A new walk and viewing platform is to be the saviour of Walton on the Naze's famous tower and its dramatic cliff top setting following the appointment of the contractor.  Work begins on the 22 November 2010.  The £1.2million project, part funded with Growth Point money from the Haven Gateway Partnership, will save both the  geologically important cliff face and the 290-year-old tower.  The project incorporates the invigorating Crag Walk that allows visitors to admire the view and learn about the area's other claim to fame, its wildlife and fossils.

J Breheny from Suffolk has been appointed to undertake the work and the plan is to start early next year and complete it by spring.  The Crag Walk is a 110m rock revetment along the cliff.  Apart from supporting the cliff and preserving its geology, the structure will also protect the 26.2m high grade II* listed tower.  The walk and area around will be a wildlife sanctuary with 5 interpretation boards and other visitor facilities.  Apart from fossils the sandy soil is home to rare invertebrates.  The whole area will become a new tourist destination.  

The finished scheme will inlude an indoor education centre that is intended to involve local schools.  Local people have been instrumental in championing and funding the project including the Naze Preservation Society.  Volunteers will continue to play an important role in the future.

The project has been achieved by the Coastal Renaissance Partnership Board.  Tendring District Council is responsible for the design, construction and maintenance while the Essex Wildlife Trust have led on some of the fundraisings and are the project managers.  They will continue to manage the habitat after completion of the revetment.  They already have 2 reserves close by. 

The Naze Protection Society contributed £230,000 to the project, Tendring District Council £520,000, Essex County Council £500,000, Frinton and Walton Town Council £10,000 and the Haven Gateway Partnership £10,000.  Other organisations involved are the Environment Agency, The Naze Tower and Stone Point and Walton Hall Farm.

The Naze tower is the country's oldest surviving navigational tower with a long military record of its own.  It now serves as a visitor attraction.  The cliffs contain 55 million year old fossils and are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  At the northern end of the Naze is another SSSI, Hamford Water, an internationally important estuary habitat for migrating birds. The Naze can take visitor pressure away from more sensitive areas, to where it can be managed effectively.