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COUNCIL > PARKS & OPEN SPACES |
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Local children enjoying a sunny Sunday afternoon in Reymead Field |
ST PETERS WELL & MEADOW > NEW BOARDWALK > WILLOUGHBY > REYMEAD > SENSORY GARDEN > THE FOUNTAIN AND FOUNTAIN SCULPTURE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE OPEN SPACES OF MERSEA - OVERVIEW Here in West Mersea we are fortunate to have three large green spaces owned and managed by the Town Council for the benefit of locals and visitors to the Island. These three sites are the woodland and grassland at Reymead, the large grass site of Willoughby car park and the coastal area of St Peters Meadow. These green lungs are becoming more important to the town, especially with the loss of many naturally wild areas and the tendency towards smaller gardens with lots of hard surfaces. The three sites provide a precious relief from the built up environment in which many of us live. People cherish green open spaces for many reasons such as peace, trees, somewhere to walk away from traffic, wildlife, play games or to have a picnic. It is also becoming apparent that visiting these areas keeps us much healthier. To improve our enjoyment of living in West Mersea, we can encourage more kinds of wildlife and especially to the green spaces. At the moment there are large areas that have almost become green deserts for wildlife because they have been extensively mown. Many local authorities throughout the UK have decided to take up the challenge highlighted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit – to conserve and enhance our local Biological Diversity (Biodiversity for short)”the variety of life” and to create habitats and refuges for once widespread plants and animals. The Town Council has sought advice on the management from English Nature; Colchester Borough Council’s Parks Dept and the Essex County Council Country Parks Dept. It is hoped that West Mersea Town Council can contribute positively towards the Colchester Biodiversity Action Plan on its Urban habitats. As a first step I recently attended a meeting of the Colchester Biodiversity Steering Group, involving representatives of local conservation organisations. As for managing our three sites, some work has already begun into making the areas more appealing to wildlife. Last autumn in Reymead, many locals were involved in tree planting around the perimeter of the grass field. The grass here has been left to grow long to benefit wildlife. Similar enhancements for wildlife have been carried out at Willoughby too. Long grass provides homes, food, and shelter for a huge variety of wildlife such as lizards, voles, butterflies, grasshoppers and many other insects. These in turn provide food for other animals, owls, bats and many kinds of birds. The greatest variety of grassland wildlife will flourish if there is a mixture of short mown grass, some permanent long grass areas and some grass that is cut at the end of summer. At Willoughby we want to increase the numbers of common spotted orchids up from their current 25 and also encourage the return of green-winged orchids to the area, especially as they still flourish in a nearby garden. The best way to achieve this is to allow the flowers and grass to grow throughout the summer and then cut and remove the cuttings off site in September. This allows the flowers time to drop their seeds but it also reduces the fertility of the soil which is good for wild flowers such as campions, knapweed, fleabane and clovers. These flowers should be attractive not just for the bees and butterflies but to anyone looking at this wild flower meadow. It is hoped to compost the grass cuttings, which will then be used as mulch for the newly planted trees. Shortly in conjunction with English Nature we will be surveying the grassland so that we will be able to monitor our progress over time. We have plans to put up bird and bat boxes and establish habitat piles for beetles and hedgehogs. If anyone would like to help with these projects please ring W.M.T.C. on 01206 382128. - Cllr Nolly Urquhart - from Mersea Courier, Issue 327, 9th July 2004 Back to top |
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St Peters Well Meadow today showing view over the reedbed towards Besom Fleet and Packing Shed Island |
| ST PETER'S WELL MEADOW Excerpt from Parish Meeting of West Mersea Parish Council October 1898 And so the area now known as St Peter's Well Meadow was bought from the Executors of the estate of W.J. Bean for the people of Mersea - except that it wasn't - because after a lot of argument the Council decided not to buy it. Matters were further complicated by the fact that Mersea Fishermen claimed their ancient rights to access across to their boats - for drying their nets and keeping their eels in the fleets Many many years later - in 1962 - Mrs Chambers of "Green Storth" Coast Road made a free gift to West Mersea Urban District Council of the saltings and the meadow for "public walks and pleasure ground purposes" providing that its natural amenities were preserved and that it was retained as a public open space. She also imposed a further