I was gobsmacked after visiting the ‘UK’s most deprived town’ – there were abandoned homes & streets filled with rubbish
A COUPLE were left shocked after visiting the “most deprived town in the UK”, which is 60 miles from London.
Sam and Jess, who document abandoned places on their @samandjessexplore account, gave a tour around the seaside town of Jaywick.
The north Essex village has acquired a notorious reputation over the years – a place where half of adults are out of work and the average income is just £360 a week.
Showing numerous rundown houses, the couple wrote: “The houses appear abandoned but these are still people’s homes.”
Jaywick was originally marshland before being developed in the late 1920s as a holiday resort for middle class Londoners.
However, following World War Two and the shortage of housing, many of the homes were later used as permanent residences, despite them not being designed for year-round living.
Sam and Jess continued: “Now they are severely decayed, many are burnt.
“Unemployment is high, rubbish fills the streets, leaving the once thriving destination looking more like a ghost town.”
For years, Jaywick has been blighted by documentaries that paint the 5,000-strong community as dossers, boozed-up benefits claimants and thugs.
The area famously featured in the Channel 5 series Benefits By The Sea in 2015 and 2016 about the struggles of its residents on the breadline.
Its reputation was further tarnished when a defender of then-President Donald Trump used an image of a rundown part of Jaywick in a poverty campaign.
The poster, which was made by politician Nick Stella, read: “Only YOU can stop this from becoming REALITY… Help President Trump keep America on track and thriving.”
A United Nations expert also visited the village in 2018, and highlighted the plight of its residents in his report about “extreme poverty” in the UK.
However, residents love living there and insist locals are the “friendliest and kindest people in the world”.
And despite the area’s rough reputation Jaywick was voted as the fifth best place to live in England in a poll in 2023.
Jaywick fans
It certainly has plenty of fans, with some holidaymakers choosing to head there each year, to make the most of its serene stretches of beach.
Visit Essex says: “It’s a great place to be on a sunny summer day when people stroll along the miles of sea walls, sit on the dunes or swim by the seaweed covered, boulder breakwaters.”
What’s more, plans are in place to regenerate the town to the tune of £120m, with new affordable homes, better flood defences and enhanced public spaces among the changes being proposed.
There’s historical monuments found in the village too, in the shape of its Martello towers.
The small round forts were constructed during the 19th century to defend against attacks from across the English Channel.
Jaywick facts
- Located Near Clacton-on-Sea – Jaywick is a popular seaside town in Essex known for its pier, amusement arcades, and tourism.
- Low Property Prices – Due to its economic struggles and infrastructure issues, Jaywick has some of the lowest property prices in England, attracting buyers looking for affordable housing.
- Severe Flood Risk – Jaywick is highly vulnerable to flooding, with a major flood in 1953 causing significant damage and loss of life. Since then, sea defences have been improved, but the area remains at risk.
- Strong Community Spirit – Despite its challenges, Jaywick has a close-knit community with many residents working together to improve local conditions and support one another.