Learn About The Tiny Islands of Essex
Mersea Island, Geraldine Burles
You don’t really associate Essex with islands, do you? But with England’s second-longest coastline, there are quite a few of them. Not all are inhabited by humans, but a few are!
If at the coast, read our post on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
- A few miles outside Colchester is Mersea Island, which looks more like a Caribbean Island (this has no access at high tide, so check times before visiting). East Mersea is quieter than West Mersea, with wild beaches and the remains of a Roman villa.
- Bridgemarsh Island lies in the River Crouch, and supported a small community in the 19th century. After the flood of 1953, it was abandoned for good, and nature quickly took over.
- Cindery Island sits in the Blackwater Estuary, southeast of Osea. It’s a low-lying patch of saltmarsh, with waders and wildfowl feeding on the mud. You can only reach it by boat, and only at certain times.
- Foulness Island sits northeast of Southend, shielded by wide saltmarshes. It’s the second biggest island in Essex, and owned mostly by the MOD that uses it for weapons testing. Countless wading birds rest here on their journeys.
- Great Cob Island is a slim, sandy spit off the coast of Mersea, in the Blackwater Estuary. It’s surrounded by mudflats and saltmarsh, visited by birds and seals, and an important migratory route.
- Osea Island his not far from Maldon, an Edwardian retreat where you can still book self-catering cottages.
- Wallasea Island lies where the Crouch and Roach rivers meet. Home to Europe’s largest coastal wetlands restoration. Keep well away, due to sinking mud.
Maldon: Home of Very Good Sea Salt!
Maldon is a town that sits on the Blackwater Estuary, mixing history with natural beauty. The Hythe Quay is lined with old Thames sailing barges bobbing by the riverside.
You can watch the tide roll in, or treat yourself to a meal at a local pub, which will undoubtedly be using Maldon sea salt, sustainably harvested and far better for you than cakey iodised table salt.
