Cliff Lift Plaque

THE Mayor of Southend attended the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at Southend’s historic cliff lift.

This unique cliff lift has earned well-deserved recognition from the National Transport Trust’s Red Wheel scheme.

The Mayor, Coun Stephen Habermel, was joined by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs. Jenny Tolhurst, Lady Judy McAlpine, the president of the National Transport Trust, dedicated cliff lift volunteers, and other esteemed guests.

The Red Wheel scheme honours the most significant sites of historical importance to transport heritage throughout the United Kingdom.

Southend’s cliff lift has been acknowledged for its exceptional design, featuring a single car counter-balanced by a weight running directly beneath the main track, making it truly distinctive in its structure and operation.

The Worshipful the Mayor of Southend said: “This is a great honour for our unique cliff lift to be nationally recognised in this way.

“The lift, which turns 111 this year, has proved to be incredibly popular with residents and visitors, especially after the 50p fee was dropped. Of course, donations are still very much welcome to help keep this unique piece of Southend history open and operational.”

Coun Derek Jarvis, cabinet member for arts, culture, heritage and leisure, added: “Thousands of people have been using the lift and none of this would be possible without our fantastic volunteers who are trained to operate the lift.

“We are looking to recruit more volunteers to ensure we continue to keep the historic cliff lift operational all year round.”

The cliff lift is located between Clifton Terrace and Western Esplanade and is open from 10.30am until 3pm daily, but this is dependent on volunteer availability.

If you are interested in volunteering, then pop along during these times and a cliff lift operator will be able to help you.

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