The delta on London’s doorstep: a walk around the Thames estuary | Travel | The Guardian Visit Britain and Northern Ireland The delta on London’s doorstep: a walk around the Thames estuary The coast from Southend to Sheppey is an atmospheric landscape of big skies, historic forts and nature reserves. And the Thames Estuary Path makes it easy to walk an area that inspired Dickens and Dr Feelgood Essex girl … walking from Southend to Benfleet, Joanne O’Connor stops at the cockle sheds at Leigh-on-Sea. All photographs by Christian Sinibaldi for the Guardian, unless stated Thursday 4 August 2016 01.30 EDT Last modified on Saturday 26 November 2016 12.34 EST Share on Messenger Close As a child playing on the beach in Southend, I used to think the hazy land I could see on the far horizon was France. It was actually the Isle of Sheppey, but the opposite shore of this wide estuary was so distant and unfamiliar, it might as well have been another country. My sense of geography has improved since then, but my knowledge of the mysterious outer reaches of the Thames estuary remains sketchy.

If the Thames between Westminster and Greenwich is the show that London puts on for tourists, the stretch beyond the Thames barrier is backstage, where the ropes and pulleys that keep the glittering spectacle in place are hidden. As the river widens to meet the North Sea, the city’s ornate bridges, Victorian warehouses and slick waterside apartments give way to petrochemical plants, power stations, cement works and landfill sites. Thames map It ain’t pretty, but heavy industry is only a part of the story. For centuries the “edgelands” of south Essex and north Kent have been a place of refuge and inspiration for artists, writers, slum dwellers, religious sects and visionaries looking to escape the city. And it’s not just human migrants who have found a home here: the estuary’s marshes and mudflats are one of the country’s richest wildlife habitats. Since moving back to Essex a couple of years ago, I’ve become increasingly fascinated by the moody riverscapes and big skies of the estuary. So I plotted a journey that would take me around its outer reaches.

Starting in Southend, not far from my home, I would walk upriver to Tilbury, catch the passenger ferry across to Gravesend and walk back along the north Kent coast, finishing at the Isle of Sheppey. Pinterest The ruins of Hadleigh castle in the distance Before setting off, I arranged to meet Colette Bailey, artistic director of Southend-based arts organisation Metal. It’s the driving force behind Estuary , a new biennial arts festival that launches in September and will celebrate the stories and subcultures of the area, with an exciting programme of walks, talks, art exhibitions and literary and music events in venues as diverse as Southend Pier and Tilbury cruise terminal . I ask Bailey what it is about this landscape that makes it so inspiring for artists. “It’s unknowable, it’s full of mystery, and it has endless stories, some of which are really hidden, quite literally under the water,” she says.

“Before planes, this was the major route into the country, so all of history has passed through here.” Southend to Benfleet Pinterest Diving into the Thames estuary at Leigh-on-Sea After a fortifying tub of cockles from the Osborne Bros seafood stall , I walk past the marina and wooden boat sheds and pick up the trail at the entrance to Hadleigh Country Park , an unexpectedly wild and beautiful strip of saltmarsh and hay meadow which is home to skylarks , reed warblers and rare emerald damselflies . I’ve been coming to Leigh since I was a child and had no idea this place existed. To my left are the tranquil waters of Benfleet Creek, to my right the hillside ruins of Hadleigh Castle and ahead, in the distance, are the soaring cranes of the new London Gateway port, built to handle the biggest container ships in the world. Canvey Island Pinterest Jo in Canvey Island, birthplace of Dr Feelgood After four miles the path emerges from the country park at Benfleet train station. At this point there’s a choice between following the trail upriver, or taking a diversion on to Canvey Island.

Reclaimed from the tides by Dutch engineers in the 17th century, Canvey is perhaps best known as the place that spawned pub-rock band Dr Feelgood . Their long-time manager, Chris Fenwick, runs occasional guided walks for fans and agrees to show me around. We meet outside the Lobster Smack , a weather-boarded old mariners’ pub, once famous for bare-knuckle fighting, and Chris points out the spot where the sleeve for Dr Feelgood’s debut album, Down by the Jetty, was shot. We walk along the sea wall, passing one of the oil storage depots from which aviation fuel is pumped via underground pipelines from Canvey to Heathrow airport. As we pass, a siren starts to wail, adding to the eeriness. Pinterest Paddling pool at Concord Beach, Canvey Island One of the best insights into Canvey and the influences that shaped Dr Feelgood can be found in Julien Temple’s brilliant documentary Oil City Confidential . The film plays with the idea of the Essex mudflats, creeks and oil refineries as the British answer to the Mississippi delta, a notion that the band themselves were happy to buy in to. “We were great romanticisers,” says Fenwick.

“We loved boats and the blues music of the American south. If you’ve got a bit of imagination, this could easily be the marshland of Louisiana.” Chris tells me he likes the film because it “captures the barminess of Canvey”. And there is undeniably something quite bonkers about this place, where caravan parks sit in the shadow of petrochemical plants and children paddle in the river as huge cargo ships glide by. It wasn’t so long ago that Canvey was being promoted as the “Thames Riviera”. The Labworth , a handsome modernist building with cruise-ship curves designed by Ove Arup in the 1930s, is a hangover from those heady days and one of the best places to eat on the island. Just behind the Labworth, Chris points out the Monico, one of the nightclubs where Dr Feelgood cut their teeth in the 1970s. The home crowds were the hardest to play, as the islanders remained unimpressed by the band’s success. “It was a real straightener,” he says. “If you can front this lot up, you can front anywhere in the world.” Pinterest Abandoned radar tower near Tilbury.

