Rivers And Waterways

River Blackwater

The River Blackwater lies to the north of the River Thames, on the east coast of Essex. It is one of the largest recreational rivers on the east coast of England and is bordered by the Colne Estuary to the north and the River Crouch to the south.  It is approximately 16 miles from its navigable head at Maldon to the open North Sea.

Approximately 20 kilometres long, from Maldon to Mersea Island and covering almost 5,500 hectares, the Blackwater estuary consists of open water, mud flats and salt marsh and is one of the most important habitats for wildlife in the UK. It is of international importance for its plants and archaeology and also provides a rich harvest of fish and shellfish.

A wide range of activities take place on and around the estuary, including recreation, tourism, fishing, agriculture and commercial shipping. The sea wall which protects the land from the sea is topped by a footpath along most of its length, providing endless opportunities for walking and watching wildlife.

A range of walks leaflets and information to help you explore and enjoy the Blackwater estuary are available from the Maldon Tourist Information Centre.

For navigation purposes, the Blackwater and Colne Estuaries are covered by Admiralty Chart no. 3741. Further information can be obtained by visiting the UK Hydrographic Offices website.

A brief history of the Blackwater

In 991AD a Viking fleet sailed up the Blackwater and landed on an island (believed to be Northey Island). This island is still linked to the mainland by a causeway, and it here that the Saxon Earl Bryhtnoth, the royal deputy in Essex made the mistake of allowing the Vikings across to engage them in battle. The Saxons lost this decisive battle, and it was as a result of this loss that King Ethelred made peace with the Vikings and paid the first Danegeld as a form of 'protection' against further raids.

There is evidence that the Romans had colonised Maldon by the 1st Century AD, and were obtaining fish and oysters from the Blackwater to feed the settlement. During the late 1990s, Saxon fish traps were uncovered with the help of weather conditions and were then excavated by Essex County Council Archaeological Group. These large permanent structures gave some indication of the huge effort it must have taken to build and maintain them. All that remains of the structures are the eroded stumps of the upright posts and some parts of the wattle panelling a few inches high. Further information can be obtained from the Essex County Council Archaeology website.

On 7 October 1155, King Henry II granted Maldon a Borough Charter confirming its status. One of the conditions was the provision of a ship for the King's defence and, to enable this to be done, a water bailiff was appointed to gather taxes from the river. This post is still in existence, making the Maldon water (or river) bailiff one of the longest surviving posts in the country today.

Up to the 18th century, the River Blackwater continued to grow in importance and, during this period, it became the main supply route for imports along the East Coast, as well as a major source of food for the town. During the winter of 1776 the Blackwater froze from Maldon to Osea Island, a distance of 4 miles. The ice trapped fishing and cargo carrying vessels and blocked imports of coal, oil and wood. At the height of the winter two thirds of the town was without work and pay and the freeze caused great hardship to almost every resident.

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