Northey Island

A remote island in the Blackwater Estuary and cut off at high tide, visiting Northey is a unique pleasure.

Northey was to become the oldest recorded battlefield in Britain when Viking raiders used the island as a base during the Battle of Maldon in AD991, an encounter also mentioned in England's earliest known poem.

Today the island's a little more tranquil and is a peaceful haven for wildlife, which can be seen and heard from our waymarked trail around part of the island. Having checked the details for visiting safely, crossing the causeway at low tide is still an exhilarating experience. In winter the estuary and the surrounding saltmarsh and fields on our farm are teeming with thousands of waders and wildfowl. These can be seen and heard from the river wall as access to the island is closed during this period, when our pastureland shelters large numbers of Brent geese, along with redshank, curlew and plovers.  

We are a pioneering site for managing coastal change in East Anglia by protecting existing saltmarsh, creating new areas of habitat and improving the resilience of the island to the effects of climate change and sea level rise.

Northey Island is a remote and exposed coastal site accessed via a tidal causeway, so extra attention is needed when planning your visit. Please check local tide times for Maldon. The causeway is covered approximately 3 hours either side of high tide and there is no safe access during this time. Extra caution is required during spring tides or stormy conditions when the tides can come in more quickly. Under no circumstances attempt to cross the causeway if it is covered and allow plenty of time to get across.  

There is no visitor access to the house and gardens. Visitors must not walk onto the saltmarsh or mudflats. This is a tidal area with many unseen hazards and can be dangerous.

Further information to help you plan a safe visit please email northeyisland@nationaltrust.org.uk