Brankfleet Spit

Coastal Marsh, Saltings in Essex Rochford

England

Brankfleet Spit

One man and his dog Crouch seawall east of Burnham Wick sluice — One man and his dog Credit: John Myers

Brankfleet Spit is a coastal marsh located in Essex, England. Situated on the eastern coast, it is a prominent feature of the region's landscape. The spit is known for its vast expanse of marshland and saltings, creating a unique and diverse ecosystem.

Covering an area of approximately [insert size], Brankfleet Spit is an important habitat for various species of flora and fauna. The marshland is characterized by its rich mudflats, saltmarshes, and reed beds, which provide crucial feeding and breeding grounds for a wide range of bird species. It is particularly renowned as a haven for migratory birds, attracting thousands of waders, wildfowl, and seabirds during their annual migrations.

The diverse vegetation found on Brankfleet Spit includes salt-tolerant grasses, samphire, sea lavender, and reeds. These plants play a vital role in stabilizing the marshland and providing shelter and food for various animal species. The spit is also home to several rare and protected species, such as the natterjack toad and the silver-studded blue butterfly.

Brankfleet Spit is not only valued for its ecological significance but also for its scenic beauty. The marshland offers breathtaking views of the surrounding coastline and estuary, making it a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and photographers.

Efforts are made to preserve the delicate balance of this ecosystem, with designated nature reserves and protected areas in place. Visitors can explore the marshland through designated footpaths and enjoy the tranquility and natural beauty that Brankfleet Spit has to offer.

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Brankfleet Spit Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.615533/0.86679257 or Grid Reference TQ9894. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

One man and his dog

Crouch seawall east of Burnham Wick sluice

John Myers

Pool with small islands - RSPB Wallasea Island

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."

Roger Jones

Jubilee Marsh Trail - RSPB Wallasea Island

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

Roger Jones

Jubilee Marsh Trail - RSPB Wallasea Island

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

Roger Jones

Land drain on Tillets Marsh

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

John Myers

Moon Over The River Crouch

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

John Kingdon

Wallasea Ness - The Beach

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

John Myers

Ringwood Point

Sign on sluice. Dredger in background

John Myers

Ringwood Point - Dredger

I don't quite know what's happening here. The land behind the existing sea wall appears to be at least in part being removed and a new sea wall built to the south. The sucker ship and the big dumper obviously have some role in this. Some 3 months after this picture was taken the sea wall was breached close to this point TQ9794 : The Sea Returns, TQ9694 : Breaching the Sea Wall and a large area of farmland was returned to the sea. The ships were in fact exchanging soil for "uncontaminated" mud dredged up offshore.

John Myers

Gates at end of new sea wall

A new sea wall running roughly straight between this point and Grasslands Point is under construction and the area south of the old sea wall is being dug out to provide new salt marsh.

John Myers

Barge aground - Wallasea Ness

Wreck on the beach

John Myers

Brankfleet Spit

River Roach at confluence with Crouch

John Myers

Land drain

View north towards Ringwood point

John Myers

Old sea wall, Wallasea Island

This remote corner of Essex has seen a change in policy by DEFRA in the battle against coastal flooding and erosion. The old wall would be too costly to repair so the sea has been allowed to reclaim the area for the first time in 400 years. Nearly 250 acres of Wallasea Island have been flood to create a wild life haven.

David Williams

Breaching the Sea Wall

Mechanical diggers breach the sea wall on Wallasea Island to allow 250 acres of low-lying farmland to be flooded. Global warming and increasing high tides are creating problems along the East coast. This Wetlands scheme by DEFRA abandons flood defence ideas and allows the sea to reclaim the land that was drained centuries ago.

David Williams

The Sea Returns

Wallasea Island, a remote corner of coastal Essex, is the site of a DEFRA project to re-flood land that for centuries has been protected by sea walls. But global warming and higher tides mean that re-building the sea defences to protect agricultural land is too expensive. Now the old earth banks along the estuary of the River Crouch have been deliberately breached and new wall built further inland. The sea has returned and these mud flats will soon be a rich salt marsh and wild life haven again.

David Williams

Seawall and shore

Unlike the south bank of the estuary on which most promontories, bays etc. are named, features on the north bank of the Crouch between Burnham and Holliwell Point at its mouth remain anonymous. This stretch is opposite Ringwood Point.

John Myers