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In the 15th century these lands were drained by Dutch settlers for agricultural use with the construction of the original sea wall. The population of
Wallasea was at its highest in the mid to late 19th century. In 1875 there were 135 inhabitants and there were 13 houses. A school was opened in 1879
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it was almost certainly dry land like most of the North Sea basin. Rising sea levels are thought to have deposited the silt and sand which (together with older clays) underlie the island's soil. Several archaeological features have been recorded on the south and east edges of the island, these are
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and were probably relics of a process of extraction of salt from sea water. Thirteenth-century records mention several places on
Wallasea such as Lower Barn and Sherwoods. It is likely that Wallasea was used for grazing at that time and there may have been some arable land too. The origins of the
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It is possible to walk for about 8 mi (13 km) around most of the sea wall. The south side of the island is one of the most tranquil places in Essex, where wildlife typical of open farmland such as skylarks, corn buntings and hares can be observed. Close by, on the opposite side of the
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after which large sections of sea wall had to be rebuilt. The eastern end of the island was one of the last places in the UK to be drained of floodwater. The storm swept away the Tyle House, sometimes known as the Devil's House, which according to legend was the abode of a demon.
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submitted a planning application to Essex County
Council for a £12 million scheme to break open Wallasea's remaining sea walls and turn the rest of the island's farmland into a wetland bird reserve. In September 2012 it was announced that work had begun on the
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On July 4, 2006, a £7.5 million project to convert part of the island's farmland into mudflats and salt marsh was completed by bulldozing 300m of the sea defence wall, at the points of maximum pressure on the
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under which around 4.5 million tonnes of earth shall be transported to
Wallasea Island, via over 1500 separate trips, many by rail and water, to help create the nature reserve from London's
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The name is said to derive from Old
English "wala" meaning "foreigner" and the suffix -ey, meaning island. Almost nothing is known about the early history of Wallasea. At the end of the
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and lasted for 20 years. Import of cheap
American wheat resulted in an agricultural depression starting in 1875. Most of the island's population left and Wallasea reverted to pasture.
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Most of the history has been summarised from:- "Wallasea Island; the history and archaeology of a marshland landscape", by Ellen
Heppell,
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map of 1576 shows that creeks divided
Wallasea into three separate islands, and this is confirmed by Camden's description of 1551.
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Over the centuries
Wallasea has been flooded in a number of storms. The most catastrophic inundation was in
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various farms is unclear, though it is known there was a farmhouse at
Grapnells as far back as 1546.
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and seven artificial islands. The wetlands are intended to provide winter grounds for
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Pool and the narrow Paglesham Creek. The population of the Island is included in the
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465:"Crossrail earth to help create biggest man-made nature reserve in Europe"
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The southern sea wall of Wallasea Island, with the estuary of the
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497:"Wallasea Island nature reserve project construction begins"
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when the import of grain was made more difficult by
16:Low lying island on coast of Essex, United Kingdom
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209:Much of the island was ploughed up during the
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304:BBC News: "Farmland becomes wildlife habitat"
341:. Matthew Fautley, 2004. 2004. p. 155.
316:BBC News: "Farmland yields to major wetland"
310:BBC News: "Huge marine wetland starts life"
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298:BBC News: "New £5m haven for wading birds"
82:Learn how and when to remove this message
463:Carrington, Damian (17 September 2012).
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45:This article includes a list of general
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117:. It is bounded to the north by the
443:"Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project"
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270:Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project
51:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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473:. Guardian News and Media Limited
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370:"Essex Walks – Wallasea Island"
193:the "red hills" typical of the
598:Wetlands of the United Kingdom
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338:Essex Coastline: Then and Now
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164:estuary of the River Roach,
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523:Crossrail Ltd (2013).
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184:Wallasea Island vista
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152:. It is linked by a
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394:. Hidden East Anglia
392:"Hidden East Anglia"
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119:River Crouch
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123:River Roach
100:River Roach
64:introducing
587:Categories
354:6 December
280:References
47:references
539:7 January
398:22 August
274:Crossrail
252:, saline
127:Paglesham
508:15 March
502:BBC News
477:15 March
419:BBC News
250:mudflats
200:Saxton's
146:campsite
142:farmland
135:Canewdon
109:lies in
25:Wallasey
21:Wallacea
557:51°36′N
448:29 July
285:Sources
254:lagoons
246:estuary
176:History
115:England
60:improve
560:0°50′E
441:RSPB.
376:15 May
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150:marina
49:, but
323:Notes
154:ferry
111:Essex
541:2013
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428:2012
400:2014
378:2018
356:2020
343:ISBN
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