see them, their barking calls echoing mournfully across the water. Staying overnight heightens the sense of


isolation. At the island’s 19th-century redbrick, three-bedroom cottage — bookable through Cottage Choice — your only neighbours are migratory brent geese and seals sunbathe on the shore. Arthur Ransome’s Secret Water, part of his Swallows and Amazons series, was set here — and just like the intrepid children, after a day exploring you can savour life’s simple pleasures, from beachcombing to enjoying slices of homemade sponge cake baked by the owners.


Osea Island Osea Island retains an air of mystery, its 400 acres a mix of wildlife-rich meadows and cool coastal retreats. It’s possible to visit in every season: cycling past Victorian clapboard cottages in spring, swimming in sun-dappled pools in summer, braving autumn waters as egrets watch curiously


from the shallows and enjoying bracing walks along the windswept shore in winter. Getting there never loses its thrill. The drive


winds along the rough, rocky Roman causeway through the River Blackwater from Maldon, and access is dictated by the tide. The island is reachable only twice a day, though you can also arrive by water taxi — or even by helicopter from London — adding to the sense of seclusion. There’s an unmistakable A-list edge, too. Music


producer Nigel Frieda owns Osea and has turned it into a creative retreat, where artists such as Rihanna record and celebrities wed away from the spotlight. That same remoteness made the island the setting for HBO’s folk thriller The Third Day, starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris. Lined with books, four-poster beds, Chesterfields


and roll-top baths, Osea Island’s beach cottages are relaxed spaces to stay, where muddy boots are welcome after foraging walks along the shore. There are televisions, but you’ll likely find the


muted calls of owls and a sky scattered with stars far more compelling.


Wallasea Island Owned by the RSPB, Wallasea Island is a vast sweep of lagoons and marshland near the market town of Rochford, and one of the most ambitious coastal restoration projects in Europe. When rising sea levels destroyed the tidal islands migratory birds once relied on, a radical solution was found: more than three million tonnes of soil excavated from London’s Elizabeth line tunnels were used to recreate mudflats and salt marsh. The result is 21 new islands that provide vital


habitat for species from short-eared owls and common terns to teals. There’s no accommodation or cafe, but visitors are rewarded with some of the county’s best birdwatching. Circular trails trace the sea wall, with the East Flood and Jubilee Marsh routes offering rich sightings and wind-scoured views across the rivers Crouch and Roach.


NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – ISLANDS COLLECTION 55


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