During the 1920s a London publican, Edwin Cash, decided to run a ‘get rich quick’ scheme in which he sunk five wells to the rear of Hovells Farm, near what was Vange Hall Estate. Despite the well’s name, it was actually situated nearer to Laindon than Vange, actually within the parish of Fobbing.

   The ironically named Cash set up these wells to sell as water sporting alleged medicinal values. During the Victorian Era and beyond into the first half of the 20th Century, air and water from natural sources was always believed to be healthy, and people would visit seaside towns such as Canvey Island and Southend-on-Sea for the air and seawater. Although we now know this water and air was no more than unpolluted, it never did have any of the almost magical powers from the beliefs circulated at the time. This was probably a similar thing Cash was trying to run, coming from London where the air was polluted like many other seaside-seekers. He claimed himself as being ‘farmer’, because he owned a large portion of land in which the wells were placed. He claimed to have discovered the incredible water source in the early 1900s and erected a large sign close to Five Bells, advertising a ‘magic’ well amongst the ‘Vale of Health’. He sold it under the name of ‘Farmer Cash’s Famous Medicinal Vange Water’ under the ‘Vange Water Company’ for a modern equivalent of just under £6 per bottle. The supposed high sulphur content of the water was said to cure nervous disorders, stomach problems, rheumatoid complaints, and lumbago.

   We now know this was all a sales con, and the water was if anything, contaminated. The concern peaked via good advertising, but before half the decade was up, the operation folded around 1925-29. This is believed to be because a tuberculosis sanatorium was opened in 1927 on higher ground near the well. It was said the water from the wells were contaminated via this, as its drainage had crossed the wells’ supply.

   Today remains the neo-grec enclosure for the fifth well amongst the north-east corner of the lower section of Martinhole Wood within Laindon Hills Natue Reserve. It can be visited publicly. Now highly ruined, the underground well storage can be seen full of water where entrances open up, and the ground gives way, in the area in front of the well. A large rectangular dip can be seen in the forest floors surface where there is clearly a large underground water storage body. The crumbling structure stands like an Ancient Greek temple which is almost dream-like when you first see the surreal structure. One can imagine how this added to the alleged magical healing properties of the water sourced from there. The main structure appears to have been made from brick (including the pillars which were then rounded off in concrete) and covered in plaster. Attempts to white wash bits of the structure can be seen today, although this looks highly unfinished to the point where it could have been accidental. In the centre is the well’s opening itself – the red tiles still remain around the well in most of the central enclosure. A domed room once stood on top, probably made of bronze or glass; now only the skeletal metal ribs remain.

 Photograph of remaining lettering in the well, taken 1996 by Keith Kruud (c)

You can see the photos of our visit below:

Thames North 8, Northwick ( as it was ‘coded’ during the war) was the name assigned to one of the many heavy anti-aircraft batteries across the country. This one, located down Northwick Road on Canvey, amongst what is now a recycling centre, would have been pointed at the skies to blast any German bombers or V1 Flying Bombs; ‘Doodlebugs’, out of British airspace. Had the Battle of Britain fell to German victory, these HAA batteries would have shot down German paratroopers in planes or gliders too. Although TN8 was located relativity far from Canvey Island’s major settlements, the concussion from their firing was reported to have smashed the window of a nearby house, taken from wartime damage records. The camp was said to have been built at around 1940, and was armed with three 4.5″ guns. The 6th AA Division took up the role of utilising this battery against the German war machine.

We visited the sewage works for the camp, manning the battery, which was located just outside of the Recycling Centre in nearby farmland. Of course, we were unable to access the main camp buildings, such as the stereotypical elongated accommodation huts. Therefore I will use photographs courtesy of Dave Bullock who as able to arrange an organised tour around the site, for the areas we were unable to access.

At the entrance stands a probable guard-house to the right, with accommodation huts preceding. There are around twelve huts here, although two were damaged during a fire in 2007. They have since been restored thankfully by the owners – the complex is listed. The huts were used during the 1950s as housing for civilians after the war, although this all changed when the council built a nearby estate. There was a gun store within the site, which was enclosed by large steel doors and shuttered windows. Allegedly Canadians were once housed on the site, and may have left some of the graffiti inscribed on the walls inside.

