Brankfleet

Located adjacent to the Foulness Heritage Centre which is open the first Sunday of the month, April to October. Milestone Society ID No. EX_WDFOUL02em

War Department boundary marker located close to the Heritage Centre. Foulness is open to the public on the first Sunday of the month, April to October. Milestone Society ID No. EX_WDFOUL05em

War Department boundary marker located close to the Heritage Centre. Foulness is open to the public on the first Sunday of the month, April to October. Milestone Society ID No. EX_WDFOUL09em

Access to this island is severely restricted, and has been since, I believe, the Second World War. This photo was taken when there was a Flower Show on the Island, but even then you felt that you were being watched.

This is the foreshore and sea wall of Foulness Island at High Corner and the River Crouch. The island is a sensitive military site where artillery is tested.

One of many ancient gravestones in the mysterious churchyard at St Mary's, Churchend, on Foulness Island. This is the final resting place of Ionas Allin 'who departed this life in 1769'.

Taken on the MOD controlled island of Foulness in Essex. Access for the general public is restricted. This is the East Wing of the church. The building depicted here was re-built in 1848 after the original church began to crumble.

Another interesting shot of some old graves outside the church. Many of the graves pre-date the existing building, going back hundreds of years to when habitation on the island was much smaller.

Stunning shot of this beautiful and seldom-visited church on the restricted MOD controlled island of Foulness. This shot looks east towards the side of the church showing the Victorian stonework. At time of taking the photograph my friend and I were being attacked by horseflies which were most prevalent on the island that day.

This pretty cottage which was once the island's primary school, has now become the Heritage Centre. Some fascinating displays, photographs and architectural finds can be seen inside the old school house which can be viewed by appointment. In high summer a tractor ride departs from this area to take visitors to the village fete on an island tour.

Housed in the old school house, near Churchend.

Crouch seawall east of Burnham Wick sluice

The following adapted from the RSPB website Link "The reserve covers more than 740ha, with all of the arable farmland now transformed to saltmarsh, mudflats, lagoons and grazing marsh. There are six walking trails – Jubilee Marsh, Allfleets Marsh, Marsh Flats, South Trail, New Pool Trail and Beagle Trail, making over 15km of trail on the reserve. At the ends of Allfleets Marsh trail and Jubilee Marsh trail are two shelters providing a comfortable place to sit overlooking the river. To create this magical landscape of marshland, lagoons, ditches and sea, more than three million tonnes of earth was brought by boat from the tunnels and shafts created by the Crossrail scheme in London. This allowed us to raise the land above sea level and place the soil in a way that created a new 115-hectare intertidal area of saltmarsh, islands and mudflats (known as Jubilee Marsh). In addition, Crossrail helped us create saline lagoons, a creek network and grazing marsh. All of which means Wallasea Island is now a wildlife-rich habitat and a great place to visit. Wallasea Island sits within a Special Protection Area which covers the Crouch and Roach estuaries, and which is special for overwintering waders and wildfowl including Brent Geese. Our work here increases the habitat for these birds both whilst roosting and feeding, as well as creating new grassland areas (wet and dry). The intertidal areas have been designed with climate change in mind, with long shallow slopes from the new seawall providing space for the saltmarsh to creep up as sea levels rise."

Looking south, see also: TQ9693 : Jubilee Marsh Trail - RSPB Wallasea Island

Looking north, see also: TQ9793 : Jubilee Marsh Trail - RSPB Wallasea Island

A section of one of the dead-straight, north-south land drains which divided up the island prior to the RSPB's "Wild Coast Project. This is one of only a few remaining and the most easterly. Assorted ducks and geese are taking advantage of this less visited part of the island

The full moon rising over the river estuary on a cold autumnal evening.

Confluence of the Roach and Crouch estuaries. About as far as you can get from any habitation in Essex - by land at least.