condition that no buildings whether permanent or temporary should be erected on any part of the land without the consent of herself or her successors Today the Council own the beach and water meadow from the Monkey Steps to Hove Creek. It is maintained by our Groundsmen under the guidance of English Nature. The area is an SSSI - a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Willow and Aspen trees that grow there are pollarded every three years. The Reed Bed is cut back on a three year cycle. The aim is to keep it true to its past and in keeping with the natural surroundings In 1965 Dr Alec Grant of the Mersea Island Society registered a 400 yard stretch of the meadow under the Commons Registration Avt 1965 as Village Green. In 1984 a plaque was unveiled by Mr Len Broadhurst Mayor of the Council to commemorate this event. St Peter's Well Meadow is probably the last remaining part of Mersea to remain in its original state of natural beauty ST PETER'S WELL Mersea has always had many natural springs and St Peter's Well was one which became a Public Well. Once it was covered in a wooden box with a pipe jutting out - but its design changed many times over the years. The Well was "never known to dry out" and produced water at the rate of several gallons per minute. Water was carried home in buckets on a yoke across the shoulders. In 1915 the Well at Mersea School was certified unfit to drink so water was fetched from St Peter's every day - by hand cart - up to 1925. By 1925 the Well was declared contaminated but it remained in use unofficially for many years after that. The wet ground around the well was a good place to gather watercress. It was also a place where fishermen could sit to take a drink - smoke a twist of baccy and tell a yarn or two. During the Millennium Year the well site was refurbished and a new metal wellhead put in place under the direction of the then Mayor -Cllr Sylvia Wargent. The Well is a timely reminder of when water had to be carried carefully and did not come gushing out of taps on demand. |
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oldish photo of St Peter's Well Meadow with Besom FLeet in distance and before the reedbeds became established. This area was reputedly known as The Old Cricket Ground |
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Making good use of the new boardwalk on "Sponsored Swim" Boxing Day - January 2008 |
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I like the new boardwalk! |
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NEW BOARDWALK TO CROSS ST PETERS WELL MEADOW This Public Right of Way (Number 32) goes from Coast Road to a shingle-spit beach known as Hove Creek Beach. It runs parallel to Hove Creek and crosses St Peters Well Meadow which has a British designation as a “Site of Special Scientific Interest” (SSSI) and European designation as a “Special Conservation Area” (SCA). Being in a tidal area, during “spring tides” the footpath is covered by the tide twice a day. The footpath was badly eroded and very muddy and being lower than the surrounding saltmarsh often flooded. In the past the footpath has been repaired with gravel which has gradually sucked into the mud. This temporary fix needed to be repeated every 5 years or so. Many people, whilst trying to avoid the largest puddles, have trodden down the saltmarsh plants and compacted the ground. In places the footpath was 6 metres wide. As West Mersea Town Council is required to maintain the integrity of the site in line with the European Habitats Directive, they resolved to erect a boardwalk along the route of Footpath 32. It is felt that this would have a number of benefits over recharging the gravel, and would further the conservation and enhancement of the SSSI. The boardwalk will allow the saltmarsh plants to grow back and it will not impede the natural tidal flow. It will also be a drier and user-friendly route from Coast Road to the beach. It will improve “access for all” to the beach, which is our statutory duty as a council (it is the only level access to the beach from Coast Road for mothers with baby buggies and for people with impaired mobility). The preferred material for this project is dark brown re-cycled plastic. This material, although having the appearance of natural wood, has many benefits over wood and is particularly suited to harsh and damp conditions. * As it is not biodegradable it does not rot, therefore it does not need to be treated with preservative (a product that has the potential to leach into the surrounding environment). * It is extremely durable, maintenance free, and has a life span at least four times that of wood. * It is possible to have a rough, non-slip surface moulded, so there is no need for chicken wire. * It does not support combustion and is more difficult to light than wood; it is therefore more vandal resistant. * It does not crack or splinter. Naturall England, British Waterways, Environment Agency, RSPB and the English Wildlife Trusts are currently using this material. We are intending to eventually install an interpretation board to inform people about the environmental value of the saltmarsh and reed-bed. Using a re-cycled product helps “close the loop”, creating a demand for the materials recovered by re-cycling collection schemes. For re-cycling to work, there needs to be markets for the products made with re-cycled materials. Buying re-cycled helps keep reusable material in the economy, reduces waste needing to be landfilled and conserves resources, particularly energy. The Boardwalk was finally finished in January 2008 Back to top |