The Gun Store (c) Dave Bullock

Dave Bullock describes the area in which the gun mounts were situated, and more, now heavily overgrown.

At the north of the base there are four circular Gun Placements, one buried but the other three preserved with their six internal recesses and gap where steel doors once hung, the large hinges can still be seen. These four emplacements are arranged in the ‘March 1938 pattern’  which is an arc with its apex facing east towards the direction of the oncoming German Aircraft (up the Thames from the North Sea).

The Gun Emplacements (c) Dave Bullock

On the inside of this arc the road goes round like a roundabout and the inside is heavily overgrown. Hidden amongst the undergrowth is the Gunsite Command Post, partly a bunker and partly concrete walls with open roofs. All that can be seen is a north facing wall and the reinforced roof. An entrance was found on the east face but it was not accessible.

The Hidden Entrance to the Gunsite Command Post (c) Dave Bullock

Between the north east gun placements is a Magazine Bunker again almost inaccessible. On the east a very deep recess can be seen. Apparently there is a ramp that goes inside but it is currently not possible to explore due to many years of thick growth and earth movement.

Finally, there was the sewage works for the site – the part which we were able to investigate. The  sewage station consisted of a grid-like sectioned structure which came up to roughly head-height. This featured numerous channels for water to flow. The round handles still turned, due to the isolated nature of this well-preserved site. This followed onto a large circular structure, filled with black coal-like stones, with a rotating lever in the centre which could be turned round the circumference of the structure. Again, due to the good condition, this still operated! Closer to the main site, there was also the Pump House, which had an underground ‘cellar’, merely a small sewage waterway most probably. The pump house itself had a preserved floor made from wooden slats, which allowed ran above the water-way underneath. However we didn’t go inside, especially due to the thin and precarious floor, with a drop below. Below are our photographs of the sewage components:

Hello everyone! A few more weeks then BTP will be returning back to normal; exploring, blogging and documenting. Last Thursday we were fortunate enough to be invited by Chris Fenwick, band manager, to the V.I.P. opening of the Dr. Feelgood Exhibition at the Canvey Club. We attended in some contemporary rock n’ roll clothes and had a great night, learning a lot more about the Band. We attended with our guest for the evening, Alan Taylor, a massive fan! It featured a plethora of Feelgood merchandise, memorabilia  and cuttings, and was excellent for giving us the Feelgood factor of what the band were really all about. We spoke to people who had travellled from Scotland, Finland, and even Holland to visit Canvey Island, to them trademarked with the stamp of Dr. Feelgood. It just showed how popular the band was during the mid seventies, and the image they put out of Canvey.

Left to right – Liam Heatherson, Joe Mander, Phil Mitchel, Chris Fenwick, Kevin Morris, Alan Taylor.

We were fortunate enough to get interviews with Phil Mitchel (base guitar since 1980s), Kevin Morris (drummer since 1980s), Chris Fenwick (long-term manager) and due to audio issues, we will hopefully be getting one with Chris Fenwick soon. The exhibition site describes the evening as:

Take a journey through the early years when Lee, Wilko,
Sparko and the Big Figure cut their teeth on Canvey Island
before exploding onto the London pub rock scene.

View an incredible collection of concert posters, record
sleeves, press cuttings and previously unseen photographs
from the days of Down By The Jetty and Milk and Alcohol
all the way through to the modern era.

Never before assembled in one place, this is a unique
opportunity to get close to the artefacts and imagery
from one of the worlds most exciting live bands.

This was our first time in the club and it’s really warm and cosy inside making it an amazing evening for all Feelgood fans and even people who want to find out more! The band played in the fireplace for the best part of a year inside this historic old shack, just before they hit the mainstream.

Chris Fenwick Walks

To coincide with the exhibition a number of Chis Fenwick’s famous Canvey Walks, have been organised, visiting Canvey’s most infamous spots and Feelgood hide-outs. The walks will start at 10:30am at The Lobstersmack, Canvey on the following days:

• 10th May
• 17th May
• 24th May

finishing at The Canvey Club. The walk is approximately 2 hours with no booking necessary – just turn up.

What are ROC posts? 

