Colne Point is located at the western end of St Osyth Marsh at the mouth of the Colne Estuary on the east coast of Essex. It is accessible by a footbridge from Lee-over-Sands. However, it belongs to Essex Wildlife Trust and is a National Nature Reserve, Ramsar site, Marine Conservation Zone, Special Protection Area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A permit is needed to visit, unless you are a member of Essex Wildlife Trust. There is a small car park at the end of a private track from Point Clear via Lee Wick Farm. Prior consent from the Essex Wildlife Trust must be gained before using the car park. The car park is flooded at high tide. Dogs are not permitted on the nature reserve. Colne Point can also be reached by a 2 mile walk along the sea wall from Seawick
Colne Point is very low lying and most of the island is submerged at high spring tides. It consists of saltmarsh, shingle ridges, mudflats, shell banks and shingle pools. It is one of the most important breeding sites for little terns, ringed plovers and oystercatchers in the summer months. These birds all nest on the upper part of the beach and are easily disturbed. I visited on a windy day in late autumn and there were few birds on the island.
Golden samphire and small cord-grass grow on the saltmarsh. Sea campion, sea-blite, sea purslane, sea kale, sea spurge, sea lavender, sea wormwood and yellow horned poppies grow on the shingle and/or beach.
