An unspoilt gem, Mersea is Britain’s most easterly, populated island – 5 square miles of unique natural beauty just off the Essex coast.
Accessed from the English mainland solely via The Strood, a 1300-year-old, half-mile causeway occasionally flooded by high tides, Mersea quietly boasts Britain’s finest oysters, creek-riddled nature reserves, superb walking and birdwatching, excellent sailing and fishing, plus sandy beaches and warm summer seas.
Wander among salt marshes rich with samphire and enjoy delicious sustainable produce: renowned Mersea native oysters, estuary and North Sea fish, a vineyard and micro-brewery, organic seasonal fruit and veg, locallly-reared meat, a working smokehouse and traditional bakers.
Inhabited from early times by oyster-loving Roman settlers, then coast-raiding Danes, the name ‘Mersea’ is derived from the 10th century Anglo-Saxon ‘Meresig’ meaning ‘island of the pool’. Mersea’s maritime heritage is manifested in its reputation as a world-class sailing centre.
Click here to view our photo gallery or here to read what The Sunday Times had to say about Mersea Island and Oysterbed Cottage.
Nature
Beyond Mersea’s abundant birdlife, keen ramblers will discover a wealth of wildlife, saltmarsh pools and sandy beaches.
Cudmore Grove Country
Park
This wide-open National Trust nature reserve is loved equally by birdwatchers, walkers and sunbathers.
The Ray
A mysterious National Trust Reserve, accessible via boat at high tide. Sea lavender, samphire, sedge, thrift and wading birdlife all find a fertile home amid this salt marsh island.
Cycling
Explore Mersea’s quiet country lanes, empty shorelines and picnic-perfect fields by bicycle.
Golf
Waldegraves Leisure Park features a classy pitch’n’putt course and 10-bay driving range, while full size courses await around Colchester.
Windsurfing and Kitesurfing
When the wind whips across the Blackwater Estuary the surfing is superb, as enthusiasts dart hither and thither from West Mersea’s shoreline.
Fishing Charters
Hire a local boat and skipper and set off to fish inshore or the North Sea.
Mersea Island Museum
This lovingly curated museum is devoted to Mersea’s maritime heritage, oyster and fishing industries and the island’s Roman past.
Curiosity Shops
The Poop Deck and The Shop offer a veritable pirate’s booty of seaside antiques, curiosities and coastal oddities – all very reasonably priced, while Mersea’s charity shops await the seasoned thrifter.
