Places to see in ( Mersea Island - UK )
Places to see in ( Mersea Island - UK )
Mersea Island is an island in Essex, England, in the Blackwater and Colne estuaries to the south-east of Colchester. Its name comes from the Old English word meresig, meaning island of the pool. The island is split into two main areas, West Mersea and East Mersea, and connected to the mainland by the Strood, a causeway that can flood at high tide.
The island has been inhabited since pre-Roman times. It was used as a holiday destination in Roman Britain for occupants of Camulodunum (Colchester). Fishing has been a key industry on the island since then, particularly oysters, and along with tourism makes up a significant part of the island's economy. The Church of St Peter & St Paul in West Mersea is thought to have existed since the 7th century, while the Church of St Edmund in East Mersea dates from around the 12th or 13th centuries. The island became popular with smugglers from the 16th to the 19th century. It became a focal point for troops in both world wars, and a number of observation posts can still be found on the island. Tourism remains popular, and there are a number of beach huts and holiday parks on the island. A week-long festival of boat racing, Mersea Week, takes place every summer.
The island lies 9 miles (14 km) south-east of Colchester and 26 miles (42 km) east of the county town, Chelmsford. It is the most easterly inhabited and publicly accessible island in the United Kingdom and is one of 43 (unbridged) tidal islands which can be accessed on foot or by road from the British mainland. It is situated in the estuary area of the Blackwater and Colne rivers and has an area of around 7 square miles (18 km2). It is formed by the Pyefleet Channel to the north and the Strood Channel to the west, which connect the Blackwater to the Colne. The much smaller Ray Island lies adjacent to the north while the uninhabited Packing Marsh and Cobmarsh Islands lie to southwest.
Internally, the island is split between West Mersea, which is the main inhabited area containing the jetty and marina, and East Mersea, which is predominantly farmland and includes Cudmore Grove County Park to the east. There is also a small hamlet at Barrow Hill to the north of West Mersea. The land immediately facing the Blackwater is known as the Mersea flats, which is mostly beach that dries at low tide. The former Bradwell Power Station can be seen on the other side. West Mersea can be further divided into three areas. The Old City in the southwest of West Mersea serves the fishing and yachting industries and contains a number of listed buildings.
The main access to the island is via a causeway known as the Strood, carrying the Mersea–Colchester road (B1025). The road is often covered at high tides and especially during spring tides. On average the causeway is flooded for a week per month on average. During the 1953 North Sea flood, the Strood was submerged under over 6 feet (2 m) of water, cutting off access to the mainland.
A regular bus service links West and East Mersea to Colchester via the Strood and Abberton. A foot ferry runs from East Mersea to Point Clear and Brightlingsea on the other side of the Colne estuary, including a scheduled service in the summer and a dial-on-demand service in the spring and autumn.
( Mersea Island - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Mersea Island . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Mersea Island - UK
Join us for more :
Colchester Tourist Attractions: 14 Top Places to Visit
Planning to visit Colchester? Check out our Colchester Travel Guide video and see top most Tourist Attractions in Colchester.
Top Places to visit in Colchester:
Colchester Arts Centre, The Munnings Art Museum, Colchester Zoo, Mercury Theatre, Colchester Castle Park, High Woods Country Park, The Beth Chatto Gardens, Green Island Gardens, Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre, Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum, Hollytrees Museum, Cudmore Grove Country Park, West Mersea Beach, Headgate Theatre, Paycocke's House and Garden
Visit our website:
Colchester - Mersea Island, Colchester Castle & Constables Hay Wain
It's Easter weekend and we visit Colchester. Mersea Island, Colchester Castle and Flatford where John Constable painted The Hay Wain and just some of the places we visited.
Like us on Facebook:
Follow us on Twitter:
Video Equipment
Cameras and Drones
GoPro 6 Hero Action Camera
GoPro Hero+ Action Camera
GoPro LCD Touch BacPac for GoPro Hero 3+
My video camera is no longer available but this Panasonic HC-W580 is a good cheap alternative
ZeroTech Dobby drone
Mounts and Cables
Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod
GoPro 3 Way
Joby GorillaPod Tripod
Dual Camera Mount Holder Extension Arm for hanging GoPros from mirror
USB to Mini USB & Micro USB Y Splitter Cable for charging GoPros while hanging from mirror
USB extension cable for charging GoPros while hanging from mirror
DSLR Camera Flash Hot Shoe Mount Adapter to mount GoPro to the camera hot shoe
Backpacks
Lowepro 150 AW II Fastpack Backpack for Cameras
My original small GoPro Backpack
Mics, Batteries and Chargers
Lavalier Clip-on Omnidirectional external Microphone
Universal Lavalier Windjammer for Microphone
GoPro Microphone adapter
Spare GoPro Hero 3 Battery
Cigarette Car Charger with 4 USB ports
GoPro Dual Charger
GoPro 3.5 mic adapter
Memory & Hard Drives
SanDisk Extreme 64Gb microSDXC Class 10 Memory Card up to 90 Mbps
Kingston 32 GB UHS Class 1/Class10 microSDHC Flash Memory Card
WD My Passport Ultra 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Backup Drive
Affiliate links:
At no cost to you, I do receive a small commission for sales resulting from included affiliate links
10 Mysterious Tidal Islands around the World
Planning to visit Tidal Islands? Check out our Tidal Islands Travel Guide video and see top most Tourist Attractions in Tidal Islands around the World.
10 Mysterious Tidal Islands around the World
Castle Tioram, United Kingdom, Enoshima, Japan, Lindisfarne, United Kingdom, Ko Nang Yuan, Thailand, Jindo and Modo, South Korea, Haji Ali Dargah, India, St Michael's Mount, United Kingdom, Eilean Donan, United Kingdom, Sveti Stefan, Montenegro, Mont Saint-Michel, France
Visit our Website:
Visit: Essex with Simon Calder
Colchester Summer 2017
I shot this video of my home town Colchester, in Essex, England, throughout the summer of 2017 on my iPhone 6, Go Pro and Canon EOS 1300D. It includes a visit to Colchester Castle, the historic Siege House, Fenwick, and Castle Park.
Visit Colchester
Planning a short break to Colchester? Let the friendly team at the Visitor Information Centre help you get the most out of your visit. Contact them in person, online or via social media. visitcolchester.com
Southend City Beach, Essex
Southend City Beach is in the center of the Southend-on-Sea seafront by the famous Pier.
For more information see:
Lee Valley 'almost wild' campsite opens beside River Lee
Lee Valley's newest campsite has been opened by senior park ranger Gareth Winn, with the help of more than 100 volunteers.
Called the Almost Wild Campsite, it sits on a small island that borders of Hertfordshire and Essex.
The site is surrounded trees and water on three sides. Campers can hang hammocks, sleep in bivvies or tents and make use of open fires set into each pitch.
The Lee Valley site is situated on the Essex Hertfordshire border, at Nazeing New Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 6TD.
To book a place visit:
Share this Video
Get more Great Tips - Subscribe ➜
May favourite walks in Essex resource ➜
Stephen Neale is an award winning outdoor author and publisher. Check out Stephen's PDF help sheets:–
Essex wild swimming ➜
Essex wild camping ➜
Other Great Resources
Best way to discover more walks in Essex and the wild is become an Essex Wildlife Trust volunteer. List of many opportunities here:–
Ask me a Question
Follow me
Having a walk at Canvey Island Southend Essex
Having a walk at Canvey Island Southend Essex
Sunday 9th September 2012