River Blackwater, Essex

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The River Blackwater, near to Kelvedon, Essex River Blackwater by-Angela-Tuff.jpg
The River Blackwater, near to Kelvedon, Essex

The River Blackwater is a river in Essex, England. It rises as the River Pant in the northwest of the county, just east of Saffron Walden, and flows in a generally southeast direction to Bocking, near Braintree, via Great Sampford and Great Bardfield. At Bocking, it becomes the River Blackwater, and veers east to flow past Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall and Coggeshall. It then veers south, flowing past Kelvedon and Witham, before reaching Maldon. There, it veers east again and empties into the Blackwater Estuary, which in turn meets the North Sea at Mersea Island.

Contents

The River Blackwater has two major tributaries: the River Brain, which meets it just south of Witham, and the River Chelmer, which meets it just east of Maldon. The lower reaches of the Chelmer, from Chelmsford, were canalised in the 1790s, and the navigation diverts water north of the Blackwater through Maldon before emptying into the Blackwater Estuary at Heybridge Basin.

History

One of the most famous Viking battles in Britain, the Battle of Maldon, possibly took place at the mouth of the river in 991. The Battle of Maldon, an early-11th-century fragmentary poem which describes the battle, mentions the Panta and describes a tidal causeway which could be the causeway leading to Northey Island. [1] [2] The Saxons were defeated and their leader, Byrhtnoth, was killed.

The Blackwater was a source of fish and oysters for the town of Maldon during the Roman occupation. The remains of Saxon fish traps were discovered in the river in the 1990s. During the winter of 1776 the Blackwater froze from Maldon to Osea island, a distance of some four miles. The ice trapped fishing and cargo carrying vessels and blocked any imports of coal, oil, wool to Maldon. [3]

In 1793 the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation Company was formed by act of Parliament. [4] Over the next four years, the company built a navigation from Chelmsford to meet the tidal estuary of the River Blackwater in Colliers Reach at the place that is today called Heybridge Basin (after the canal basin there).

The burgers of the borough of Maldon refused to allow the canal to pass through their borough, [5] so the company routed it just outside the borough boundary, which is why it ended up at Colliers Reach, rather than at Maldon. From Chelmsford, the navigation mainly followed the course of the River Chelmer until it reached Beeleigh, near Maldon. Then it followed the course of the River Blackwater to Heybridge, and from there via a canal to the sea lock at Colliers Reach.

A weir connected the navigation to the tidal river Blackwater at Heybridge, where it powered a water mill. Heybridge mill was demolished after severe flooding in this area in 1953, but the mill house still stands. The river (known here as Heybridge Creek) was dammed between Heybridge Hall and Potman marsh in 1954 as part of a programme of flood defence improvements. Most of the water flowing down the River Blackwater nowadays flows over a weir at Beeleigh and along the tidal section of the Chelmer before rejoining the Blackwater at Heybridge Basin.

In 1865 HM Government passed the Maldon Harbour Act authorized construction of a wharf on the west side of the southern end of Heybridge Creek on land belonging to the Great Eastern Railway Company, and improving the channels of the rivers Chelmer and Blackwater. [6] Ten thousand pounds were spent on widening, deepening and improving the river from the Fullbridge to just downriver from Herring's Point, near Heybridge Basin. After this, vessels had to pay a toll of 3 pence a ton if they were under 50 tons register or 6 pence a ton if they were over that. [7]

A medieval 5-arched stone bridge over the River Blackwater at Heybridge (from which that village got its name) was replaced in 1870 by a 2-arched brick one. [7] That bridge was at the north end of the Causeway, at its junction with Heybridge Street and Holloway Road, but the bridge there now is hardly distinguishable as such.

Industry

The Maldon Crystal Salt Company produces crystalline sea salt by traditional panning techniques from the waters of the Blackwater. [8]

Osea Island

Osea Island, in the Blackwater Estuary Osea island 080307.jpg
Osea Island, in the Blackwater Estuary

Osea Island is a privately owned Island that is situated on the Blackwater Estuary, north of Steeple.

Northey Island

Northey Island owned by the National Trust, is approximately one mile to the west of Osea Island. It is part of an ancient landscape and is connected to the shore by a tidal causeway. It is believed by some to have been the site of the Battle of Maldon in 991 AD and offers birdwatching opportunities.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Maldon</span> Battle near Maldon, Essex, in 991

The Battle of Maldon took place on 11 August 991 AD near Maldon beside the River Blackwater in Essex, England, during the reign of Æthelred the Unready. Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the English against a Viking invasion. The battle ended in an Anglo-Saxon defeat. After the battle Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury and the aldermen of the south-western provinces advised King Æthelred to buy off the Vikings rather than continue the armed struggle. The result was a payment of Danegeld of 10,000 Roman pounds (3,300 kg) of silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation is the canalisation of the Rivers Chelmer and Blackwater in Essex, in the east of England. The navigation runs for 13.75 miles (22.13 km) from Springfield Basin in Chelmsford to the sea lock at Heybridge Basin near Maldon. Initial plans faced spirited opposition from Maldon, which were overcome by avoiding the town and terminating at Heybridge, and the navigation opened in 1797. There were some teething problems, and the engineer John Rennie was called back on two occasions to recommend improvements. The impact of the railways was less severe than on many canals, as there was never a direct line between Chelmsford and Maldon. The sea lock at Heybridge was enlarged after the Second World War, but trade gradually declined and ceased in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maldon</span> Town in Essex, England

Maldon is a town and civil parish on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon District and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation. It is known for Maldon Sea Salt which is produced in the area. In 2011 the parish had a population of 14,220 and the district had a population of 61,700.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braintree District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Braintree District is a local government district in Essex, England. The district is named after the town of Braintree, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of Halstead and Witham and surrounding rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maldon District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Maldon District is a local government district in Essex, England. The district is managed by Maldon District Council, which is based in Maldon, the largest town in the district. The district also includes the town of Burnham-on-Crouch and numerous villages, including Heybridge, Wickham Bishops, Southminster, Tolleshunt D'Arcy and Tollesbury. The district covers the Dengie peninsula to the south of Maldon and the Thurstable Hundred area to the north of the Blackwater Estuary, a total area of 358.78 km2.

