Corringham and Fobbing Marsh (EHER 48404)

An area of ‘improved’ grassland located south of Corringham Hall and parish church, close to the gravel terrace. A number of straight and sinuous drainage ditches remain. An old sea wall/counter wall survives as a significant earthwork, and historic ‘Manor Way’ from Garland’s Farm to the west is also extant. Stetch cultivation earthworks indicate improvement. The marsh’s setting has been compromised by modern industrial development and related transport infrastructure. Current management is grazing. The marsh includes a number of nationally rare plant species such as Sea Barley Hordeum marinum.

2014. Historic Grazing Marsh Project. Historic environment character: The marsh was reclaimed by the time of the Chapman and Andre map of 1777 but early reclamation is likely to have taken place by the 13th century <1>. An historic routeway, Manor Way, from Garland’s Farm to the east survives as a double ditched causeway across the marsh, as does an old sea wall/counter wall, which still stands a significant linear earthwork, and may be medieval in origin. Most drainage ditches re sinuous although there are occasional straight drains. Part of marsh was only recently lost to London Gateway road development, which is now large scale industrial development out to the sea wall. Archaeological investigations at Garland's Farm identified medieval agricultural activity at the marsh edge. Character of vegetation: Marsh contains nationally rare plants such as Sea barley Hordeum marinum, Slender Hare’s-ear Bupleurum tenuissimum, Sea Clover Trifolium squamosum and Stiff saltmarsh-grass Puccinellia rupestris. Drain fauna has not been studied but likely to be similar to that in neighbouring areas. Threats: The marsh may be further threatened by continued agricultural improvement, or pressures resulting from the adjacent London Gateway development. The biodiversity of the marsh is threatened by a lack of traditional management. Earthworks may be affected by livestock poaching, with erosion evident around supplementary feeders etc. Thames 2100 Lower Estuary Urban/Industrial and marshland Policy Unit: potential impact on historic environment resulting from required provision of freshwater compensatory habitat, although Fobbing is currently favoured site. See <2>.