Photograph: Joanne O'Connor for the Guardian At Benfleet, the Thames Estuary Path curves inland for several miles. Parts of this stretch can feel suburban at times, as you skirt around the edge of yet another housing estate, but it’s worth persevering for the Thurrock Thameside nature park , an extraordinary project which is restoring to wilderness one of Europe’s largest landfill sites and creating an important habitat for wading birds, brown hares, water voles, adders, butterflies and bats. The cafe in the striking new visitor centre is a good spot for a coffee stop. On the approach to Tilbury the river starts to narrow, and the Thames’ historic strategic importance becomes apparent as I pass the Victorian Coalhouse Fort , a second world war radar tower and the Tudor-built Tilbury Fort in quick succession. Between these fortifications is Clinker Beach, where each new tide deposits a hoard of old porcelain fragments, medicine bottles, clay pipes and the odd human bone. Ahead of me is Tilbury Dock, where the Empire Windrush landed from Kingston, Jamaica, in 1948.

The cruise terminal is off-limits to non-passengers, but for the 16 days of the Estuary festival it will be turned into an art gallery and literary salon, giving visitors a rare chance to glimpse inside its historic buildings. A tall ship will be moored outside for the duration of the festival, renting out cabins for overnight stays, but in the meantime your best bet for a room is the Bell Inn (doubles from £80 B&B), a 15th-century coaching inn in Horndon-on-the-Hill, a 20-minute cab ride from Tilbury. Tilbury to Gravesend Pinterest Tilbury Power Station and Clinker Beach, where tides wash up old medicine bottles, clay pipes, even bone fragments. Photograph: Joanne O'Connor for the Guardian Boats have been ferrying passengers between the ancient ports of Tilbury and Gravesend for at least 500 years. Waiting for the ferry on the floating pontoon at Tilbury, I feel a thrill that I can’t say I’ve ever experienced queuing to enter the Dartford Tunnel, a couple of miles upriver.

The boat that eventually pulls up is much smaller and older than I’d been expecting, but that only adds to the sense of adventure. As we cross the river ( £3 for an off-peak return ), I get talking to a group of young people commuting to work in a shopping centre in Gravesend. I ask them what there is to see in the town. “Literally nothing,” comes the reply. It turns out that this is a slightly downbeat assessment of Gravesend’s charms. The narrow, cobbled high street that leads uphill from the pontoon is festooned with bunting and lined with quirky shops selling everything from saris to Airfix models. But there’s no time for shopping, as I’m here to meet my friend Carole at Gravesend station, to begin the next leg of the journey. The Hoo peninsula Pinterest A derelict boat on the Hoo peninsula. Photograph: Alamy Gravesend is the starting point for the Saxon Shore Way , a long-distance footpath that hugs the Kent and Sussex coastline.

It starts off promisingly enough, with green footpath signs pointing east along the riverfront, but it’s not long before we’re wandering around a dismal industrial estate, wondering if we’ve taken a wrong turn. Fortunately, Carole knows how to read a map and assures me we’re going the right way. So we plod on through yards piled high with shipping containers, buoys and rusting anchors, eventually emerging onto a scrubby expanse of foreshore, grazed by piebald Irish cobs . With the river to our left we stride out along the grassy embankment, gulls screeching above us. Charles Dickens, who lived near Rochester, was an avid explorer of these lonely marshlands and took his inspiration for the opening scenes of Great Expectations – in which young Pip first encounters the escaped convict Magwitch in a graveyard – from the Hoo peninsula. At the ruined Cliffe fortress we stop to watch a pristine white cruise liner head serenely upriver, while in the foreground the wooden ribs of a ship’s hull poke from the muddy riverbed like the skeleton of a beached whale.

There are an estimated 1,000 wrecks on the bed of the estuary, victims of the Thames’ merciless tides and currents. Pinterest Cliffe Pools, RSPB reserve. Photograph: Alamy The footpath here is currently closed due to erosion, but we manage to clamber down on to the beach and rejoin it later as it heads inland past the Cliffe Pools RSPB reserve , which is famous for its nightingales, and into the village of Cliffe, where we stop at the Six Bells for a late lunch. From here you can follow the Saxon Shore Way all the way to Rochester and beyond, but with the afternoon drawing on, we decide to call it a day and catch a bus from outside the pub to Strood train station. The Isle of Sheppey Pinterest Elmley marshes. Photograph: Alamy The distant shores of Sheppey may have stood for all that was foreign and mysterious when I was a child, but the reality is slightly more prosaic.

