Horsey Island facts for kids
Horsey Island is a special island located in Essex, England. It's part of a larger area called Hamford Water, which is a National Nature Reserve. This means it's a protected place for wildlife. Because it's a nature reserve, you usually need special permission to visit the island.
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Exploring Horsey Island's Landscape
Horsey Island has a mix of interesting features. On the western side, you'll find a freshwater pool surrounded by trees. Long ago, boats could stop here, but that's not allowed anymore.
Natural Features and Wildlife Habitats
Along the northern edge of the island, there are places where oysters grow. These are called oyster beds. The island is also surrounded by "saltings," which are marshy areas covered by seawater at high tide. These saltings help protect the island from floods.
How Land Was Changed Over Time
In the 1800s, people tried to make the island bigger. They built sea walls to reclaim land from the sea. There was even a plan to connect Horsey Island to a nearby island called Hedge End Island. However, this plan was never finished because it cost too much money.
Getting to Horsey Island
Horsey Island is connected to the mainland by a special path called the Wade. This path is about 1 kilometer (0.66 miles) long. It leads from a village called Kirby-le-Soken.
Walking Across the Wade
You can walk across the Wade to Horsey Island, but only when the tide is low. You need to be careful! Horsey Island is one of 43 islands around Great Britain that you can reach by walking across the water when the tide is out. These are often called "tidal islands."
Life and History on Horsey Island
Horsey Island has a long history. The first time it was mentioned in records was in 1212. Back then, it was known as "Horse Hey." People have lived on the island off and on for centuries.
Early Settlements and Buildings
There is proof that buildings existed on the island as early as 1536. It even appeared on a map in 1594, called Horsey Illande.
Challenges with Flooding
Because of where it is, Horsey Island has often faced severe flooding. Big floods happened in 1691, 1896, 1949, and during the famous North Sea flood of 1953. The sea wall built in the 1800s was destroyed by floods around 1897. After that, some of the land around the island was left empty.
Horsey Island Today
After the huge flood in 1953, the Wade path was repaired. Today, there is still a working farm on Horsey Island. This makes it one of the most easterly islands in Britain where people still live. Sometimes, Mersea Island is mistakenly thought to be the most easterly, but Horsey Island is actually further east. Horsey Island is still privately owned.
