West Mersea
Encyclopedia
West Mersea is a small town in the Colchester
borough of Essex
, England
. It is the larger of two settlements on Mersea Island
, located south east of Colchester
. The smaller settlement on the island is the village of East Mersea
.
The West Mersea Yacht Club
is a notable centre for sailing on the East coast of England. The town also boasts an RNLI lifeboat station. The town hosts an annual regatta, usually in August each year, known as Mersea Week.
granted the island to the abbey of St. Ouen in Rouen
, France
in 1046, and the Priory of West Mersea was established.
In July 1963, the lifeboat station was established next to the West Mersea Yacht Club
, one of the first ten inshore lifeboat stations in the British Isles
. Originally served by a D class lifeboat, this was replaced by a B class, Atlantic 21, lifeboat in 1972. In 1992, a new boathouse and slipway were opened by the Duke of Kent. In 2001, a B class Atlantic 75 lifeboat was stationed at West Mersea.
In 1954, a tragedy happened. A man called Ian Hude decided to drive along the causeway when the tide was in. He drove down the road and his car stopped. He got out and slipped on the road as the water was coming in at a fast speed. He was swept away and drowned.
, Church of England
), Roman Catholic, Methodist and the Evangelical
Free Church
.
West Mersea has a high proportion of elderly people, so many of the town's amenities cater for this demographic.
The island has a substantial number of caravan parks, and along with other areas of the Essex coast, the island attracts many visitors from London
and the Home Counties
in summer.
Mersea has a strong sense of community and tradition. A regular publication, the Mersea Courier, lists many local activities. These include Pond Watch, The Night Sky, Christian Viewpoint and Speed Learn.
Additionally the Island is famous for its Oysters which are taken from its Oyster beds dating back to Roman times.
Colchester (borough)
Colchester is a local government district and borough in Essex, England, the district is named after its main town, Colchester. The borough covers an area of and stretches from Dedham Vale on the Suffolk border in the north to Mersea Island on the Colne Estuary in the south.The borough was formed...
borough of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the larger of two settlements on Mersea Island
Mersea Island
Mersea Island is the most easterly inhabited island in the United Kingdom, located marginally off the coast of Essex, England, to the southeast of Colchester. It is situated in the estuary area of the Blackwater and Colne rivers and has an area of around...
, located south east of Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
. The smaller settlement on the island is the village of East Mersea
East Mersea
East Mersea is a scattered village and civil parish on Mersea Island in the English county of Essex.-Grave of Sarah Wrench:The grave of Sarah Wrench , by the North wall of the chancel at St...
.
The West Mersea Yacht Club
West Mersea Yacht Club
West Mersea Yacht Club has its clubhouse in Coast Road, West Mersea, Mersea Island, Essex. It is on the estuary of the River Blackwater, 20 minutes by road from Colchester...
is a notable centre for sailing on the East coast of England. The town also boasts an RNLI lifeboat station. The town hosts an annual regatta, usually in August each year, known as Mersea Week.
History
Edward the ConfessorEdward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
granted the island to the abbey of St. Ouen in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1046, and the Priory of West Mersea was established.
In July 1963, the lifeboat station was established next to the West Mersea Yacht Club
West Mersea Yacht Club
West Mersea Yacht Club has its clubhouse in Coast Road, West Mersea, Mersea Island, Essex. It is on the estuary of the River Blackwater, 20 minutes by road from Colchester...
, one of the first ten inshore lifeboat stations in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. Originally served by a D class lifeboat, this was replaced by a B class, Atlantic 21, lifeboat in 1972. In 1992, a new boathouse and slipway were opened by the Duke of Kent. In 2001, a B class Atlantic 75 lifeboat was stationed at West Mersea.
In 1954, a tragedy happened. A man called Ian Hude decided to drive along the causeway when the tide was in. He drove down the road and his car stopped. He got out and slipped on the road as the water was coming in at a fast speed. He was swept away and drowned.
West Mersea today
The town is served by a community centre, various shops, restaurants, small hotels, public houses, a petrol station, bank, library, police station and several churches, including St Peter and St Paul, (NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
, Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
), Roman Catholic, Methodist and the Evangelical
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Free Church
Free Church
The proper noun Free Church may refer to:Europe-wide:* Evangelical Lutheran Free Churchin Germany:* Evangelical Lutheran Free Church * Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Churchin Iceland:*Reykjavík Free Churchin Norway:...
.
West Mersea has a high proportion of elderly people, so many of the town's amenities cater for this demographic.
The island has a substantial number of caravan parks, and along with other areas of the Essex coast, the island attracts many visitors from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Home Counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
in summer.
Mersea has a strong sense of community and tradition. A regular publication, the Mersea Courier, lists many local activities. These include Pond Watch, The Night Sky, Christian Viewpoint and Speed Learn.
Additionally the Island is famous for its Oysters which are taken from its Oyster beds dating back to Roman times.