54 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
Wade by three motor boats and beached a little below where she
now lies. Finally on 17th September she was brought up the last
twenty feet or so on the top of an equinoctial tide to her present
position. The predicted height of tide at Harwich on that day
(Harbour approach) was 13' 6", the highest of the year, and was
in fact a good tide, though it was higher still the day before. So
she should float only about twice a year and on days of excep-
tional tides with a N.W. gale at sea.
The work at Walton was done for me by F. W. E. Bedwell, in
business there as a rigger and an ex-barge master. He told me
that he had put Alpha onto her moorings at Walton in 1935 when
she was brought round from Southend where she had been con-
verted after ceasing to be in commission.
Alpha settled down well in her final berth. During the winter
I have improved the crossing in various ways, notably by bridging
the two pieces of water at the mainland end, which has shortened
the crossing very much. In 1948 these bridges were connected
by a raised track, and the gangway from Alpha to the Channel
was made.
A Historical Note
Thinking that the history of the Island might be of some
interest I applied to the Essex Record Office at Chelmsford and
to the Essex Archaeological Society for their help, but although
this was most generously given I have not been able to find very
much material. I seem to have read that some cynic said "Blessed
is the nation which has no history". Perhaps it is because the
Island has so little that it is so happy a place.
Something can be inferred from its shape and position. First,
it is obvious at a glance that the sea wall controls everything.
Look at it at high water springs and consider what it would be
without the sea wall. Starting from the north east, the Round
Field would have formed an island whose edges would have met
the top of high water not far from the old ditch which surrounds
the field. The southern edge would perhaps have been saltings
rather than sea, with in the centre a crossing dry at all times.
Secondly, there is the high ground at the S.E. part of the present
island, and thirdly the south western part in which the heronry
stands. These would be divided from one another by the low
ground along the west side of which the inner sea wall now runs.
This low ground is marked "Saltings" in the Tithe map of about
1834. I think it is reasonable to suppose that in comparatively
recent times, both the low ground and the land above mentioned
south of the Round Field were channelled for land drainage, so
converting saltings into the present low but dry ground with a
ditch down the middle. Finally, it is certain that quite recently
the third piece of high ground was in separate ownership from
the rest. Not only has it its own crossing from the mainland
(now disused but still visible) but someone at some time made