A day out in… Foulness Island

Foulness Island in Essex was once only accessible via the deadly Broomway. Approach with caution! Just when you thought you knew Essex, did you know that you can only visit this island one day per month, for only 7 months of the year? And have we already said that it’s in Essex?

Just when you thought you knew Essex, did you know that you can only visit this Essex island one day per month, for only 7 months of the year? And have we already said that it’s in Essex?

The place we are going today is Foulness Island, an island off the east coast of the county near Southend-on-Sea, now wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as part of MoD Shoeburyness and managed by Qinetiq.

USEFUL INFO

JOURNEY: approx 1 hr 25 mins by car
COUNTY: Essex
ADMISSION: free to enter the island and Heritage Centre; £9 for the tractor tour (October 2022 price)
OPENING TIMES: April to October, 1st Sunday of each month

HOW TO GET THERE

Enter the postcode SS3 0DH in your Sat Nav, go a couple of hundred yards further and you will see a small roundabout and parking. More information is available from the Heritage Centre as any up-to-date protocols should be followed.

“Foulness” is derived from the Old English fugla næsse (“bird headland”), meaning wildfowl, and it is an internationally important site for migrating and breeding birds and therefore popular with birdwatchers, although access can be limiting.

The MoD and before that, The War Office, have a long history of using the area and sands around Foulness for artillery testing, and by the early part of the 20th century had bought most of the island but leaving the residents in their homes.

In 1922, a bridge was built for the military and the island now had a reliable method of access, meaning the ancient track called “The Broomway” was no longer its main route of entry.

Foulness Island in Essex was once only accessible via the deadly Broomway. Approach with caution! Just when you thought you knew Essex, did you know that you can only visit this island one day per month, for only 7 months of the year? And have we already said that it’s in Essex?

Visiting the island today, you’ll see that it’s split into two uses: the agriculture and farming, typical of Essex with flat arable fields and its military owners with their rules and restrictions. You are never far from warning signs saying keep to the paths, concrete offices and buildings, cameras and signs warning of ordnance or testing taking place.

Whilst the island used to have at least two pubs, shops, a school and a church, all are now closed, and there is a feeling that the MoD and Qinetiq have little interest in having facilities for those who live and work on the island, other than the military themselves. A shame that the tenants of the island are treated in such a way by their landlord, the MoD.

Foulness Island in Essex was once only accessible via the deadly Broomway. Approach with caution! Just when you thought you knew Essex, did you know that you can only visit this island one day per month, for only 7 months of the year? And have we already said that it’s in Essex?

Tractour

The tractor tour from the Heritage Centre is the best way of seeing the houses, farms and buildings, as you may not, as a day-visitor, drive your car anywhere other than the route from the MoD reception office, where you are registered, to the centre itself.

The tractor tour takes around 45 minutes and runs hourly for a few hours on the days the island is open.

Please note that the steps up the trailer where one sits on straw bales are not suitable for people with mobility issues.

You’ll be taken around the lanes and hear a commentary of the places you see, with a short stop near The Broomway‘s start near Fisherman’s Head.

The tractor tour gets booked quickly and has limited departures, so don’t arrive thinking there will be tickets for the next departure, or at all! Best to try for one of the earlier tickets.

Foulness Island in Essex was once only accessible via the deadly Broomway. Approach with caution! Just when you thought you knew Essex, did you know that you can only visit this island one day per month, for only 7 months of the year? And have we already said that it’s in Essex?

The Broomway

For centuries, this path was the main route to Foulness and has an interesting, but deadly past. It was easy to become lost on the sands between the mainland and the island, so broomsticks were planted in sand 30 yards apart to guide people.

Did you know?

The Broomway is said to be the most dangerous path in Britain and for centuries used to be the main access to the island.

You can read more here

If you take the tractor tour from the Heritage Centre, you will visit the area where The Broomway meets the island, but The Broomway is a dangerous path and should only walked with a local guide and our suggestion would be to keep well clear!

WANT TO GRAB A BITE?

The Heritage Centre has tea, coffee and light snacks with tables outside. Or, take your own picnic but as you’re only allowed to stay close to the centre, best to eat it there!

Foulness Island in Essex was once only accessible via the deadly Broomway. Approach with caution! Just when you thought you knew Essex, did you know that you can only visit this island one day per month, for only 7 months of the year? And have we already said that it’s in Essex?

Buy us a coffee! ☕

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