ROC Badge

The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a defence warning organisation operating from 1925. It was created to provide a system for detecting, tracking and reporting enemy aircraft over Britain. They played a very important part during World War Two. The end of the Second World War brought with it the new and terrifying prospect of nuclear war. In Britain the public would have had a mere four minute warning of the approach of nuclear missiles and it was the job of the Royal Observer Corps to warn the public of the impending attack, report the explosions and plot the path of the deadly nuclear fallout. From 1955 the Corps operated from 1563 ROC underground monitoring ‘posts’ about 7-8 miles apart from each other throughout the UK. In 1968 the Corps was re-organised and about half of the posts were closed. In September 1991 the remaining 872 posts were stood down and were abandoned.

The image below shows the diagram of one. This site is very useful if you want to know more about ROC posts.

Diagram

Woodham Ferrers Post

We had to walk up quite a steep hill to get there with amazing views looking far and wide in different directions. The first bit that we came to was this, a ventilation shaft. Although posts already had one vent shaft attached to the hatch area, a second one was constructed at the far end of the post, this one lead into the main observers room while the first on the hatch lead to the smaller toilet room/area, metal or wooden louvered vents were attached to either side.

After this we headed over to the main beast which was a few steps in the opposite directions. I was the first to go down and armed with just a headlight, I was petrified of finding some black spider crawling towards me and I’m pretty sure I am more scared of it that it is of me! I conquered the ladder which was actually no problem and apart from the odd cobweb down below (I wasn’t going to stand and look for spiders!) I couldn’t see any other lurking surprises.

Straight after the ladder, when you have gone down, you are standing on a “sump and sump grill” with the obvious use for this being a place for the people to dispose of liquid waste.

^There is small room opposite which would have been the toilet. Most of the doors opened inwards due to space which is what the main room one did.

Apart from the odd burnt bit on the table things were in a reasonable condition considering the post wasn’t locked up.

The ‘book shelf’ bit at the back would have been used for holding jerry cans which would have been full of water. The metal that remains today would have acted as hooks.

The image above shows a cupboard and a fir blanket dispenser. Posts were equipped with a large cupboard to store items such as medical kits and the stain removing Glitto! The fire blanket holder would have held asbestos fire blankets which were kept in posts in case of fire.

A video will be coming to BTP TV soon on the post and also the WW1 aerodrome however for the meantime our photos can be found here and why not visit/sign up to our forum as we want to get it used a lot more!

This map, from the unbeatable, comprehensive Dowd’s Canvey Cyclopedia (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~canvey/index_files/canveycyclopediafacts.htm) labels the various farms across Canvey in 1850, the days when Canvey was still but farmland and a small village, much like the Wild West, as I like to allude to! Only few of these actually remain today, with Brickhouse Farm being one of the only still in operation. So, where did all the rest go? Well, a majority became left abandoned, and most were built on as land was taken up by development. Only few survived on the land which today is west Canvey; a large area of wilderness which has escaped money-maker’s development. It remains much like it has been for hundreds of years, especially Bowers Marsh. Waterside Farmhouse still stands as the recycling centre today. We made it our mission to uncover the sites of two particular farms which lay on land not covered at by human expansion – Pantile Farm, and Tree (Southwick) Farm. I will say now that the farms in question no longer structurally exist. However, the sites of these two farm houses caught my eye as being on untouched ground – I decided that the remains from their demolition, from as much as a few decades ago, must still be there.

Myself, BTP Joe Mander, and guest explorer Sam Hill, took the trek out into Canvey’s countryside to investigate the sites of these farms – probably the first with the specific intention for many years. We parked in the recently established RSPB Nature Reserve West Canvey car park. We then set west for the current seawall, which had been there for around 200 years, made only of as grassy bank. Our findings of the first farm site are below:

