Canvey Island

Canvey Island lies off the South East coast of Essex in the Thames estuary. It is a unique place with an interesting and diverse history much of which can be attributed to its relationship with the changing water levels of the River Thames and the fact that the whole of the Island is below sea level. Archaeological evidence tells us that the Island was inhabited as early as the late Iron Age, about 2,000 years ago, but that for most of its recorded history, Canvey Island was offshore pasture, largely given over to sheep. It was also a site for salt harvesting, cultivation of shellfish and fishing and cereal production from Roman to mediaeval times with market opportunities for surplus produce in places such as Chelmsford in Roman times and of course, London.