Packing Shed Update
2007 was another successful year for
the Packing Shed Trust. Although bookings were down slightly on the previous
year, due to the poor weather at the start of the season,
fundraising reached a new high. The “Tenner a Ton” fund, which
is dedicated towards the Reclamation Project - aimed at slowing the erosion
to Packing Marsh Island - raised over £13,000. A big thank
you is due to all the local people who contributed so generously.
Unfortunately, the cost of the material
proved to be somewhat more than a tenner a ton, due mainly to the additional
costs of delivery by barge from the Thames. The whole of the Blackwater
estuary is of course designated as an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific
Interest) and consequently there are understandable restrictions
on the dumping of used materials deemed to be contaminated. This also added
to the total cost. Nevertheless, approximately 470 tons of clean granite
stones (about the size of a fist) were
successfully delivered last year, and this now lies in two large mounds on
the foreshore, at either end of the Packing Shed. The intention is to create
a low breakwater bund wall, at the top of the foreshore, and running
north-south along the line of old stakes which formed the western-facing
edge of the Island, when it was originally worked as an oyster fishery.
Local contractor Ramplings have been
commissioned to move the granite into position, as they have considerable
experience in this area, and intend to start work as soon as the new
hammerhead is finished. This will probably be late February or early March
and needs to be undertaken during neap tides, to avoid their equipment being
inundated at High Water. A grant has been sought to cover this additional
cost, but there is no guarantee that we will be successful and the Trust
very much welcomes donations for this ongoing project. (Contact the
Treasurer, Bill Norman, on 01206 384025 – cheques
payable to “The Packing Shed Trust”)
Apart from tidal erosion around the
piling supporting the Shed, another problem has been the movement of the
slipper limpet shell banks. These had provided some protection against the
prevailing southwest wind and tides, and had been stable until a few years
ago, when a series of winter storms started rolling them back across the
Island. This has the adverse effect of suffocating the existing plant life,
including shrubby seablite, sea lavender and golden samphire, all of which
help retain the soil and limit erosion. Apart from damaging the saltmarsh,
the shell builds up underneath the Shed, causing the floor to become
permanently damp with the risk of rot setting in. Committee members do
periodically rake out the shell but this year it was a particularly
time-consuming and back-breaking task. Earlier in the year, Ramplings
generously donated men and equipment to shift large quantities of this
shell, from where it had accumulated outside, preventing the launches from
docking safely. And late last year, the Environment Agency repaired the
polder revetments at the southern edge of the Island facing Bradwell, which
will hopefully improve things.
After over 15 years sterling service,
the Mariner outboard engine on the main passenger launch has finally
expired, and needs replacing. Here again a grant has been applied for, but
most charitable funds are apparently overstretched, and so we must keep our
fingers crossed.
The Trust recently granted permission
to the Dabchicks Sailing Club to erect an antenna on the northern end of the
Shed in order to relay signals from an anemometer
on a pole at the southern end of Cobmarsh Island.
Current wind speeds can be viewed on the Club’s website at
www.dabchicks.org/weather/WeatherReport.php
Despite all the ongoing battles with
erosion, much has been achieved in the last 12 months and we now look
forward to a successful season this summer, with many happy visitors to this
tranquil and beautiful corner of Mersea.
Paddy Ryan