Pantile Farm

Despite the buildings being recorded as standing as long ago as 1777, on Chapman and Andre’s map, the farmhouse has probably stood up until several decades ago. The date of the construction of the main farmhouse at Pantile is unclear. We were walking along the site of the farmhouse, characterized by raised ground and greener ground foliage, when we felt something hard underfoot. We pulled up some of the grass, and instantly came across the foundations of brick walls which made up the farmhouse. They were classic Victorian red terracotta bricks, characteristic of late Victorian architecture. However, the farmhouse can be seen derelict in this 1935 photograph, meaning the farmhouse could have been constructed earlier. Bricks for the farmhouse would probably have been of local origin, perhaps from the brick factories of Benfleet or Hadleigh. This means that it is hard to class the bricks as part of that Victorian movement of red brick, so the house could have been the same one from its initial construction, sometime probably in the 1700s. Pulling it away further from the red brick being of the Victorian era, the farmhouse appears to be of earlier style, not Victorian, in which brick would have been used extensively. Instead, brick appears to make up only the base of the building, and the rest being either made entirely of wooden timbers, or the brick walls lined with wooden timbers. The architectural style would suit that of the 1700s (although farmhouses were private constructions and m,ay not follow any contemporary style), and bricks found in the bushes, which had been weathered and overgrown, appeared to be of earlier than Victorian origin. Therefore this was probably was the initial farmhouse, which had never been replaced since the 170os. However, little mention of the farmhouse appears in anywhere before the mid 1800s. The bricks were layed short-ways next to each other, which is quite unconventional – probably to make a wall only one brick wide as cheap as possible, without it being too thin. Either that, or it could have been the step to the front entrance – the bricks from the first layer protrude. In fact, neither layer of the the bricks showed signs that there would have been more layers on top, meaning that it could well have been a step. Bricks elsewhere were layed usually, length-ways. Therefore the bit we found was probably steps/not the main walls of the farmhouse.

   Joe also found a piece of wooden timber in the grass, probably that of what lined the farmhouse in the photograph. The wood had a very dark rotten aesthetic, and it looked several hundreds of years old. It was about 1 meter long, and found lying out of place just under the grass foliage. It is lucky to have survived as long as it has, and looked older than the Victorian era. Whether the farmhouse which remains archaeologically today was built in the Victorian era, or several hundreds of years before, will remain a mystery. The farm was known as ‘Pantile Farm’ from 1774, and before was called ‘Longwick farm’. The house in fact follows Dutch style. Graham Stevens from the Canvey Community Archive stated that: “The name has always fascinated me because I could see no direct Canvey connection(marsh,wick etc). This has prompted me to do a little research on ‘pantiles’ as roofing material and find that they first appeared in Eastern England in the 17th cent and they were imported from, guess where? Holland! So it would appear our farm was named after it’s roof-tiles which could have arrived on Canvey as imports or more likely as ballast on Dutch eel-boats plying between Holehaven and Holland. P.S. The floor of Furtherwick Farm was reputed to be made of Dutch bricks originally used as ballast.” Some bricks in the bushes were found to be coated in a thick tar-like substance, which was again quite old in appearance. A section of reddish tiel was also found, possibly a piece of the infamous Dutch ‘pantile’. It is worth noting that archaeological digs took place on the site in 1995-6. One thing however is almost certain – the farmhouse would not have been built in the late Victorian era, because it was shown in the photo above to be long abandoned by 1935 – it probably was built and used long before then.

It is described in 1867 as:

“Pantile” belongs to E. Woodard, of Billericay, and likewise “Kersey,” situate in South Bemfleet.He purchased these farms of King’s College, Cam­bridge ; they were formerly parcel of Kersey Priory, at Hadleigh in Suffolk.

Tree Farm

The next farm was Southwick Farm, the most commonly known ‘Tree Farm’ on Canvey (there were several). It lied behind the seawall north of Northwick Road’s very end. The fact that both farmhouses were built near the wall indicates that a house with a view was clearly what farmers would usually go for! Up until recently, the site of the farmhouse would have been sheltered by small trees, although upon arrival we saw these had been cleared. The ground either side of the path through the middle was very flat, as if it had once been flattened for foundations of a building. The same ground plant which grew on the Pantile site also grew here too.

The below photograph, from possibly the 1990s, shows the site when it was last investigated. The main difference is that the tress are still standing.

In ‘The History of the Rochford Hundred’ book, 1867, by Philip Benton, the farm is described as this:

“Southwick Marsh” otherwise “Tree Farm,” in the parish of North Bemfleet, was formerly the property of Col. Wm. Brewse Kersteman; it was purchased by Jonathan Wood, and being sold by the trustees under his will, was bought by H. N. Wood (testator’s son).