The island, which is cut off from the mainland by the River Medway, has its fair share of caravan sites and dubious looking “fun pubs”, but it’s also home to one the UK’s most important nature reserves. Elmley is unusual on two counts: it’s the only farm-managed national nature reserve, with a cattle-grazing regime designed to keep the grass exactly the right height for the breeding lapwing and redshank; and it’s the only nature reserve in the country where you can spend the night. If you’re coming by train the managers of the reserve can pick you up from the station at Swale Halt or Sittingbourne for a small fee. Within minutes of arriving we’ve spotted a heron, two swans, a hare and dozens of marsh birds and tiny rabbits. Pinterest One of the shepherd’s huts at Elmley. Photograph: PR The owners, Georgina and Gareth, show us to one of the custom-built shepherd’s huts , which sit overlooking the marshes (a fourth will open this summer).

Ours, Vanellus (sleeps two, from £95 a night), strikes the perfect balance between rustic and luxe, with a cosy sheepskin rug, cabinets from reclaimed wood and an en suite bathroom with flushing loo. The attention to detail is impressive: the window allows you to birdwatch and stargaze without leaving the comfort of your kingsize bed. The skies here are enormous, and as the sun starts to set we light a fire outside our hut, pour a glass of the sloe gin Georgina has thoughtfully left for us, and watch birds skimming the lagoon. The sense of peace and space are uplifting. As if on cue, a barn owl emerges from the tree opposite, drifting silently and ghostly white over the reedbeds. This may not be France, but it feels a long way from home. Canvey Island The map created by people like you! Canvey Island World / United Kingdom / England / Benfleet World / United Kingdom / England island, town Upload a photo Canvey Island (area 18.45 sq km; pop. 37,000) is an island in the River Thames estuary off the coast of Essex, England.

It is also the name of the town on that island, though this is sometimes shortened to Canvey. The name Canvey is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means "Cana's island". It was first recorded in manorial records of 1255 as Caneveye. The island is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, but sheep grazing marshland lying to the south of the county is mentioned extensively. Geologically, Canvey Island was originally part of the mainland, then the coastline broke up into smaller pieces, and the modern island is made up of five of those pieces. In 1791, 1881 and 1897 the whole island was almost completely submerged due to extensive flooding of the River Thames. More modern sea defences have now been installed, and are maintained regularly. However, in 1953 the great North Sea flood hit the island and caused the deaths of 58 people.

Nearby cities: Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Chelmsford Coordinates: 51°31'39"N 0°34'22"E Canvey Island Canvey Island jhr1uk © panoramio Canvey Island (area 18.45 km² - 7.12 mi²; pop. 38,170) is a civil parish and reclaimed island in the Thames estuary in England. It is separated from the mainland of south Essex by a network of creeks. Lying only just above sea level it is prone to flooding at exceptional tides, but has nevertheless been inhabited since the Roman invasion of Britain. The island was mainly agricultural land until the 20th century when it became the fastest growing seaside resort in Britain between 1911 and 1951. The North Sea flood of 1953 devastated the island costing the lives of 58 islanders, and led to the temporary evacuation of the 13,000 residents. Canvey is consequently protected by modern sea defences comprising of concrete sea walls. Canvey is also notable for its relationship to the petrochemical industry.

The island was the site of the first delivery in the world of liquefied natural gas by container ship, and later became the subject of an influential assessment on the risks to a population living within the vicinity of petrochemical shipping and storage facilities. History Roman Excavations on Canvey have unearthed a collection of early man-made objects comprising axes from the Neolithic era, a bracelet dating from the Bronze Age, and Iron Age pottery. However, the remains of Roman structures and objects suggests the first settlement of Canvey occurred between 50–250 AD. The remains point to a community existing with a farmstead, a garrison, a burial ground, and the operation of a large salt-making industry (revealed by the existence of several Red hills). The discovery of a Roman road found to terminate 100 metres across the creek in neighbouring Benfleet suggests a means may have existed to facilitate the salt's distribution to Chelmsford and Colchester, and the recovery of rich items of pottery and glassware of a variety only matched elsewhere by excavations of port facilities suggests the Romans may also have exploited Canvey's location in the Thames for shipping.

Counus Island events In 1607 the Elizabethan antiquarian William Camden noted in his work "Brittania" (a topographical and historical survey of all of Great Britain and Ireland) that Canvey Island (which he called Island Convennon) was documented in the 2nd century by the Alexandrian geographer Ptolemy. In his work Geographia Ptolemy mentions a headland in the mouth of the Thames to the east of the Trinovantes region called Counus Island. However, the difficulties faced in determining the location of land areas in Ptolemy's ancient work have led modern researchers to question the correlation between Ptolemy's island and contemporary Canvey. MacBean and Johnson, 18th-century historians contend Counus Island would have existed much further out to sea (or even likely to be the Isle of Sheppey), so any similarity between the names is mere coincidence. Without any suitable island matching Ptolemy's Counus Island, 20th-century historians White and Yearsley posit the documented island to have been lost or reduced to an insignificant sandbank by subsidence and the constant effects of the sea.

Saxon and Medieval The settlement and agricultural development of Essex by the Saxons from the 5th century saw the introduction of sheep-farming which would dominate the island's industry until the 20th century. The Norman conquest saw the area of Canvey recorded in the domesday book as a sheep farming pasture under the control of nine villages and parishes situated in a belt across south inland and coastal Essex. Apart from the meat and wool produced from the sheep, the milk from the ewes was used for cheese-making. The abundance in later centuries would see the cheeses become a commodity taken for sale at the London markets, and at one stage exported via Calais to the continent. The existence of several place names on modern Canvey using the wick suffix (denoting the sheds in which the cheese was made) shows the influence of the early Saxon culture. Yearsley states the island has its name derived from the Anglo-Saxon Caningaege; meaning The Island of Cana's People. The developments of the English language would lead to the more familiar name of Caneveye written in manorial records of 1254.