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Volunteers from British Trust of Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) working on the management of the reedbed. It is cut back on a three year cycle to maintain its SSSI status as a Biodiversity Action Plan - Priority Habitat. Back to top of page |
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STAG BEETLE PYRAMIDS IN WILLOUGHBY CARPARK Following the successful hedge planting exercise in Willoughby Carpark we are delighted to be able to report that there has been yet another natural enhancement to that formerly environmentally sterile area. Two log pyramids have been erected in shady corners of the site. These will provide habitats for the endangered Stag Beetles whose numbers have been declining over recent years. |
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W.M.T.C. Groundsman ‘Corum’ Dixey erected these beetle pyramids using logs donated to the Town Council by local gardening business “Greener than Green”. (They also donated bark chippings last year, to mulch the trees we planted in Reymead Meadow.) The longest logs are about four-foot long, half of which were buried in the ground. By placing the logs vertically in the ground this will increase the numbers of visiting insects. Stag beetles need buried dead wood to breed. As the countryside is increasingly under pressure from intensive farming practices and gardens are becoming a thing of the past (it’s paving and decking that’s fashionable now!) it’s important to find a few corners to leave as refuges for our dwindling wildlife. You too can attract more insects and birds to your own back yard. Just don’t be too tidy in the garden, set up a log pile to be left to quietly rot away, don’t remove tree stumps or dead wood. Allow them to be colonised by beetles, the birds will thank you for it. If you’d like more information on how to build your own beetle pyramid please call W.M.T.C. on 01206 382128 or look at the People’s Trust for Endangered Species website www.ptes.org. You can find anther great source of information on Wildlife Friendly Gardening by looking on the English Nature website www.english-nature.org.uk/Nature_In_The_Garden/ Cllr Nolly Urquhart - from Mersea Courier - Feb 2005. Back to top RAYMEAD - NATURES CLASSROOM |
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| TREE PLANTING IN REYMEAD Friends of Reymead, Mersea Town Councillors and other residents of West Mersea have been following in the footsteps of their grandparents. On 7th December they planted 100 small trees and saplings in Reymead Wood adjacent to the Youth Field and School Playing Field to celebrate National Tree Week 2003. It turns out that in 1932 West Mersea School organised a huge planting scheme in the same area. Those saplings are now the beautiful mature trees that shade the centre of the town. This time it was decided to focus on Reymead Wood and Open Space owned and cared for by West Mersea Town Council. Local residents kindly donated all the trees planted. One very generous gentleman called the Town Council with an offer of over fifty 6ft oak trees that he had grown from seed. Wood chips for mulching were donated by local garden maintenance company ‘Greener than Green’ and a mini-digger for digging the holes by ‘Midway Plant & Tool Hire’. It truly was a community project. Hopefully this will lend enthusiasm to those keen children from West Mersea School who collected seeds with their teachers and Cudmore Grove Ranger, Dougal Urquhart. Before long we will be adding to the trees already planted with their newly grown native saplings for their grandchildren to enjoy. If you would like to be involved with any future planting projects please telephone Carol at W.M.T.C. on 01206 382128. Cllr Nolly Urquhart - from Mersea Courier Back to top |
| WILLOUGHBY CAR PARK was purchased by the Parish Council in several lots from various local landowners during a period between 1919 and 1922 it covers about 5 acres. The original landowners were Mr. C. White - Mr. A Sterne and Mr Sheffield. In 1961 the Urban District Council bought a small strip of land leading into Willougby Avenue from the widow of Mr. Banham - to provide a side access into the car park - this access is rarely used today but we still own the land. This area once provided scrubby grazing for goats and part of it was a poultry farm. When the long Avenues to the beach were first established a road was laid out through the middle of what is now Willougby into what is now Oakwood Avenue - it was called Howard Avenue Willougby has many fine tree specimens. It also contains small grass sections where the rare green winged orchid flowers in May - the Council has always taken care to protect these plants and their special places. Willougby is part of West Mersea's designated public open space. Parking is free. |