We also know that the farm was used as a household beyond 1954, and was demolished some decades ago. It is described by SEAX Archeology as

Whether it used concrete or not in some part of its structure, we did find a small sudden mound on the site, which had chunks of concrete lying next to it, which looked old and rough, with small stones in it. We also found some old wood which was certainly rotten, and appeared to have once been a set of shaped timbers, which we know the structure was built from originally. We also finally found some brickwork pieces, which looked like red terracotta brick again. It had a glaze or tile cemented onto one side of it – perhaps from the floor? What the house was made from again remains a mystery, but there is the evidence.

As a final note, I can say this minor expedition was very successful, and remains were established of both farms. It would appear that if you were to remove the top soil from the site for Pantile, the building’s actual wall outlines e.t.c. would be clearly visible. A further investigation will be carried out at a later date now we have further knowledge, and we will come more equipped. This is the first time the remains of Pantile and Tree Farm have been recorded since demolition (or in the case of Pantile, since the aforementioned archaeological dig in the 90s). We are certainly the first to provide pictorial evidence. A video of our discovery will also be featured, and will appear shortly on this page. I will leave you with these two captivating images made using  Adobe Photoshop by Sam Hill, who joined us on the trip. He has merged images of the Tree Farm site and the old photo of the ruined Pantile Farmhouse, to create a representation of what it might look like to stumble across one of Canvey’s many old farmhouses, if one stood derelict today. Note this is not specifically meant to depict either of the two farms featured.

Due to recent media interest, Beyond the Point has decided to release a press statement surrounding potential prosecution on us.

On March 23rd 2013, we decided to visit Walmarth Hospital to get some last minute photos before demolition takes places at the start of this month. After leaping over a fence at the back of the site, we narrowly avoided builders and security guards on the site, however we didn’t manage to avoid the CCTV cameras. After approaching a building with no metal shutters, we snuck in though a window. With an alarm sounding, we were quick to take our photos and film our footage before leaving. We had just climbed back out of the window before seeing several men in high-vis vests, one of which with a police dog. We decided to run in the opposite direction thinking that we hadn’t been seen before running past armed police who pointed tasers and guns at us. Being told to “get down” we frantically dropped to the floor and awaited further instructions. We were cuffed by the police before having a helicopter spotlight put on us. We were taken to the local police station, Frimpton Police Station, before being interviewed with a local solicitor present. Being collected at 11pm that afternoon, we were collected by our parents before getting a court date, April 18th. We will be appearing at Basildon court on that day to face possible prosecution and also to get legally given a cease and desist order, refraining us from continuing our work for http://www.beyondthepoint.co.uk. Regrettably we will have to close down the site along with all social networking connections by midnight, April 28th 2013. Unfortunately we cannot transfer the website to new owners however the domain name will go on sale. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and our personal fascination for history will no stop.

Further media statements will be issued in due course.

Most adults will know who Dr Feelgood are and those that listen to the Castle View Radio (CVFM) would have heard me talking about them on Tuesday. Dr. Feelgood are a British pub rock band formed in 1971 originating from Canvey. Hailing from the island they are best known for early singles like “Back in the Night” and “Roxette”. Although their most commercially productive years were the early to mid 1970s. They continue to tour and record to this day with them coming to the Oysterfleet this weekend! The group’s original distinctively British R&B sound was centred on Wilko Johnson’s choppy guitar style.

Wilko Johnson

Like many pub rock acts, Dr. Feelgood were known primarily for their high energy live performances, although studio albums like Down by the Jetty (1974) and Malpractice (1975) were also popular. Their breakthrough 1976 album, Stupidity, reached number one in the UK Albums Chart which was their only chart topper. But after the follow-up Sneakin’ Suspicion, Johnson left the group. He was replaced by John ‘Gypie’ Mayo. With Mayo, the band was never as popular as with Johnson. Down by the Jetty is a very iconic song by the group and a very interesting one for us! The album cover can be seen below with a Canvey Jetty in the background.

