraded.

The Hards

Directly adjacent to the Crowstone and further east along the shoreline lie two abandoned pathways going out into the deeper water that becomes the Ray tributary of the Thames. It is suggested that these pathways were causeways or slipways for fishing boats to reach deeper water potentially to serve the Leigh oyster industry. Known as the ‘Hards’ or ‘Hard Paths’ their exact origins are not know. Opinions on when they were built range from the 1700s, when the Southend oyster fishery was of national importance, to the 1900s. It is further suggested that they were built of elm decking wide enough to allow horses and carts to transport oysters out to the Ray and bring cargo ashore. The Hards, which today serve as a guide to safe passage for those walking out to the Ray at low tide, are in a state of disrepair and there is concern that these distinctive landmarks of Chalkwell may be lost.

Chalkwell Bowls Club

Situated on Chalkwell Promenade, this club, which celebrated its centenary in 2023, has as its club-house a distinctive, thatched building, pictured below.

Further examples and descriptions of noteworthy buildings and structures in Chalkwell may be seen in our publication Chalkwell: A Character Study (2025). For further information, please contact us via the website.