Ray Island, also known as the Ray, is a nature reserve west of
Mersea Island
Mersea Island is an island in Essex, England, in the Blackwater and Colne estuaries to the south-east of Colchester. Its name comes from the Old English word ''meresig'', meaning "island of the pool" and thus is tautological. The island is ...
in
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
. The site is a sandy hill rising out of an area of saltmarsh between Strood Channel and Ray Channel. The island is owned by the
National Trust
The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
, who bought it in 1970. It was leased by the National Trust to the
Essex Wildlife Trust
The Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) is one of 46 The Wildlife Trusts, wildlife trusts which cover the United Kingdom. The EWT was founded in 1959, and it describes itself as Essex's leading conservation charity, which aims to protect wildlife for the ...
, which managed the site. Following the cessation of the lease, the National Trust has resumed responsibility for the island's management.
Wildlife
The island has rough grassland and a shingle foreshore. Its flora includes saltmarsh plants such as lax flowered sea-lavender, sea rush and
golden samphire
The golden samphire (''Limbarda crithmoides'') is a perennial coastal species, which may be found growing on salt marsh or sea cliffs across western and southern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Golden samphire has a tufted habit, and the plant may ...
oystercatcher
The oystercatchers are a group of waders forming the family (biology), family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, ''Haematopus''. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and Sout ...
and
shelduck
The shelducks, most species of which are found in the genus ''Tadorna'' (except for the Radjah shelduck, which is now found in its own monotypic genus ''Radjah''), are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biolog ...
.
Environmental designations
The site has been designated as
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI),
Marine Conservation Zone
A Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) is a type of marine nature reserve in United Kingdom, UK waters. They were established under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) and are areas designated with the aim to prot ...
s (MCZ),
Ramsar Site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Special Area of Conservation
A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
(SAC) and a
Special Protection Area
A special protection area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and cer ...
(SPA).
Literature
''Mehalah''
Ray Island was the setting for the novel ''Mehalah: A Story of the Salt Marshes'' by
Sabine Baring-Gould
Sabine Baring-Gould (; 28 January 1834 – 2 January 1924) of Lew Trenchard in Devon, England, was an Anglican priest, hagiographer, antiquarian, novelist, folk song collector and eclectic scholar. His bibliography consists of more than 1,240 pu ...
, who was the rector of East Mersea for 10 years from 1871. Baring-Gould describes the island thus in the first chapter:
:''A more desolate region can scarce be conceived, and yet it is not without beauty. In summer, the thrift mantles the marches with shot satin, passing through all gradations of tint from maiden's blush to lily white. Thereafter a purple glow steals over the waste, as the sea lavender bursts into flower, and simultaneously every creek and pool is royally fringed with sea aster. A little later the glasswort, that shot up green and transparent as emerald glass in the early spring, turns to every tinge of carmine.''
The Essex Serpent
The marshy landscape also formed part of the inspiration for '' The Essex Serpent'', by
Sarah Perry
Sarah Grace Perry (born 28 November 1979) is an English author. She has had four novels published: ''After Me Comes the Flood'' (2014), '' The Essex Serpent'' (2016), ''Melmoth'' (2018) and ''Enlightenment'' (2024). Her work has been transla ...
A bear is said to have escaped from a ship onto the island and killed a group of fisherman who had landed there.
There is also the tale is of a drunkard who chased his wife and daughter into the marshes but he was drowned by the rising tide. It has been claimed that his shouts can be heard along with the panting of the mother and the baby's crying.
It is also claimed there is the ghost of a Roman centurion and the sound of a horse's hooves can be heard.
Access
General public access is by boat via the Ray Channel from Mersea. If using your own boat, it is important to check the state and times of the tide. Camping, barbecues and fires are banned by the trust.