Pitsea Marsh (EHER 48409)

A large area of extensively ‘improved’ grazing marsh currently managed as an RSPB nature reserve. A series of sea walls/counter walls survive on the eastern side of the area, adjacent to Haven Creek, and earlier, medieval sea walls survive as substantial earthworks within the interior. Earthworks of late Iron Age or Roman red hills are known, and historic farmsteads are recorded and can be identified on the ground. A range of straight and sinuous drainage ditches remain. Second World War anti-landing ditches and bomb craters have been recorded as cropmarks and earthworks. The marsh has a diverse grassland flora. It has undergone extensive alterations during creation of the RSPB reserve.

2014. Historic Grazing Marsh Project. Historic environment character: The marsh was probably reclaimed by the 17th century and is recorded on the Chapman and Andre map of 1777 <1>. A series of sea walls/counter walls survive on the eastern side of the area, adjacent to Haven Creek, clearly illustrating the process of reclamation. One of the sea walls includes ramps that would have provided access for livestock to the salt marsh. Earlier, medieval sea walls survive as substantial earthworks within the interior, and ‘Manor Way’ survives as a double ditched track way that linked the marsh to the dry land to the north. The marsh contains the historic boundary between Laindon and Bowers Gifford, Earthworks of late Iron Age or Roman red hills survive along the northern edge of the marsh, and were encountered as below ground deposits during investigations ahead of a new RSPB visitor car park. A range of straight and sinuous drainage ditches remain, and a number of post medieval farmsteads are known, including Great Mussels, on the marshland edge, and North Staines and South Staines, which are thought to be 16th or 17th century in origin. Second World War anti-landing ditches and bomb craters have been recorded as cropmarks and earthworks. The marsh has been extensively altered during construction of new habitat for the RSPB nature reserve. Character of vegetation: Diverse grazing marsh, with 27 grass and 65 herb species recorded at the site. Typical grass species are Common couch-grass Elymus repens, Creeping bent-grass Agrostis stolonifera, Crested Dog’s-tail Cynosurus cristatus and Meadow Barley Hordeum secalinum. Notable species are Red Bartsia Odontites verna which supports BAP bumblebee species, and nationally rare Stiff saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia rupestris. Hairy buttercup Ranunculus sardous and narrow-leaved bird’s-foot trefoil Lotus glabor occur frequently. Marsh speedwell Veronica scutellata, a plant rare in Essex, occurs in the drains. Common reed Phragmites australis reedbed (a BAP habitat) dominates the drain vegetation. Typical grazing marsh drain species such as Soft hornwort Ceratophyllum submersum, Fat Duckweed Lemna gibba, Brackish water-crowfoot Ranunculus baudotii and Fennel pondweed Potamogeton pectinatus also occur. Threats: As a new nature reserve, the historic environment of the marsh is threatened by further habitat creation and construction of visitor infrastructure. See <2>.