Fish trap near low tide line off West Mersea. Existence known locally. Photographed from the air in March 1993. <1>-<3>
There appears to be no vertical coverage of the site (although the area does appear on low tide photographs; this could suggest that the fish weir has only become revealed in the last few decades. <4>
The monument includes two V-shaped timber weirs, one constructed inside the other, located near the northern shore of the Blackwater Estuary to the south of the town of West Mersea, some 300m beyond the main sea wall. The outer weir has walls with a width of 85m NW-SE and 110m NE-SW. The inner weir has walls with a width of 100m NW-SE and 110m NE-SW. The outer weir has two further short lines of timbers on the outside of and running parallel to its south western side; the inner weir has three short lines of timbers running parallel to its main wall. These additional timber alignments probably represent successive modifications to the design. The two weirs both have very elongated trap areas at their easternmost points; these would have housed the nets. the site is situated just below Mean Low Water and is now largely sub-tidal. The weir may well be one of three fisheries mentioned as existing at Mersea Island in the Domesday Book. It is certainly considered to be early medieval in origin, similar to several other fish weirs which have been identified in the Blackwater Estuary. <5>