East Tilbury Marsh (EHER 48402)

A small area of relict grazing marsh located in public open space on the southern edge of Coalhouse Fort. The marsh is designated as part of the scheduled area of the fort and includes a late 19th century Quick-Fire battery built on the sea wall. The marsh also contains ditches linked to the fort's water-filled moat and its western boundary is formed from the raised embankment of a former tramway.

2014. Historic Grazing Marsh Project. Historic environment character: The marsh was reclaimed by the time of the Chapman and Andre map of 1777, which also shows a track-way leading to a coal wharf on the adjacent saltings <1>. This was later replaced by a raised embankment supporting a tramway, now a surfaced path. The sea wall and borrow dyke survive altered by the addition of a Quick-Fire battery in the late 19th century, comprising earthworks and concrete structures. The northern end of the marsh is adjacent to the water-filled moat of Coalhouse Fort and makes a significant contribution to its setting. The marsh forms part of the public open space associated with Coalhouse Fort and has a number of external interpretation panels. Character of vegetation: Relict grazing marsh contains a mix of nationally rare species such as divided sedge Carex divisa, Sea Barley Hordeum marinum, Slender Hare’s-ear Bupleurum tenuissimum, Hairy Buttercup Ranunculus sardous, Lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, Narrow-leaved Bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus glaber and Sea-spurreys Spergularia spp. Also a small area of diverse saltmarsh containing Saltmarsh Rush Juncus geradii, Glassworts Salicornia spp., Sea aster Aster tripolium, Annual sea-blite Suaeda maritima and nationally and regionally rare Stiff saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia rupestris. Threats: The marshland biodiversity may be threatened by the lack of traditional management. The historic environment is relatively unthreatened, although the Quick-fire battery may suffer from further neglect. Thames 2100 East Tilbury and Mucking Marshes Policy Unit: potential impact on historic environment resulting from required enhancements to drainage system on marshes, including fluvial flood storage. Front runner choice of Option 1.4 (Improve existing system) in 2070 could result in similar impacts. See <2>.