The original album

Later Years

The band then suffered an almost career-finishing blow, when Brilleaux died of cancer on 7 April 1994 however their memory never died. Every year since Brilleaux’s death in a special concert, known as the Lee Brilleaux Birthday Memorial, is held on Canvey Island, where ex and current Feelgoods celebrate the music of Dr. Feelgood, and raise money for The Fair Havens Hospice in Westcliff-on-Sea. Fans attend from all over the globe, and the 17th event was held on 7 May 2010. Although still based in the UK, Dr. Feelgood continue to play across the world, with concerts in 2010 including, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Switzerland

A film by Julien Temple about the very early days of the band, Oil City Confidential, premiered at the London Film Festival on 22 October 2009, and received a standing ovation. Guest of honour was Lee Brilleaux’s mother Joan Collinson, along with his widow Shirley and children Kelly and Nick. All the surviving members of the original band were present along with manager Chris Fenwick. Reviewing the film for The Independent, Nick Hasted concluded: “Feelgood are remembered in rock history, if at all, as John the Baptists to punk’s messiahs”. On general release from 1 February 2010, the film has been critically well received, with Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian describing it as “ ..a vivid study of period, music and place”. The film was broadcast on BBC Four in April 2010, September 2010 and on 15 March 2013.

Wilko Johnson – An Inspiration

Wilko lives in Southend and has an interest in astronomy, painting and poetry. He married his childhood sweetheart Irene Knight when they were teenagers, and had a son, Simon. Johnson was widowed in 2004 when Irene died. Johnson was forced to cancel a show in November 2012 when he was rushed to hospital with an undisclosed illness. He was diagnosed in January 2013 as having untreatable pancreatic cancer, and has chosen not to receive any chemotherapy. On 25 January 2013, he gave an interview on BBC Radio 4 discussing his terminal cancer, and said that doctors have told him he has nine or ten months to live. He talked about his “farewell tour” of the UK set for March, and how his diagnosis has made him feel “vividly alive”.

Two years later, we are now a fully-fledged organisation amongst South-East Essex. In the time ‘BTP’ has been around, we have explored countless locations from Tilbury to Shoebury, spoke to a women’s society and an infant’s school, had several articles in local magazines and newspapers, created an hour long DVD and sold it, had three stall displays at local events, and even managed to earn a permanent display in a small-time military museum. What has really amazed me is how easy it is to make a name for oneself – a few emails and showing your face at events will get you a long way, whether it’s getting an exclusive tour around a historic site, or getting to know the local council.

On the other side of the story is the actual exploration element. I’ve ended up getting to see some incredible places without having to travel a couple of miles, all for free, and have them all to myself. Beyond the Point covers all areas of local history from Roman occupation up to the past century, and includes everything from the quite profound Hadleigh Castle, to a derelict fertiliser factory from the 1950s in Stanford-le-Hope. It is a great hobby, because it is usually quite physically demanding and outdoor, so a good way to keep healthy, but also very interesting. It opens up a range of other fields to, such as survival and camping when on longer day trips, and photography which is a very obvious ‘outcome’ of visiting such awesome places. Some places do require a little cunning to access, although the thing is that if people do not document them today, they will deteriorate and eventually end up demolished before those of years to come can appreciate as close to a natural time capsule as one can get. This is what you don’t get from going to refurbished buildings, or seeing artefacts nicely polished in glass cabinets at museums. It all adds to the thrill of the moment, but of course you also come away with some important information for the future.

The best place I have visited is a Victorian sea defence battery constructed from 1887-93 in East Tilbury, near Coalhouse Fort. One minute you’re in a kids park surrounded by a council estate; you hop over the anti-toddler fence, and you’re in a patch of woodland. After a few steps you realise something isn’t quite right about the place, as that familiar mossy decayed aesthetic of bricks and concrete pops from the foliage. Consisting of six circular concrete gun-mounts, some brick outbuildings, and an array of pristine tunnels, this place is a real treat. On goes the fingerless gloves and head torch, and you’re in. The darkness greets you like a thick, tempting, void. The stunning iconic 19^th Century archways guard the entrance. In you go. You notice signs and eventually equipment knocking about preserved after abandonment before the First World War even took off. These tunnels, used to hoist rounds up to the guns above, run under the battery, and it is quite extraordinary to see ‘Cartridge Lift Right ->’ still preserved on the wall, and a cobwebbed shell hoist lurking at the end of the next dark corridor. Now you get the idea – even if you hate history, you won’t resist exploring these rare places. Another great place, a long-time favourite of mine, is Canvey’s abandoned refinery jetty. As mentioned before, it was never properly built, but this jetty was. At 1 mile long and 40 feet or more high, it offers incredible views into the oil refinery at Coryton and the Thames, whether at day or night. Going up the old steps takes some courage, but it’s things like pushing your fear of heights that little bit more each time which ices the cake. I’ve taken several classmates on various trips, and they’ve all loved it.

