About Islandeering
Hi and welcome to Islandeering Islandeering is for people who want adventure in Britain’s wild blue spaces – our rivers, coast, lakes, canals and islands. You will find amazing walks, paddles and swims in the UK’s most special places, those recognised for outstanding natural beauty, incredible geology or special and abundant wildlife.
More About UsWe continuously find new islands, rivers, lochs, canals and coast to walk, SUP and swim in and meet plenty of great folks along the way. Join our community to get new routes and adventures, latest blogs and news by using the email box below. Tune in also to our Facebook and Instagram pages to see where we are going next.
A wild National Trust-owned island in the Blackwater Estuary a stone’s throw from the historic town of Maldon. It is accessed via a tidal causeway, which is recorded as the oldest recorded battlefield in Britain after the Vikings fought local forces here in the Battle of Maldon. Northey Island has a high point of eight metres and is surrounded by creeping tides and salt marsh, which is the origin of the famous Maldon sea salt used in cookery worldwide. The fringes of the island are home to thousands of shelduck, godwit, avocet, greenshank and plover along with brent geese which overwinter here and graze Northey’s pastureland. Northey House is the former home of Sir Norman Angell, an English Nobel Peace Prize winner, and is now a wonderful holiday cottage.
Highlights of Northey Island
- Walk around Northey Island
- True wilderness in Essex
- Fabulous birdwatching
- Estuary views to Maldon and Heybridge
How to get to Northey Island
By car drive south of Chelmsford on the A414, 1 mile southeast of Maldon on the B1018Parking: Parking at Promenade Park, Maldon, CM9 5JQ. Northey Island is a mile away along the sea wall (access to island by appointment only, call 01621 853142 for a permit). Access is via the tidal causeway (not passable for two hours either side of high tide). No food is available on the island but there are plenty of options in Maldon, including the riverside Queen’s Head Inn.
Walk around Northey Island
The views of the mudbanks either side of the causeway are fantastic. Once on the island there is an easy lane to follow to the Warden’s Cottage (small charge for island access). There is a gap in the hedge on the left just before the cottage (signed Private) to reach the path that then follows the perimeter of the island back to the causeway. Check out full Northey Island walk route in Islandeering tab.
About Islandeering
Hi and welcome to Islandeering Islandeering is for people who want adventure in Britain’s wild blue spaces – our rivers, coast, lakes, canals and islands. You will find amazing walks, paddles and swims in the UK’s most special places, those recognised for outstanding natural beauty, incredible geology or special and abundant wildlife.
More About UsWe continuously find new islands, rivers, lochs, canals and coast to walk, SUP and swim in and meet plenty of great folks along the way. Join our community to get new routes and adventures, latest blogs and news by using the email box below. Tune in also to our Facebook and Instagram pages to see where we are going next.
Key Facts
- Location: Essex
- Size: 300 hectares
- Terrain: Muddy causeway and island tracks
- Access: Tidal causeway
- Height gain: 28 metres
- Map: OS Explorer 176 Blackwater Estuary
- Starting point: Maldon Parade Recreation Carpark (Grid ref. TL 861 064)
Northey Island walk summary
The circular walk around Northey Island is wild and remote but only a short distance from the historic town of Maldon in the tidal Blackwater River estuary. Northey is accessed via a tidal causeway, which played its part in the Battle of Maldon where the Vikings fought local forces on this, the oldest recorded battlefield in Britain. Northey island is surrounded by creeping tides and saltmarsh, the origin of the famous Maldon seasalt used in cookery worldwide. The fringes of the island are home to thousands of shelduck, godwit, avocet, greenshank and plover along with Brent geese which overwinter here and graze Northey’s pastureland.
Northey Island walk route description
The walk around Northey Island starts at the Maldon Marine Parade Recreation Ground Car Park and heads to the promenade alongside the River Blackwater. Before reaching the Maldon Recycling Centre head south on the path alongside fields to reach and cross the causeway. The causeway can be muddy and slippery but the views of the mud banks are fantastic. Once on the island there is an easy lane to follow to the Warden’s Cottage (to pay a small charge for island access). There is a gap in the hedge on the left just before the cottage (signed ‘Private’) to reach the path that follows the perimeter of the island back to the causeway. Retrace route back to Maldon.
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