The period of development often produced a confused use of letters such that comparative spellings would also include Canefe, Kaneweye, Kaneveye, and Koneveye. By the 12th century, Essex and subsequently Canvey were in the possession of Henry de Essex who inherited the land from his grandfather, Swein, son of Robert fitz Wymarch. During the reign of Henry II (1154–1189) the land was confiscated from de Essex and redistributed among the King's favoured nobles. Tudor Divisions Shown on John Norden's 1594 map with the second word "insula" with the traditional middle "s", facing the 'Isle' of Grain rather than a Latinised "Sheppey insula" to the southeast, is a close eastern division which is perhaps the part which later almost wholly merged into the present island, with a ditch being the current boundary, having the same far eastern points as the Canvey Point and Leighbeck Point marshes. Two Tree Island to the north is also recognisable, if halved in length. The third eastern island or mudflat could well be the Counus i.e.

"council" Island where the Trinovantes, Cantiaci and the Catuvellauni counselled with the Iceni, shortly before staging Boudicca's rebellion against the Romans. If so Counus occupies an area from the Canvey Point Sand Bank until just before Shoeburyness, the eastern point of the relatively straight estuary so stretched the whole length of Southend on Sea, giving a reason for the tidal flats along this shore being so shallow (see for instance the world's longest pier which is in the town). Cana's People were descendants of both Cantiaci and the Catuvellauni. If a boundary point, Counus would then be in tribal terms placed at the southern border of the Trinovantes on the eastern extent of the loose tribes also seen as the Tames (Thames). 14th century… Does WWII wreck SS Richard Montgomery threaten Thames airport? - BBC News BBC News Does WWII wreck SS Richard Montgomery threaten Thames airport? By Peter Sherlock BBC News 28 June 2013 Read more about sharing.

Close share panel Image caption The SS Richard Montgomery was anchored in Sheerness when it grounded and broke up in 1944 and now lies under the water on a sandbank (pictured bottom right) As the deadline looms for submissions to a review of Britain's future aviation policy, does a wartime wreck still packed with explosives prove the biggest threat to those wanting to build a super-airport in the Thames Estuary? Three masts visible above the waterline signal its menacing presence - a shipwreck packed with wartime bombs resting on a sandbank in a busy shipping route. Analysis By Tom EdwardsTransport correspondent, London Six years ago I went out on a dredger into the Estuary with the Mayor of London, when he started supporting the idea of a Thames Estuary airport. And the wreck of the SS Montgomery was one of the problems that came up. At the time I remember someone saying if it exploded, the force would be so strong it would smash all the windows of homes on the shore in Essex and Kent. That may be a tall tale, but there's no doubt the wreck would have to be dealt with to build an airport there. However you'd think a (perhaps costly) engineering solution would be possible to nullify the wreck.

However the engineering of the project isn't the sticking point. The real hurdles are political will and cash. Support for an airport in the water of the Estuary seems to have waned, and even the Mayor Boris Johnson in his 2020 Vision 2 weeks ago put the logo for the Estuary airport on the Isle of Grain and not in the sea. And even if the Aviation Commission backs a decision for an Estuary airport when they report back in 2015 the biggest hurdle will still be funding. The estimate for an airport in the Estuary with rail links for the airport is about £40bn. Billions would need to come from the taxpayer - getting over that hurdle politically will be a far bigger challenge than the SS Montgomery. The SS Richard Montgomery, a cargo ship built in Florida to carry vital supplies for the war effort, was anchored in Sheerness, Kent, when it grounded and broke up in 1944. For almost 70 years it has rested on a sandbank with 1,400 tonnes of explosives on board, monitored 24-hours a day by port authorities and protected by a 500m (1640ft) exclusion zone.

Successive governments have wrestled with the problem of what to do with the wreck, which lies in 50ft (15m) of shallow water about 1.2 miles (2km) off the coast. Floating airport But the question of its safety has been brought in to sharp relief by the debate over the future of Britain's aviation policy - and the possible construction, about 1.5 miles (2.4km) away, of an airport handling almost triple the number of passengers as Heathrow. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) insists the wreck is being safely managed and the chance of an explosion is remote, but others have concerns that further deterioration, a collision with another vessel, or a terrorist attack could detonate its cargo. A commission chaired by ex-Financial Services Authority (FSA) boss Sir Howard Davies is to consider a number of options to expand airport capacity in the South East and report back in 2015. There have been three different plans put forward recently to build airports in the Thames Estuary, including a floating airport designed by architects Gensler.

