Island 1 - Canvey, Essex

Canvey Island isn't the most exciting island in the world but it was the first one I ever visited in the early 1970s and I have been there many times since then.   It is located to the south of the town of South Benfleet, which is located on the north bank of the Thames Estuary in Essex.  It is linked to the mainland by 2 bridges.  The Colvin Bridge was the first bridge built over Benfleet Creek from South Benfleet to Canvey Island.  It was built close to Benfleet Station in 1931, but was demolished and replaced by another one alongside it in 1973.  The bridge at the western end of the island carries the A130 and was built in 1972. Before the bridges were built people had to risk crossing Benfleet Creek at low tide.

Canvey has been inhabited since Roman times but it was extensively drained and embanked by Dutch engineers led by Cornelius Vermuyden in the 17th Century.  Some of the Dutch workers and their families settled on the island and built octagonal houses.  Two of these have survived: one built in 1621, which is privately owned and one built in 1618, which is now a museum.  It was given to Canvey Island Urban District Council in 1952.  It was restored and opened as a museum in 1962.  It is now run on behalf of Castle Point Borough Council by the Benfleet & District Historical Society.  It is open one or two afternoons every week.

In 1900 the population of Canvey Island was about 300.  By 1918 the population was 1,795 and today it is almost 40,000 (in 16,000 homes).

Much of the island is at or below sea level and it was extensively flooded in the North Sea Surge of 1953 and 59 people were drowned.  These days it is surrounded by a high sea wall.  It is mainly covered with modern houses and shops but there is also an oil storage depot on the island.  Most of the houses these days have 2 storeys, which will be useful when the island floods again.  In 1953 many of the houses were bungalows, which is why so many people drowned. 

There are two nature reserves on Canvey, which are both managed by the RSPB: Canvey Wick and West Canvey Marshes. West Canvey Marshes are home to a wide range of waders and waterfowl and birds of prey such as sparrowhawks, hobbies and marsh harriers.  The RSPB manage Canvey Wick NNR jointly with Buglife because it is an important site for endangered invertebrates, including the Shrill Carder Bee and the Brown-Banded Carder Bee.

Dutch Cottage in Canvey Road, built in 1618

This is open as a museum

Dutch Cottage in Haven Road, built in 1621

This one is not open to the public

Heritage Centre - formerly St Katherine's Church

Lobster Smack pub

The other side of the large sea wall is a view of Coryton Oil Refinery just across the creek

 King Canute Pub

This was previously known as the Red Cow.  It is on slightly higher ground and was used as rescue HQ during the 1953 floods.  It was renamed after this. The pub closed down in 2014.  In 2018 it reopened as a Coop supermarket.

Sea Wall

Canvey is now surrounded by a very large concrete sea wall to prevent flooding.  In 2014 a large mural with 10 panels was painted on a section of the sea wall at Concord Beach to commemorate the 1953 floods.  Since then many more murals have been added to the wall.

1953 Flood Mural

1953 Flood Mural showing the Red Cow Pub

1953 Flood Mural

Bus Mural

The Bay Museum is based in an old degaussing station at Thorney Bay on the south coast of Canvey Island. The degaussing station was built during the Cold War.  It has a First World War museum and a research facility on the first floor and a Second World War museum on the ground floor.  It is open on Sundays and bank holidays.

Bay Museum

The rhythm and blues band Dr Feelgood come from Canvey.

Dr Feelgood Mural at Concord Beach

The Labworth Cafe is a pioneering building of the Modern Movement, and is the only building solely designed by the structural engineer Ove Arup.   He designed it to look like the bridge on the Queen Mary. It was built in 1932-3 and is made of reinforced concrete.  It fell into disrepair but was renovated in the 1990s and is still a restaurant.

 

 Labworth Cafe, Canvey Island

Not all the insects on Canvey are this big!

1618 Dutch Cottage