What is Southend-on-Sea?
{{Infobox settlement | name = Southend-on-Sea | settlement_type = [[City]], [[unitary authority area]] and [[borough]]. | image_skyline = Southend-on-Sea Collage 2022.jpg | imagesize = 250px | motto = Per Mare Per Ecclesiam (By sea, by church) | image_map = Southend-on-Sea UK locator map.svg | map_caption = In Essex | area_total_km2 = 41.76 | area_total_sq_mi = 16.12 | postal_code_type = Post code | postal_code = SS0-SS3 | other_name = City of Southend-on-Sea | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[United Kingdom]] | subdivision_type1 = [[County]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Essex]] }} '''Southend-on-Sea''' is a [[city]] and [[unitary authority]] [[borough]] in the [[East of England]]. It is a [[sea]]side resort in the south-eastern corner of the [[county]] of [[Essex]]. ==History== It was built in 1790s when the Grand [[Hotel]] (now Royal Hotel) was made. [[Pier | Southend Pier]] was built in 1830 and expanded in 1834 and 1848. The first railway trains came to Southend in 1856 when the station was built near the high street. Southend became incorporated as a town in 1892. Southend had a massive redevelopment between 1960s and 1970s. During that time a dual carriage way called Queensway was built around the city centre, new offices were built at Victoria Avenue and a new shopping centre was built. On 15 October, 2021, Sir David Amess, the MP was killed in the [[Church (building)|church]]. Three days later, the [[Prime Minister]] and the [[Elizabeth II|Queen]] told them it would gain its [[city]] status. Southend officially became a city on 1 March, 2022 with a pier train named after Sir David Amess. ==The Pier== Southend is known for the longest pier in [[United Kingdom]]. The pier is 2,158 [[metre|meters]] (1.34 [[mile]]s) long. It has a [[railway line]] that runs to the pier head. It had been badly damaged by big [[fire]]s five times in 1959, 1976, 1977, 1995 and 2005. It was made in 1830 as [[wood]] which ha