19th century cobble wall at High Street (EHER 82043)

The wall is constructed of lava stones from Norway, brought in the 19th century.

August 2019. Geological survey. It was originally thought that the stones in the Mistley Wall might have been gathered locally. This is because 'exotic' rocks do occur in Essex, having been brought here during the Ice age by the Anglian Ice Sheet, some even from Norway. However, the great variety of rock types in this wall made this unlikely. The answer was found following extensive research by geologist Ian Mercer who established from various written records and oral testimonies beyond any doubt that these rocks were brought to Mistley from Norway in ballast in trading ships in the early 19th century. In the wall there are 280 million year old lavas from Larvik, near Oslo, with their distinctively-shaped crystals. These have provided a rock-solid link between Mistley’s maritime past and this surviving, historic wall. A valuable display of geology as well as history lesson, the Mistley wall is a treasure of the Essex coast. It has considerable local historical conservation value. <1>