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I have heard so many tales told about Jaywick during my relatively short spell out here on the estuary wilds. I’ve heard the contradictions between art deco splendour and the dereliction and poverty of the place. I’ve heard about the pride that the locals have for the area and the ridicule that other North Essex folk inflict upon the village. I’ve heard about the unique charm of the Jaywick Martello Tower.

Time to explore for myself I thought, and so after a few false starts, Friday afternoon presented me with the perfect opportunity to become a back seat driver as the good @LeePugh10 put the pedal down and lived the dream with a road trip to Jaywick.

Some things hurt more than cars and girls, baby. Jaywick is sadly one of them.

I fell in love with area as soon as we started the descent down towards the sea. The randomness of Jaywick is unique and inspiring. A lone beach shop was optimistically pushing dinghies and beach balls during a blustery late May afternoon. The Brooklands estate carved out a community that you are unlikely to find in Clacton or Colchester, with the ad hoc architecture creating a mini-town of extensions and planning by mistake. The jellied eels stall was closed.

This is a place where I want to live, I boastfully declared to @AnnaJCowen. My driving companion almost came a cropper as he composed himself as we navigated the rubble track down towards the Jaywick Martello Tower.

Ah yes – about that North Essex Napoleonic military structure that is now home to a thriving community of artists as well as being a focal education point within the area…

Built in 1809 as part of the twenty-one coastline protection fortresses from Monsieur Bonaparte, Jaywick has somehow survived military service, two World Wars, dereliction, decline and now rejuvenation – all without a single cannon fire being blasted in out in North Essex anger..

It now not only survives, but actually triumphs as the focal point for the local community. Established artists such as Nathan Coley have exhibited nearby; local artisans and local schools use the space in-between.

The ground floor offers a traditional style museum exhibit with the first floor put aside to a more contemporary gallery space. Poking your head above the parapet and the outdoor upper level provides the perfect vantage point to survey your North Essex kingdom and beyond.

With Clacton to the left, Brightlingsea to the right, and even a clear view stretching ahead to the Kent coast, you can see why Napoleon was fearful of the North Essex locals back in the day.

I was introduced to the very fine company of Kerith Ririe, the Tower Manager at Jaywick. The sense of history and opportunity for future optimism needed some perspective. Kerith very kindly agreed to record an audio conversation, providing the perfect feel between the past and present that the Jaywick Martello Tower has to offer.

The scene as we looked out from the viewing tower continually changed throughout our short conversation. What a most fascinating place to work, observing the ever changing climate and being the key holder to a unique part of North Essex coastal history.

I spent half an hour then trying to capture the ambience of the Tower on camera. This was very much a living building, with local mums and kids coming and going as the afternoon unfolded.

The future for the Jaywick Martello Tower seems secure. If it can survive the threat of an invading French army, and then some two hundred years later have an online twitter presence, then I like to think that the rather random and odd looking little gem on the North Essex coast can be with us for another couple of centuries to come.

With the good @LeePugh10 putting his foot down once again for Exit Jaywick, my back seat driving skills centred once again on the craziness and character of the forgotten coastal resort.

All road trips eventually end in Heartbreak. To Clactonia! was the shout, as I turned my head and looked back towards the Tower.

Never look back, Jase. Never look back.

The romantic within wants to return to Jaywick and become involved in the charm of this place. The Jaywick Martello Tower and I have some future history to record.

Full flickr feed over here.

Plus: here’s the audio only, just in case the bandwidth hungry audio slideshow at the top of the post decides to topple my server over once again.

Plus plus: a selection of images, including some very kindly supplied by Kerith showing the Tower under construction before opening as a local arts and cultural site.