Image caption The masts of the wrecked ship are visible from the shore Image caption The SS Richard Montgomery was anchored in Sheerness when it grounded and broke up in 1944 Image caption Sonar images show the wreck in two pieces on a sandbank about 1.2 miles (2km) off the coast of Sheerness Image caption The wreck is monitored 24-hours a day by port authorities and protected by a 500m (1640ft) exclusion zone. Another plan is known as Boris Island after it was backed by the London mayor, and there are proposals for a hub airport on the Isle of Grain, designed by architect Sir Norman Foster. Other ideas include the expansion of Gatwick, Heathrow or Stansted. Sir Norman's blueprint for a £50bn four-runway airport on the Isle of Grain - at the easternmost point of the Hoo peninsula - has been variously described as bold, visionary and "absolutely nuts". One of the most influential of modern architects, Sir Norman designed the terminal building at Stansted Airport, as well as Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong, one of the world's largest airports.

Now he wants to take his expertise to the Thames Estuary with plans for four runways and the capability to handle 150 million passengers a year. Britain's largest airport, Heathrow, handles 60 million. Sceptics point out that air traffic would approach from the north-east over the water - close to the Montgomery's resting place. The question asked by some is who would risk building the world's largest airport near a ticking time-bomb under the waves? Kielce explosion Currently, the wreck is managed and monitored by the coastguard agency on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT). Thames Estuary airport proposals It is one of only two vessels in UK waters designated as dangerous under section two of the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 . The other, the SS Castilian, which sank off Anglesey, Wales, in 1943, is also closely monitored. It was carrying munitions to Lisbon, Portugal, when it struck East Platters Rocks and sank. The coastguard agency uses sonar equipment to carry out annual surveys of the Montgomery, and monitors its exclusion zone 24 hours a day.

Following a structural survey in 2009, the MCA found that although the hull appeared to be "reasonably stable", a crack in one of the vessel's holds was "of concern". The latest survey reported: "The majority of the wreck's structure appears to be stable. Little sign of deterioration since 2009 was evident and only small changes were noted in the wreck's structure and the surrounding seabed." The agency believes the risk of moving the wreck, or attempting to remove the cargo, would increase the likelihood of an explosion. It has pursued a policy of non-interference since a botched attempt to remove the munitions from a Polish ship that sank in 1944. There's always been this debate, 'why not just blow it up and see what happens?'... Ian Biles, Maritime Services International In 1967, the Folkestone Salvage Company was attempting to clear the Kielce when a large explosion ripped through the vessel. The seismic effects of the blast were recorded about 5,000 miles (8,000km) away. In Folkestone, slates were dislodged and windows smashed, but there were no injuries.

Receiver of wreck Alison Kentuck said it was the general consensus that the munitions were "stable if left undisturbed". Though the management of the wreck was under "constant review", the current strategy was considered "the best and safest", she added. Others disagree. Local historian Colin Harvey's film about the wreck - A Disaster Waiting to Happen - is occasionally screened to residents on the Isle of Sheppey. He fears its cluster bombs could fall through the corroding upper deck and detonate the munitions below, leading to a blast that would "level buildings, burst eardrums and shatter windows". Mr Harvey said the blast could cause a tidal wave, flooding parts of the Isle of Sheppey, the Isle of Grain, perhaps even Canvey Island and Southend. SS Richard Montgomery Built in 1943 by the St John's River Shipbuilding Company of Jacksonville, Florida The ship was one of 2,700 mass-produced to carry vital supplies for the war effort.

In August 1944, the ship was loaded with a cargo of some 7,000 tonnes of munitions On the 20 August 1944, she dragged her anchor in the shallow water in the Thames Estuary and grounded on a sandbank There are still approximately 1,400 tons of explosives contained within the forward holds. Medway Ports is contracted by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to mark and guard the wreck In August 2004, a report in the New Scientist magazine said if the ship exploded it would be one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts ever seen and devastate the port of Sheerness, causing up to £1bn of damage. Mr Harvey added: "The population has lived with the wreck all these years and now (the problem) is brought into focus because of the airport. "The thinking is that if they build the airport then maybe they will deal with the wreck. It's going to have to be dealt with and the sooner the better." There are also question marks over the safety of the exclusion zone.

One documentary filmmaker, who did not want to be named, told the BBC he was able to film the wreck from a rubber raft anchored to the outer warning buoy of the zone. "Neither the coastguard or police paid us any attention on the way out, while we were there, or on returning to shore," he said. Responding to the claims, a spokesman for the MCA said: "If people break the exclusion zone, and they are caught doing so, then they would be taken to task. But if he's not gone into the exclusion zone, then he's not done anything wrong." But what can be done to remove the threat posed by the wreck? According to experts, there are two possible options; carry out a controlled explosion or remove the munitions. Mark Hoddinot, general manager of the International Salvage Union, said the wreck could be moved if the will and financial muscle were there. 'Unknown territory' "There are a lot of legacy wrecks, hundreds of them, and the issue with most of them is who is going to pay to have them removed," he said. "The majority of the cost, if not all, is going to be met by taxpayers because the insurers have long since disappeared.

"The main issue is the ammunition but in this technological age, there would be a way to remove that safely. The work itself does not present any major technological challenges, it would be relatively straightforward." Mr Hoddinot said ships sunk in the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980s were being safely removed from the Persian Gulf, despite having deteriorating explosives on board. Ian Biles, managing director of marine surveying company Maritime Services International, said the key question was whether the munitions had degraded to such an extent that they were safe to move. "There's always been this debate 'why not just blow it up and see what happens' because the water would act as a denting mechanism. "But I can understand why they have adopted the approach they have to leave it alone. It's unknown territory." The New Scientist report in 2004 also suggested one option would be to encase the wreck in tonnes of sand, deadening any potential explosion. A Fosters and Partners spokeswoman said the firm had done a thorough study of the wreck. "We have talked to bomb disposal experts and other experts about the SS Montgomery and its munitions cargo," she said.