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Braintree is a constituency in Essex represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2015 by James Cleverly, a member of the Conservative Party.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osea Island</span> Tidal island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex, East England

Osea Island, formerly also Osey, is an inhabited island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex, East England. It is approximately 380 acres (1.5 km2) in size and is connected to the north bank of the river by a causeway that is covered at high water. The island's population is included in the civil parish of Heybridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northey Island</span> Tidal island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex


Northey Island is an island in the estuary of the River Blackwater, Essex. It is linked to the south bank of the river by a causeway, covered for up to 3 hours either side of high tide. The island is approximately 1 mile (2 km) to the east of Maldon, Essex and 1 mile (2 km) to the west of Osea Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackwater Estuary</span> Estuary in Essex, England

The Blackwater Estuary is the estuary of the River Blackwater between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex. It is a 5,538 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). An area of 4,395 hectares is also designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, and a Special Protection Area 1,099 hectares is a National Nature Reserve. Tollesbury Wick and part of Abbotts Hall Farm, both nature reserve managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, are in the SSSI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heybridge, Maldon</span> Human settlement in England

Heybridge is a large village and civil parish in the Maldon district of Essex, England. It is adjacent to the town of Maldon, near the River Blackwater. The parish had a population of 8,163 in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Chelmer</span> River in Essex, England

The River Chelmer flows entirely through the county of Essex, England; it runs 40 miles (64 km) from the north-west of the county through Chelmsford to the River Blackwater, near Maldon.

The Witham to Maldon branch line is a closed railway line joining Maldon to the British railway network at Witham in Essex, England. It was opened in 1848 and was 5+34 miles (9 km) long. It was extended to Woodham Ferris to give direct access to Southend-on-Sea, but that extension was not commercially successful.

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Maldon East and Heybridge railway station served the town of Maldon and village of Heybridge in Essex, England. It was opened in 1848 by the Maldon, Witham & Braintree Railway (MWBR) on a branch line from Witham to Maldon. It was originally named Maldon but was renamed Maldon East in 1889 and then Maldon East and Heybridge in 1907.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Totham</span> Village in Essex, England

Great Totham is a village and civil parish in Maldon district, Essex, England, and midway between Chelmsford and Colchester. The village includes the Island of Osea in the Blackwater estuary and is separated into two parts, north and south. The north side and the south side are about a mile and a half apart, distributed along the B1022. The parish contains the hamlet of Totham Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Cob Island</span>

Great Cob island is a small island in the estuary of the River Blackwater in Essex, England, the United Kingdom. The island is an area of low-lying salt marsh in the tidal channel known as Virley Channel that runs to the east of the village of Tollesbury. Long and narrow in shape, it is around 900 metres (3,000 ft) in length and around 100 metres (330 ft) at its widest. It lies just to the south of the RSPB nature reserve of Old Hall Marshes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heybridge Basin</span> Human settlement in England

Heybridge Basin is a village and civil parish about 1 mile from Maldon, in the Maldon district, in the county of Essex, England. In 2018 the built up area had an estimated population of 732. The parish was formerly part of Heybridge parish, on 1 April 2020 it became a separate parish.

E. H. Bentall & Co.Ltd. was a British company, that primarily made agricultural equipment in Heybridge, Essex before moving for a short period into automobile production. The company's cars were manufactured between 1906 until production stopped in 1912, with a total of 100 cars made. The company would later become part of the ill-fated Agricultural & General Engineers group, before being saved from the administrators by the Bentall family. It would later become part of the Acrow group who merged it with Simplex to create Bentall Simplex. After Acrow went into administration in 1984, the new owners TB Group closed the Heybridge factory.

References

  1. Laborde, E. D. (1925). "The Site of the Battle of Maldon". English Historical Review. 40: 161–73. doi:10.1093/ehr/XL.CLVIII.161.
  2. Petty, George and Susan (1976). "Geology and the Battle of Maldon". Speculum. 51 (3): 435–46. doi:10.2307/2851706. JSTOR   2851706. S2CID   162534946.
  3. "A Brief History of the Blackwater". Maldon District Council. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  4. "The Company of Proprietors of the Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation Limited" . Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  5. Shead, Jim. "Chelmer & Blackwater Navigation" . Retrieved 14 May 2009.
  6. UK Parliament: Maldon Harbour Act. (Essex Record Office ref: D/B 3/3/669).
  7. 1 2 Fitch, Edward Arthur: Maldon and the River Blackwater. Gowers, 1895.
  8. "How Maldon Salt is Made". Maldon Crystal Sea Salt Company. Retrieved 5 December 2008.

51°45′13″N0°39′29″E / 51.75365°N 0.65815°E / 51.75365; 0.65815