DECOYS AND WILD-FOWLING IN ESSEX. 59
The Essex decoys still in use are now only three in number.
They are:—The Marsh House Decoy, Tillingham; the Grange Decoy,
Tillingham ; and the Old Hall Decoy, Tollesbury (only occasionally
used), each of which will be fully noticed hereafter.
The positions of all our Essex Decoys are clearly shown on the
accompanying map, together with the numbers assigned to them
in the following list.
It does not appear that there are any decoys about Canvey Island
or along the Thames banks. Commencing with the most southerly
Essex decoy and proceeding northwards along our coast-line, we
meet with the following :—
(1.) South Hall Decoy is in Paglesham parish, about half a
mile from South Hall, and a mile S.W. from Paglesham, on the north
bank of the Roach river, an arm of the Crouch. It is one acre in
extent, and has the remains of six pipes. It has been disused for
100 years, but there is some chance of its being re-worked by its
present tenant, Mr. James Wiseman.
Those decoys on the south side of the Blackwater estuary (ten
in number) are as follows :
(2.) The Grange Decoy is in Tillingham Marsh, two miles
S.E. from Tillingham, and three-quarters of a mile from the coast.
The pool is rather more than an acre in extent, and has six pipes.
The average yearly take is from 1,500 to 2,000 fowl, chiefly Wigeon,
although more than once over 10,000 birds have been taken in a
year, even recently. In some years, the Wigeon almost entirely
desert this pool for the one next mentioned, and vice versa. The
present tenant, Mr. Chas. Page, of Dengie Hall, is cousin to Mr.
Robert Page, of Down Hall, Bradwell, tenant of No. 3.
(3.) The Marsh House Decoy, Tillingham, is the property
of the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's, and is in the occupation of
Mr. Robert Page. The pool is rather more than an acre in extent,
and has six pipes. A precise description of its construction and
methods of working it has already been given above (pp. 51-58); while
ground-plans of both this and the last-named decoy, taken from the
25-inch ordnance survey maps, are given herewith. Many Wigeon
are often taken here, though in some years they are scarce. Pochards
used to be taken, but they caused trouble by diving back when in
the pipe, and Mr. Page took steps to destroy them. From 1859-60
to 1864-65, the average yearly catch was about 3,500; since then it
has been about 2,500 a year; but of late years it has fallen to about