| Green Winged Orchids The rare green winged orchids that grow in clusters at various spots around Mersea including Willoughby Car Park in Spring Our groundsmen take great care to preserve their special places |
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| THE GLEBE PLAYING FIELDS lie on the approach road to West Mersea - the entrance is on the Glebe Corner junction with Colchester Road. The Glebelands were bought by the Parish Council - Peace Memorial Committee - as a Recreation Ground in 1918 for £400 - and were intended as a gift to the island's returning heroes after the 1st World War. This was the brainchild of the Rev. Pierrepont Edwards who was on the Council - who wanted the Glebe to be renamed "The Peace Fields". The (approximately) eight acre site is laid out as two football pitches - overlaid with a cricket pitch - tennis courts, basketball court, cricket pavilion with bar and smaller tennis pavilion. The New Glebe Extension lies to the east of the present glebe and comprises about fifteen acres. This new section was acquired under what is known as a Section 106 agreement - in other words A Planning Gain - part of an agreement for a a new housing development to the south known as Wellhouse Green. The developers - Mersea Homes - have seeded the fields which are to be laid out as two more football pitches - and - hopefully - a woodland walk and a BMX track. A children's playground will also be built as part at Wellhouse Green. This Glebe is part of West Mersea's designated Open Space. The National Playing Fields Association guidelines, adopted by Colchester Borough Council, recommend the amount of open space as 7 acres per thousand of population - even with this new glebe extension West Mersea falls far short of this amount. Having negotiated the most favourable terms West Mersea Town Council have recently signed a 99 year lease with Colchester Borough Council to take over the new Glebe extension playing fields. Shortly we will be holding a meeting with the sports clubs involved to decide on the future of this area. Some of the projects already lined up are:- new access from the old Glebe to the new Glebe two new football pitches a woodland nature walk A BMX/Half Pipe Skateboard Park A new pavilion (eventually!) |
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Part of the Sensory Garden corner of Melrose Road |
RAYMEAD WOOD AND RAYMEAD MEADOW lie to the north of both the School and Legion Fields - it is designated as Public Open Space. The location is landlocked - the main entrance being via Upland Road - into Oyster Close and thence by (sometimes muddy) footpath. The land is maintained by the Town Council. In 2005 part of the meadow was planted with oak saplings by Mersea schoolchildren. At the far end there is a spinney some thirty feet deep - it is full of birdlife including Woodpeckers, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Chiffchaffs etc etc. Other wildlife - hedgehogs, grass snakes, toads and frogs have been seen. Over wintering snipe feed in Raymead Woods. This whole area was purchased som,e 20 years ago for £250,000 one fifth of this was paid for byo West Mersea Council and four fifths by Colchester Borough Council. West Mersea contribution amounted to £50,000 - quite a considerable sum of ratepayers money. The Borough built and sold the houses in Oyster Close which probably covered their initial £250,000. Proposed Land Swap Deal There have been discussions over this section of land connected to the proposed new surgery. Conjecture that part of Raymead Meadow might be involved in a land swap deal. If this were to happen - it would have to be with the agreement with both landowners - Colchester Borough Council and West Mersea Town Council. Proposals have not so far been received from the developers and Colchester Borough Council have already declared that they have no intention of disposing of Public Open Space and that if there was a land swap it would have to be on the basis that there was no disadvantage to either Council. Until either Council receives proposals from developers it is premature to make any comment as to whether there are any advantages or disadvantages to be derived from any exchange of land. |
| THE SCHOOL FIELD sometimes known as the Youth Field lies behind the School Gardens and is currently owned by Essex County Council. It is designated as Public Open Space. For the past four years West Mersea Town Council has been pursuing an application for a Class C Village Green status for this field. In the past the County Council have objected to this idea claiming they still had a use for the field but this is no longer the case - so that is one hurdle overcome. However, Essex County Council have now indicated that they have a mind to sell the land - but to whom? Once this field goes under the bulldozers there will be hardly any public open space left in the centre of the village. The Town Council have always fought to keep this area free from development and they would like to be given the opportunity to purchase the land and make it into a proper public park. In 1933 this field and the School Gardens