Imagine living on an island, a dream come true for so many of us. Well it may not be that far away because on the East cost of England in Essex lies a small island, known as Mersea.¹

The island located in the estuary of the rivers Blackwater and Colne, approximately nine miles south-east of Colchester, has a permanent population of 6,500 people and an area of 5 square miles containing the town of West Mersea and the village of East Mersea.

Geography

Mersea is the most easterly inhabited island in the UK it is connected to the mainland by the Strood² which is liable to flooding at high tide. It is an interesting fact that when a large high tide is forcast there will often be an ambulance brought over in advance to deal with any accidents which may happen whilst the tide is over.

The beach surrounding the island is mainly sand and shingle turning into mudflats as you wade further out. During the summer the waters are warm on the main beach as the sea comes over the dark mud flats which have been heated by the sun and are warmed to a comfortable temperature.

The Islands town of West Mersea has increased in size over the past few years. Many new housing estates have been built and road networks constructed. These can be seen on the map³ on the Mersea website.

Industries

There are various nature reserves on and around the Island especially for wading birds and oysters. Mersea has always been an important player in the oyster market bringing in the famed 'Mersea Native Oysters' and even now it is still one of the main industries of the area along with fishing and farming, boat building, yacht design and sail making.

Mersea is very much a tourist area. On a hot summers day you can wander along the Hard⁴ and see many a Grockle⁵ buying ice creams and wandering down the floating jetty. They will buy their souvenirs and return to one of the caravan sites to relax and watch the sun set over the water.

Life

Mersea is quite a large community with local shops and other amenities necessary to everyday life. There is a primary school that is growing rapidly with the population of the Island. Many of the youngsters form the large scout group that is present on Mersea. It is one of the few to have both land and sea scout troops within the same group. Both the primary school and the scout group have active links with East Mersea Youth Camp where the children often go to practice out door activities.

There is an active sailing community with both the Dabchicks Sailing Club and the West Mersea Yacht Club strong in members and very active.

Each year towards the end of August there is the town regatta which finishes a week of hard racing. During Mersea week as it is known there is a round the island race which is always fun to watch because you cannot actually sail the entire way round the island due to The Strood, so waiting at The Strood are hundreds of trailers and helpers ready to carry boats across the road! The regatta involves some sensible races⁶ and some not so sensible races.⁷

There are two parish churches at east and west, also Methodist, Free Church, Brethren and Catholic churches. These often join together to form CTIM⁸

History

Mersea enters the written history when the Romans settled in Camulodunum, now known as Colchester. This settlement, initially built for retired veterans soon became the hub of the roman civilisation and remained so until they decided that London was better placed.⁹ The basis of the old town can even today be seen to resemble the Roman layout of straight, intersecting roads.

Mersea's most famous relic of the Roman occupation can be seen every day by people arriving at or leaving the Island. It is not a building, it is the Barrow, which stands off East Mersea Road at short distance from the Strood. It is a typical Romano-British burial mound, which originally stood sixty feet high and was three hundred feet in diameter. Its contents were excavated in 1912. The relics from the dig can be seen in Colchester museum.

It is not known if the strood was built by the Romans, or as is thought by others that thr roman road was further to the East of the Island, it is reckoned however that the strood in it's tru form was built circa 700 AD.

Mersea has it's fair share of the famous and the notorius, Reverand Sabine Baring-Gould, who wrote Onward, Christian Soldiers, was rector in East Mersea. He also wrote the novel Mehalah published in 1880. Stories of smuggling in East Mersea also exist though I have yet to see any proof!

A more detailed account of Mersea's history can be found on the East Mersea Website.¹⁰

Attractions

Colchester Oyster Fishery, North Farm, East Mersea is open to the public and there is Cudmore Grove Country Park, a grassland with adjoining beach for those who like to take relaxing walks. This also leads onto the sea wall which circles the entire island.¹¹

Mersea Island Museum in West Mersea includes everything from local, natural and social history. The area is a small resort offering a number of sailing activities and a beach for those who would prefer to relax. One can also taste local oysters and seafood in the resturants near the coast.