bite-size break.
Notes from a small island
On the outer reaches of Essex you’ll find the UK’s most easterly isle, Mersea – a haven for oyster farmers, seabirds and those who like their seaside pleasures to be natural and simple. Les Dunn prepares for a seafood feast
SUMMER PALETTE
Pretty pastel huts on West Mersea beach
the island is home to many boats and yachts;
Pretty West Mersea; seafood shack The Company Shed;
boardwalk across the salt marshes;
the Strood room at the White Hart Inn;
coastal nature reserve Cudmore Grove Country Park;
Mersea Island is one of those places with its own special atmosphere. When you drive over the Strood causeway (check the tide times) you may find yourself breathing out slowly in a contented sigh. Look forward to Constable-like clouds over blue water, little fishing boats, weathered wooden boardwalks begging for a sunset pic... It’s an isle of two parts. The east is largely wild, the place for a stroll among nature. In comparison, West Mersea is the big city (in reality, more of a village).