Thames Estuary Path

The South Essex Marshes are expansive landscapes with a real sense of wilderness

The South Essex Marshes are expansive landscapes with a real sense of wilderness despite being in one of the most densely populated parts of the Essex region. It is a dynamic landscape of grazing marsh, creeks and salt marsh with farmland and settlements on the higher ground that has continuously evolved over millennia, shaped by natural and human actions.

The Marshes provide internationally important nature conservation areas and heritage sites, with the vision of unifying the South Essex Marshes areas and a single destination. They stretch from Tilbury in the West to Leigh in the East, with numerous gateways such as the local rail network enable visitors to access to enjoy the heritage and natural greenspaces the marshes has to offer.