Fowley Island facts for kids
 Fowley Island
Location in Hampshire
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Chichester Harbour |
| Coordinates | 50°50′06″N 0°56′44″W / 50.8349°N 0.9455°W |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Length | 0.18 km (0.112 mi) |
| Width | 0.08 km (0.05 mi) |
| Administration | |
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England
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| County | Hampshire |
| Borough | Havant |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
Fowley Island is a small, empty island in Chichester Harbour, England. It is about 900 meters south of Emsworth. You can find it between Hayling Island and Thorney Island. The island is a raised area of land, about 180 meters long and 80 meters wide. It sits among the sandy areas that appear at low tide. Maps have shown Fowley Island since at least 1791.
Contents
Fisherman's Walk: A Path to the Past
Fisherman's Walk is a special path built across the sand. It starts from the coast at Emsworth and stretches about 340 meters. This path leads towards Fowley Rithe, a narrow water channel near Fowley Island.
When Was Fisherman's Walk Built?
An old map from 1848 shows this path. However, an earlier map from 1826 does not. This suggests that the causeway was built sometime between these years. On an 1866 map, it was even called 'Westwood's Road'.
Why Was the Walk Created?
People believe Fisherman's Walk was built to help with oyster farming. Oysters are shellfish that were very important for food and business. The first official record of an oyster company here was in 1885. This was when the Fowley Island Oyster Company started its work.
Even though the path does not reach Fowley Island directly, people could once walk from it to the island. This was possible because of thick eel grass that grew in the water. This grass filled the seabed, making it easier to cross. Today, there is much less eel grass, so walking to the island is no longer possible.
Fishermen used to take horses and carts across the path to Fowley Island. They would store their oysters in large ponds dug on the island. Later, they would take the oysters back to sell them. An 1898 map shows two of these oyster beds on Fowley Island. These activities gave the island its unique shape we see today.
The Importance of Oysters in Emsworth
Building such a large path shows how important the oyster business was to Emsworth. However, the industry faced a big problem in 1902. After a dinner where Emsworth oysters were served, several people became very ill. An investigation found that the oyster beds were polluted. Because of this, selling Emsworth oysters was banned until 1914.
The oyster business started again after the First World War. But it never became as successful as it once was.
Other Uses for the Causeway
Over time, Fisherman's Walk had other uses too. On its western side, there were "salterns." These were pools where seawater was left to evaporate, leaving behind salt. A 1952 map shows these salterns. The eastern side of the path also had poles. These poles were probably used to tie up boats safely.
