Virginia Beach & Essex: A transatlantic story of shared history, culture and future prosperity.
In 2025, the City of Virginia Beach and the region of East Anglia in the UK reaffirmed the deep historical and cultural ties that connect our communities by signing a Memorandum of Understanding. This landmark agreement celebrates centuries of shared heritage and highlights a modern alignment in ambition, industry, and community values—strengthening a partnership built on friendship, innovation, and opportunity across the Atlantic.
A Partnership Rooted in Shared Strengths
From world‑leading offshore wind industries to vibrant creative and digital sectors, Virginia Beach and Essex continue to grow in parallel. One standout example from across the ocean is Dlala Studios in Witham, Essex, UK the award‑winning team behind the video game Disney Illusion Island. Dlala is one of the very few licensed studios in the world trusted to redraw artwork of one of the most recognisable big‑eared cartoon characters in history, showing not only the shared opportunities for creative industries, but also the delight both regions take in global cultural icons.
But the connection between our two regions runs far deeper than business. It is rooted in people, journeys, courage, and stories that stretch back hundreds of years.
A Tale That Spans Oceans and Centuries
To honor this intertwined past, the Essex Growth Agency commissioned Essex‑based creative storyteller James Lawrence to create a short film that captures the emotional and historical connection between Essex and Virginia Beach.
Welcome to Essex, the resulting film, transports viewers through time from the legendary 1606 voyage of the Susan Constant and later the Mayflower, which carried men, women, and children from Essex to what would become the Commonwealth of Virginia. Their journey helped lay the foundations of communities that still form part of Virginia Beach’s heritage today.
The film then moves into the 1940s, when hundreds of American service personnel made Essex their temporary home during the Second World War. They lived, trained, ate, and drank alongside British communities while fighting fascism shoulder to shoulder with their allies. Many lifelong friendships and even families were formed during those years, leaving an enduring legacy on both sides of the ocean.
Walk in the Footsteps of History
Through this website, you can explore the places James visits in his film locations that visitors from Virginia Beach can still experience today, including:
Ancient Roman mosaics
Tudor castles once owned by Henry VIII
Historic pubs and villages where American airmen once gathered with locals
These are places where ancestors walked, where stories unfolded, and where the long‑standing bond between our communities quietly took shape.
For an even deeper dive into Essex’s landscape, heritage, and people, don’t miss James Lawrence’s feature film Essex Ways, created with support from the Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund.
