With the new Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, officially launching the construction of Wallasea Island yesterday, we are now inviting members of the public and the local community to come and celebrate. The Wild Coast Weekend takes place on the 22 and 23 September and is totally free!
For the first time, visitors will be able to see the large construction machines being used to shift the 4.5 million tonnes of soil from the Crossrail site in London to Wallasea Island.
Crossrail has constructed a new jetty and an excavated material handling facility at Wallasea Island. At its peak 10,000 tonnes of material will be unloaded from 4 ships per day.
The Wild Coast Weekend is the chance to really get a feel for the scale of the work happening here. It is such an exciting time to visit the Island and it’s amazing seeing people’s reactions to the work. There will be loads going on over the weekend, with activities, exhibits, food and craft stalls and local refreshments. There is also a nature trail to follow that will give you the chance to take in all the sights and sounds of the big landscape at Wallasea.
The Crossrail earth will be used to create 670 hectares of higher and lower ground to restore the wetland landscape of mudflats, saltmarsh and lagoons last seen 400 years ago. As a result of this, the Island is expected to be home to a returning abundance of wildlife including tens of thousands of wading birds, fish, ducks geese, terns and seals.
Admission to the Island on the weekend is totally free, with free parking and a free ferry from Burnham on Crouch with a bus from Essex Marina to the event. For more information about the Wild Coast Weekend, please contact us on 01621 862621.