About

Discover the newly created saltmarsh, mudflats and lagoons, bursting with life. Take a stroll around the grassland to catch a glimpse of Short-eared Owls or Marsh Harriers and watch over the river to see Common Seals haul themselves out.

Three million tonnes of soil were brought to Wallasea by ship, which was excavated during the construction of tunnels beneath London for the Elizabeth Line. We used this to raise land levels and create a new 115-hectare intertidal area of saltmarsh, islands and mudflats (known as Jubilee Marsh).

Today, it’s a wildlife-rich haven, with plenty of spaces for roosting and feeding. We use sluices to manage the saline lagoons’ water levels and we aim to create a variety of depths of water to suit different species. Cattle graze the area to help us to manage grass length for waders and bird of prey. The tide’s movements bring sediment and seeds into Jubilee Marsh. This makes it the perfect spot for many invertebrates and fish to flourish. Good news in turn, for the birds.

There’s plenty to explore on the more than 740 hectares and there are six walking trails, with two shelters so that you can sit back and relax while you watch the river. Wallasea Island sits within a Special Protection Area which covers the Crouch and Roach estuaries, which are home to various waders and wildfowl, like Dark-bellied Brent Geese. We designed intertidal areas with climate change in mind, with long shallow slopes allowing for the saltmarsh to creep up as sea levels rise.

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