House surveys in Essex

Essex, including the unitary areas of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock, has some of the most varied housing in the South East commuter belt. Victorian and Edwardian suburbs line the railway towns such as Chelmsford, Brentwood and Southend, while Basildon and Harlow were built as post-war new towns with non-traditional construction. The north of the county has timber-framed medieval towns with pargeting and thatch, including Saffron Walden and Colchester's Dutch Quarter. Much of Essex sits on London Clay, which is highly shrinkable and the cause of widespread subsidence claims near trees, and the long coastline brings tidal flood risk to Canvey Island, Jaywick, Maldon and the Thames estuary.