From Cudmore Grove to the Colne
Cudmore Grove Country Park, at the island's eastern end, provides established access to coastal grassland, a bird hide, play areas and the foreshore. The park is reached from Broman's Lane. The beach looks out towards the mouth of the Colne; tidal flats and marsh make this a very different landscape from the beach huts at West Mersea.
The park is publicly accessible, but that does not make every neighbouring creek bank, marsh or stretch of foreshore a public right of way. Follow the signed paths and beach approaches.
Cliffs that contain an ancient river
The low eroding cliffs expose gravels deposited by the former Thames–Medway river system about 300,000 years ago. Older channel sediments below include fossil wood and animal remains. Separate deposits at foreshore level record the later Ipswichian interglacial, about 120,000 years ago; hippopotamus bones have been recovered from this coastal sequence.
These are scientifically important and protected exposures. Read the geology of Cudmore Grove for the different layers, or the beachcombing guide for responsible observation. Do not climb or dig into the cliff face.
War remains on an eroding shore
Concrete fragments near the foreshore include remains of the Second World War coastal artillery position. Erosion has broken up seaward structures, while other wartime defences survive farther inland. The Tudor blockhouse belongs to a much earlier phase of coastal defence and should not be confused with the wartime battery.
Coastal erosion and safe access
Erosion here is continuing. The published shoreline-management unit for Cudmore Grove records a policy of no active intervention. This is a planning policy, not a prediction that every footpath will remain in place. Keep clear of cliff edges and unstable concrete, follow local diversions and check the park's current visitor information before setting out.