site was the scene of what was described in the press as " the biggest school tree planting scheme of its type in the country". Trees and shrubs were bought and planted by Mersea children, Mersea families and local dignitaries, they remain a living memorial to the donors, particularly those who did not return from the War. This Arboretum contains West Mersea's biggest collection of T.P.O's - Tree Protection Orders. Along the ditch border with the Legion Field stands a one hundred and fifty year old Oak plus three magnifiscent Field Maples - the oldest, a coppiced, three hundred year old specimen. These trees form part of a hedge that could be at least six hundred years old. Cowslips and snowdrops flourish along the margins of the field. After one fell through the roof of a bungalow in Oyster Close during a storm, the familiar poplars that once stood sentinel at the north end of the field have had to be chopped down. These giants could be seen on the horizon from the Mersea Road at Abberton - I am assured - though I find it hard to believe, that they wiill grow again. |
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Skateboard on the School Field |
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THE FOUNTAIN AND THE FOUNTAIN COURTYARD During the Millennium Year 2000 - The Fountain Hotel on Queen's Corner was pulled down to make way for Fountain Court a development run by the Colne Housing Trust. A small piece of land to the west of the main entrance was given to West Mersea Town Council by Colne Housing to make into a garden. In remembrance of the old Edwardian hotel that had stood here for many years the Council agreed to purchase a real Fountain - this was the brainchild of Cllrs Sylvia Wargent and ex Cllr Don Butlin who oversaw the project The Fountain - called a lotus bowl fountain - was put in place by Rose and Harwood - Colne Housing paid for the installation. The Fountain cost about £1200. It is operated by an Aquasolar Pump and is, of course, solar powered. The land and fountain are owned and maintained by West Mersea Town Council The Colne Housing project - a £380,000 scheme of 13 homes for families and single people - was opened (after much controversy) in October 200 by the then Mayor of Colchester - Cllr Christopher Garnett and the then Mayor of Mersea - Cllr Eric Straughan - followed by a luncheon at the West Mersea Yacht Club. Back to top |
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Opening of the Fountain and Fountain Court Year 2001 Mayor of Mersea and Mayor of Colchester performing opening ceremony |
| THE LEGION FIELD is designated as Private Open Space. It belongs to Mersea School and was given to them as part of their Grant Maintained Status several years ago. The field is maintained by the school and this year the wartime shelters have recently been removed The Legion Field has played a big part in Mersea public life over the years being the scene of many occasions, events and fetes e.g. Horticultural Shows, RNLI Fetes, Scout Fetes, British Legion Rallys, Hoe Downs, Tug of Wars, It's A Knockout Competitions, Golden Jubilee Celebrations etc. etc. Most remembered - the celebration of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11 when the children of Mersea were given a blue book about Royalty in Essex and a blue tumbler with Royal Coat of Arms items which many still treasure. Football and Hockey matches were also regular features - the football teams that played here included Raymead Rovers - Mersea Youth Club Sunday and Saturday League - Mersea United - Barfield Road United - Upland Road United. Hockey Clubs - Stick Owners - Old Gaffers - Academicals -Hod Hobs - Lay and Wheeler. Before the school closed the access with notices - the Legion Field was West Mersea's very own Village Green. |
| VILLAGE GREEN BELOW THE LANE Most people will not be aware that a small section of the foreshore at the bottom of The Lane and in front of the Dabchicks Sailing Club is actually a designated Village Green. It is a privately owned piece of land but West Mersea Council have a duty to keep it clear for access to the water for boats. Where the Dabchicks now stands there was once a boatshed - it was here that "Admiral" Bill Wyatt built the first "grey" Mersea Punts |
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The Village Green (registered) rather an odd place for a village green - situated at the end of The Lane Until not too long ago it was used to hang out washing - one of the line posts can still be seen |
Flower Boats at The Glebe Corner These flowerboats were donated by local residents and have been in place about eight years they are planted and looked after by myself (Cllr Sylvia Wargent) with the invaluable help of Mr and Mrs Moffatt who live at Glebe Corner The plants are paid for by the Town Council and come from Cooks Garden Centre |
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The big Anchors being put into place on the Esplanade These anchors were dredged up in the Barrow Deep by David Stoker in his Trawler "The Diana" - David kindly gave these old anchors to the Town they were put in place on the Esplanade with the help of a crane loaned for free by John Whiting |