Holland-on-Sea Cliff Holland-on-Sea Cliff Holland-on-Sea Cliff is a 0.1 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Holland-on-Sea, north-west of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex. It is a Geological Conservation Review site. This site is of great importance in understanding the evolution of the London Basin, and it is the type site for two different gravels. The "Lower Holland Gravel" was the final terrace laid down by the River Thames before the river was diverted south during the Anglian glaciation around 450,000 years ago. The "Upper Thames Gravel" was deposited when the Thames was blocked by ice and not reaching the area. As the
Southend-on-Sea Lifeboat Station 1968, the Thames estuary was covered by three similar slipway launched 46ft 9in Watsons stationed on seaside piers at Clacton on Sea, Southend on Sea and Margate. Clacton's Watson was replaced by a 37ft in 1968 and the following year a new lifeboat station was opened at Sheerness on the opposite side of the Thames estuary to Southend. By the late 1960s, inflatable inshore lifeboats were in use at Southend to provide assistance to the increasing number of pleasure craft. In 1974, Sheerness was allocated a fast boat and two years later Southend's all weather Watson class lifeboat was withdrawn