"These studies continue and all possibilities for the future of the ship will be explored." Last year, a spokesman for Boris Johnson said: "Clearly the wreck of the SS Montgomery would need to be considered however some of Britain's finest engineers have already closely studied the area and concluded it would not prevent construction of an airport." The Airports Commission will make its final report to the government in the summer of 2015. Thames Estuary | Britishseafishing.co.uk Britishseafishing.co.uk Advice and information on sea fishing in the UK Search Thames Estuary Thames Estuary © Barney River Thames – There are a huge range of sea fishing opportunities all of the way along the River Thames – hence this estuary being given its own section on this website. Sea fish species can be caught all the way up to the Thames tidal flood barrier in Woolwich in south-east London, which is over fifty miles away from the North Sea proper. In fact certain species, such as the saltwater-resistant flounder and silver eels will venture even further up the river than this.

The issue of needing a fishing licence to fish in rivers is a complex topic (more details will be available on this soon) as there is no set-in-stone dividing line between freshwater and saltwater. The simple answer is that if you are targeting saltwater sea fish species with recognised sea fishing tackle between the mouth of the Thames and the tidal barrier and Woolwich then a licence is not needed. The information below begins with Southend-on-Sea on the north side of the Thames Estuary and then the marks described continue inland towards London, along the north bank of the Thames until reaching Woolwich. From this point on the venues described then switch to the south side of the river and move along the river back out to sea. Southend on Sea Pier © Chris Downer Southend on Sea – Southend Pier is just over 1.3 miles long (the longest pleasure pier in the world) and offers great fishing opportunities, although parts of the pier dry out at low tide and can therefore only be fished over high tide. Summer sees mackerel, scad and garfish taken with floatfished baits and spinners/lures, and school bass taken on worm, sandeel and crab baits.

Set baits near the surface for garfish, deeper down for mackerel. Mullet are also a possibility for anglers using bread, earthworms, harbour rag and small fish strips on small hooks and light gear in calm conditions. Winter brings cod, whiting and pouting with flounder and dab also being common catches, and silver eels will also be caught in spring to summer. A train runs from the shore the pier head. There is a charge to access and fish from the pier, differing opening times depending on the seasons and restrictions on fishing at night and from certain parts of the pier. See here for prices and details. View this area on Google Maps here . Labworth Beach Canvey Island © Ron Galliers Canvey Island – There are a number of beaches around the Canvey Island area that offer a range of species. The beaches are mostly clean ground and made up of sand and mud, with a few patches of slightly rougher ground. Long distance casting can pay off here, as much of the water is quite shallow. Labworth beach offers good summer fishing for bass and silver eels on peeler crab baits, while winter sees the usual whiting and cod with lug worm and squid cocktails on pennell rigs finding the fish.

Flounder are one species that can also be caught as close range to worm baits, while longer casting needed to reach the better fish, especially cod. The sea wall area and beach at Thorney Bay caravan park can fish well a few hours either side of high tide for whiting over winter and well into the new year, with other species such as cod, flounder, dab, pouting and silver eels also caught here. View this area on Google Maps here . Tilbury Fort © Mark Murphy Tilbury – There are plenty of great angling marks around this area. The sea wall defences around Tilbury Fort and the World’s End pub offer a range of places to fish from. Flatfish – mainly flounder and sole – are caught to worm baits, and bass and silver eels will be caught here in the summer. Peeler crab is the best bait for them but worm baits and mackerel strip will also catch fish. In winter cod and whiting will be caught here with size 1/0 – 2/0 hooks in a strong pattern being the best choice as they will allow the smaller whiting to be caught but can also handle a larger cod.

Mixed ground area with clean snag-free sections and some parts where gear will be lost. High tide is the time to fish this mark. View this area on Google Maps here . Greys Wharf © Nigel Chadwick Grays – Grays Wharf is a good mark for a number of different species such as whiting, cod, flounder, pouting and bass. Lugworm and ragworm are both good all round baits from here, while peeler crab can catch the better bass. A top bait for the winter cod is a large black lugworm and squid cocktail presented on a pennell rig. This mark fishes best around high tide and daytime fishing is always much better if the water is a little choppy and carrying some colour. View this area on Google Maps here . Harrison Wharf, Purfleet © John Winfield Purfleet and Rainham – Silver eels, flounder, whiting, school bass, codling and pouting can be caught from both of these marks. This far inland earthworms can also be successfully used to catch flounder and silver eels. Marks alongside Harrison Wharf in Purfleet are worth a try for all of these species.