Even if I do a lot of it for the experience, the history behind it makes it feel ‘valuable’ – not just some lingering junk, but as if its past has given it a unique flavour. I am in strong touch with local community archives, and can certainly pass as a ‘local historian’ in certain towns. Local history itself – what some could call the ’boring’ part of Beyond the point, leaves you wondering in awe after you have seen some of the more interesting things. It’s that thought of a completely different version of the area you live in, or go to school in, day in day out, that the past presents. Did you know that 100 years ago you would have seen a railway crossing over the current one in the Hadleigh downs by a red-brick viaduct? I bet not. What’s more is that part of that viaduct is still there – whilst the castle some meters away and is known by almost everyone, you will shamefully struggle to find a mention of the viaduct online. And that is where Beyond the Point’s slogan comes in – ‘Revealing the unseen history of South-east Essex’.

At the outbreak of World War II, the Port of London was the busiest port in the world. As such, a large proportion of supplies to the UK entered by ships navigating the Thames. The German Navy quickly sought to put a stranglehold on this route, and to this end, utilised a new secret weapon – the magnetic influence mine. Whilst there were different variants of this mine, in simplistic terms, the mine was detonated by the presence of a large magnetic object – such as a steel hulled ship – passing in close proximity, without having to make physical contact. So successful was this that in the first few months of the war, over one hundred ships were sunk in the Thames Estuary alone. It was clear that urgent action was needed to stem these losses, and as most mines were laid by aircraft, ships were requisitioned and used as mobile anti aircraft units. However, this was not altogether successful, and a more satisfactory solution was needed.In the early years of the war, Guy Maunsell, a civil engineer, had produced plans for offshore defences.

At the time his ideas were considered somewhat eccentric, but he was asked to submit plans for an offshore fort as an effective means of dealing with the laying of the mines. Plans were drawn up, and after some modification, approval was given for the manufacture and installation of four offshore forts. These were of mainly reinforced concrete construction, built on land on a lozenge shaped reinforced base, and towed out to sea where they were sunk onto the seabed.

The source for this blog post

Each fort accommodated approximately 120 men, housed mainly within seven floors of the 24’ diameter twin reinforced concrete legs and were under the control of the Navy. They were all placed in position between six and twelve miles offshore between February and June, 1942 and became operational immediately. Each fort accommodated up to 265 men.

After the war the forts were placed on ‘care and maintenance’. However as the need for their continued use diminished, they were abandoned, and the guns removed from the Army forts, in 1956.The Nore fort was dismantled in 1959 being considered a hazard to shipping (two towers were lost following a collision in 1953 whilst another in 1963). In 1964, Radio Caroline began broadcasting from a ship moored outside UK Territorial Waters.

Four of the forts survive, abandoned since they were decommissioned in the 1950s. Each played host to pirate radio stations in the 1960s. Since this time, Roughs has been occupied by the founder of Radio Essex, Roy Bates, who in 1967 declared the fort an independent state: The Principality of Sealand. Its independence is not recognised and as with all the Maunsell forts, it is still considered UK territory (though this is often disputed). In 2007, there was talk of The Pirate Bay relocating to Roughs, in a bid to take advantage of its disputed territory claim and get around toughened copyright law in Sweden. This fell through. The plans can be seen below. (Right click image then select open in new tab to enlarge the picture)

Today, Redsand Fort as the only complete structure as built in wartime is the focus of attention by Project Redsand, a group of enthusiasts with the aim of reinstating the Fort to its original built condition. Having had an underwater survey carried out by the Port of London Authority at a cost of around £5,000, work has progressed to installing a new access system to the G1 tower thanks to the generosity of Mowlem Marine (now Carillion) of Northfleet. Built at a cost of approximately £40,000, the access system enables project members to board the tower to commence restoration. The BTP Boys hope to venture out one day!

