Wildlife reserves · East of England
Ray Island
Ray Island — Essex Wildlife Trust Nature reserve.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Wivenhoe · 7.7 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Ray Island is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. It covers approximately 41 km². Managed by Essex Wildlife Trust. Wikidata describes it as: "Essex Wildlife Trust Nature reserve". Coordinates: 51.7944°, 0.9069°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Blackwater Estuary SSSI
- Ramsar wetland: Blackwater Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 4)
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Ray Island, also known as the Ray, is a 40.5-hectare (100-acre) nature reserve west of Mersea Island in Essex. 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, who bought it in 1970. It was leased by the National Trust to the Essex Wildlife Trust, which managed the site. Following the cessation of the lease, the National Trust has resumed responsibility for the island's management.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Visiting
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.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7944, 0.9069
- County
- Essex
- District
- Colchester
- Parish
- Peldon
- Postcode
- CO5 7QL
- Parliamentary constituency
- Harwich and North Essex
- Nearest railway station
- Wivenhoe — 7.7 km
- Official site
- www.essexwt.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7297651 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Ray Island (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Towards Sampson's Creek - geograph.org.uk - 45917.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Ray Island?
- Ray Island is in Essex, East of England, United Kingdom (postcode CO5 7QL), in the parish of Peldon.
- Who owns Ray Island?
- Ray Island is owned by National Trust and operated by Essex Wildlife Trust.
- Is Ray Island a protected site?
- Yes — Ray Island is part of the Blackwater Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Blackwater Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 4) Ramsar wetland.
- Is Ray Island free to visit?
- Yes, Ray Island is free to enter.
- How do I get to Ray Island?
- The nearest railway station is Wivenhoe, about 7.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CO5 7QL.
- Are dogs allowed at Ray Island?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.