The Ferry Lane area of Rainham is good for all these species as well, plus possibly sole, as the ground being cast onto is mostly snag-free mud. It is a high tide mark with fishing a few hours either side of high water the best bet. View this area on Google Maps here . Thames Barrier, Woolwich © Nick Dennison Woolwich – This marks the furthest point up the River Thames that sea fish species can still be caught on a regular basis. Mullet are present here and can be caught in calm weather to the usual bread and earthworm baits. Flounder – being a species that can tolerate low salinity are also caught here – as are silver eels to peeler crab or mackerel strip baits. Earthworms can be a successful bait here, not just for mullet, but also for silver eels and flounder as well, while the more conventional sea fishing baits of ragworm and lugworm will also catch fish. View this area on Google Maps here .

Thamesmead © Chris Downer Thamesmead – [Moving back out to sea along the south side of the Thames] Plenty of good fishing at Thamesmead with whiting being caught in winter, along with codling, although if the fish are in it is likely to be the former species which is caught in the greater number. Flatfish are also caught here with regularity, with flounder being by far the most common species caught, although school bass and silver eels will show as well. Worm baits are a good all round bait here which will tempt most of the species present, although other baits such as squid, mackerel and peeler crab will also catch. View this area on Google Maps here . Erith Pier © Stephen Craven Erith – Erith Pier is the longest on the Thames and is a very popular angling mark. It can produce flounder, sole and silver eels in summer. Worm baits seem to work best here with king ragworm, blow lugworm and harbour rag all catching fish. Earthworms are also reported to be successful here for the flounder and silver eels.

Whiting are caught here in the winter and the odd codling as well, and using squid, or adding it to the worm baits can prove effective. Mullet are present here in the summer but actually catching them is a challenge and the usual stealthy tactics and baits could pay off but a lot of time may have to be spent before catches of this species are made. There are gullies in the sand and mud close in to the pier so long casts are not always necessary. View this area on Google Maps here . Dartford Bridge © Clem Rutter Greenhithe and Dartford Bridge – Bass are still found this far up the river and some very big specimens are reported from here, along with the smaller schoolies. They will go for a range of baits with ragworm and peeler crab being two of the more successful. There are the usual flounder and silver eels to peeler crab, ragworm and lugworm baits. Whiting and codling are present here in the colder weather and whiting can be caught in decent numbers to most of the usual baits. View this area on Google Maps here .

The Ship and Lobster Pub, Gravesend © David Anstiss Gravesend – Jetties and patches of shingle near to the famous Ship and Lobster pub offer some of the best fishing around here with bass, sole and silver eels caught in warmer months, cod and whiting in the winter. Three Doors mark offers a safe and comfortable fishing venue and is easy to access. Bass, silver eels and various flatfish such as flounder and Dover sole caught in summer, whiting, cod and pouting can show in winter. Fish can be caught close in but longer casts can locate the bigger fish. Some mullet also found around here in calm weather in the warm summer months. View this area on Google Maps here . Barton’s Point, Isle of Sheppey © Graham Butcher Isle of Sheppney, Kent – Beaches and other marks at Sheerness can be good in winter for cod and there are plenty of whiting around as well. School bass are also taken to worm and peeler crab baits and various flatfish in summer are also taken on lugworms and ragworms. Barton’s Point is a good mark for cod and whiting in the winter with flounder and dab also taken.

Try rag or lugworm for the flatfish and larger worm and squid cocktails for the cod. In summer Dover sole are present but hook size needs to be stepped down to a 6-8 to catch them. Marks around the Eastchurch area are reported to be ray hotspots. Try fishing mackerel or herring fillet or sandeel baits at range. Leysdown offers great range of fishing with flounder, silver eel, codling and whiting all on the cards, as well as a thornback ray to long casts. View this area on Google Maps here . Share this page: Thames Estuary Privacy Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is the estuary in which the River Thames meets the waters of the North Sea. It is not easy to define the limits of the estuary , although physically the head of Sea Reach, near Canvey Island on the Essex shore is probably the western boundary. The eastern boundary, as suggested in a Hydrological Survey of 1882-9, is a line drawn from North Foreland in Kent via the Kentish Knock lighthouse to Harwich in Essex. It is to here that the typical estuarine sandbanks extend.

The estuary has a tidal movement of 4 metres, moving at a speed of 8 miles per hour. The estuary is one of the largest of 170 such inlets on the coast of Great Britain. It constitutes a major shipping route, with thousands of movements each year including large oil tankers, container ships, bulk carriers and roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ferries entering the estuary for the Port of London and the Medway Ports of Sheerness, Chatham and Thamesport. The Thames sailing barge worked in this area, designed to be suitable for the shallow waters in the smaller ports. One of the largest wind farms in the UK has been developed in the estuary, located 8.5 km north of Herne Bay. The farm contains 30 wind turbines generating a total of 82.4MW of electricity. The much larger London Array of up to 1GW capacity is also planned. This area has had several proposed sites for the building of a new airport to supplement, or even to replace Heathrow. In the 1960s Maplin Sands was a contender; in 2002 it was to be at Cliffe, Kent.

The new airport would be built on a man-made island in the estuary north of Minster-in-Sheppey There is also some discussion about the need for a Lower Thames Crossing in order to alleviate traffic congestion at Dartford. The Thames Estuary is part of Thames Gateway, designated as one of the principal development areas in Southern England.