Useful Websites:

Project Redsand - http://www.project-redsand.com/index.htm

Maunsell Forts - http://log.doggerland.net/2011/02/23/maunsell-forts/

1943 Pictures - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.355003671221371.102739.100281160026958&type=3

Saturday 31^st January 1953 began in Essex like any other mid-winter Saturday, however the outcome was a surprising revelation for everyone… On Canvey the new memorial hall, gaily bedecked with bunting, was publicly dedicated in the afternoon to the memory of local men who lost their lives in the Second World War. On the mainland opposite Canvey, caretakers and cleaners gave the new Benfleet secondary school in Shipwrights Drive, sometimes referred to locally as ‘The Palace’, the final polish for its official opening. At 11pm at Tewkes Creek the wind was fresh, cold and fierce. Shortly before midnight, one or two nightfarers, who was a Roman Catholic Priest who was old visiting a sick parishioner. In the bright moonlight he saw the tide lapping the top of the wall. In the Sunken Marsh a river board employee who lived nearby realised that the tide was rising rapidly. At might night, the chilling water was closing in on the whole of the Essex coast. Flooding in varying degrees had begun, and was spreading as the tide continued its inexorable rise and overwhelmed the defences on an ever-lengthening front which the weight, height and duration of its attack.  At this time, just before 1am, dykes were starting to overflow and the electricity board has received a report of a fault on Canvey due to flooding. At 12:50am, the water was at the top of the wall at Smallgains, this section in fact has recently been raised and thickened and was about a foot and a half higher that the wall at Tewkes Creek. One of the river board’s men was blowing his whistle, which echoed in the howling wind. This was just gone 1am. A few minutes after this, the chairman had rung the police station to tell the sergeant that the flood boards at Canvey Bridge had been overtopped. The Police sergeant met a constable out on a bicycle patrol who was about to telephone the police station because although the tide the water was still a foot below the top of the wall, it was extremely high for the stage of the tide.

1am February 1st - Meanwhile, at the Newlands, the 2 river board men and a group of gathered dedicated citizens tried to rouse the elderly and the young. Stumbling in the moonlight across the muddy rutty unmade roads, up and down garden paths then went knocking, shouting and even one screeching at his whistle as a last attempt to save fellow Islanders. With the howling noise of the wind, corrugated roofs, wrought iron gates and loose shed doors it was a difficult task to stir residents.  However many people had no warning and were awakened by the sudden roar as the wall burst, by the swish of the water as it rushed past, by the clatter and crash of the debris striking the house, by the noise of splitting timber and smashing glass. Half-awake, dazed and bewildered, as they struggled to escape from this violent, engulfing nightmare, to reach the outdoor staircases to their lofts, or to fight their way through the tumult outside, to go to the aid of elderly relatives or neighbours living nearby, successive waves charging through the walls swept them off the feet, breathless and numb from the icy impact. The margin between life and death was a matter of seconds as the water gushed through shattered windows and doors, and, impounded as it was in the Sunken Marsh by the inland counter wall, with no means of dispersal; it rose rapidly to a lethal depth.

Many who clambered on chairs, tables, cookers, mangled-tables and step-ladders, to keep their heads above the water or to make holes in the flimsy ceilings in order to escape into the roof space or out onto the roof, found their supports swept away from under their feet, leaving them fighting in the dark with floating furniture, clutching desperately at fanlights and the tops of doors and wardrobes, and trying to hold children up above the suffocating water. The Sunken Marsh was well described as a ‘basin of death’… By 1:25am the water was above windowsill level at the Newlands end of the Sunken Marsh, and, over topping the counter wall, was already pouring over it into the low ground between the counter wall and the High Street.

Have lessons been learnt though?

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This is just a little bit of what happened on that awful night. Liam and I are in the process of filming a documentary DVD to commemorate those that died and also the people that were affected by the floods. We are attending several events to pay our respects and also to film. If you have a story on the floods or know someone that does, we would be greatful if you would share it with us.