Thames reveals forgotten wrecks | London Evening Standard Thames reveals forgotten wrecks Tuesday 26 August 2008 09:38 BST Click to follow Oldest find: HMS London, which sank in 1665, at the bottom of the Thames Estuary 2/5 HMS London A computer simulation of how the warship HMS London would have looked 3/5 HMS Aisha The HMS Aisha was sunk in 1940 by a mine 4/5 SS Letchworth SS Letchworth was sunk by the Luftwaffe in 1940 5/5 Frank Pope Dive, dive, dive: marine archaeologist Frank Pope led the research during which divers also found the SS Letchworth Oldest find: HMS London, which sank in 1665, at the bottom of the Thames Estuary The largest-ever post-war salvage operation on the Thames has discovered seven shipwrecks up to 350 years old. They include a warship that was blown up in 1665, a yacht converted to a Second World War gunboat, and a mystery wreck in which divers found a personalised gin bottle.

The vessels, in the Thames Estuary, are just some of about 1,100 ships which went down in the whole of the river. The salvage by Wessex Archaeology and the Port of London Authority, which regulates the river, was both historical and practical. Jagged metal from the wrecks which stick out of the mud, silt, and gravel act as a "can-opener" that can split apart vessels, especially large container ships which can skim within half a metre of the riverbed. The operation was filmed for the BBC and took four months, using a dozen divers who used 3D survey equipment to locate the wrecks in near-zero visibility. Frank Pope, the marine archaeologist who led the research, said: "This is the first time it's been done on this scale on the Thames, clearing to such depths - down to 16 metres - to get at ships this big." The ships explored by diving teams were: HMS London, the oldest wreck, found near Southend. It was collected by Charles II from Sweden during the Restoration.

The 90-cannon warship was blown up accidentally in peacetime in 1665, just a year after its launch, killing 300 - but 24 people, including one woman, survived after being blown clear. Samuel Pepys wrote about the ship in his diary. An unnamed Tudor Thames brick barge found close to HMS London. Hundreds of yellow Kent bricks were found aboard. The Dovenby , a 70-metre, three-masted steel cargo ship carrying guano for fertiliser from Peru to Antwerp. It sank in 1914 after crashing into steamship Sindoro in fog, north of the Isle of Sheppey. The helmsman was killed. HMS Aisha, a yacht requisitioned to become part of "Dad's Navy" in the Second World War. It hit a mine north of the Isle of Sheppey in October 1940. A pottery carrier - one of seven that sank in the 19th century between the Dovenby and brick barge. Known as a Bawley boat, it was also used for shrimping.

A mystery wreck labeled "5051", just south of Canvey Island. It went down in about 1862. A gin jug found on it is marked Mr White, owner of the Crown and Anchor, Woolwich. SS Letchworth, a collier sunk in November 1940 by the Luftwaffe en route from Blyth to London, sank of f Southend. All hands survived. Finds from the various ships included cups, plates, well preserved leather shoes, bricks, the rare steel sailing mast of the Dovenby and a deck beam from the Aisha. But any dreams of recovering chests of gold or well-preserved cannons were not realised. Some salvage operations had already been carried out after the ships went down. Divers using upturned bells to allow them to work underwater managed to save valuable bronze cannons from HMS London soon after it sank. Richard Everitt, chief executive of the Port of London Authority, said: "This is the largest operation of its kind since submarine defences were removed at the end of the Second World War.

"We co-ordinated the whole process because we felt it was right we should get a long-term record of the history of Britain's second-largest port, and this very important part of the country's economy." The first episode of two-part documentary Thames Shipwrecks: A Race Against Time is on BBC2 at 8pm tonight. HMS LONDON The wreck of the HMS London is so significant that the Port of London Authority is moving the shipping channel to avoid disturbing it. It has been dived on several times, and sections of wood have been recovered for archaeologists to analyse. It sank with the loss of 300 lives when it was blown up accidentally after a sailor is thought to have taken a candle belowships. The vessel was in service when Samuel Pepys began to draw up his plans for Britain's navy. On 7 March 1665 Pepys recorded the event in his diary. "...This morning is bought to me to the office the sad news of the London, in which Sir J Lawson's men were all bringing her from Chatham to the Hope, and thence he was to go to sea in her - but a little a-this-side of the buoy of the Nower, she suddenly blew up.

"About 24 and a woman that were in the round house and coach saved; the rest, being 300, drowned - the ship breaking all into pieces - with 80 pieces of brass ordnance. She lies sunk, with her round house above water. Sir J Lawson hath a great loss in this, of so many good chosen men, and many relations among them." HMS AISHA The Aisha was purchased as a pleasure cruiser and lovingly renovated by one RH Turner. She was, however, requisitioned shortly afterwards by the Navy and sprayed gunmetal grey inside and out, much to the dismay of Turner's wife. As the Second World War broke out, the Aisha was crewed by civilians and retired seamen as part of the "Dad's Navy" Home Guard and helped to guard the Thames. She was part of the armada of "Little Ships" that evacuated Allied troops from Dunkirk in June 1... but was blown up later that year by a mine north of the Isle of Sheppey.

Following on from a geophysical survey earlier this year, there will be a full dive on the wreck to attempt to retrieve small objects before archaeologists decide whether to lift her fully or partially excavate her.

Question: Sheppey and Canvey are islands in which English river estuary?
Answer: River Thames