Mersea Stone, East Mersea

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Mersea Island, Cudmore Grove

In the civil parish of East Mersea.
In the historic county of Essex (Modern Authority of Essex, 1974 county of Essex).

Vanished Henry VIII artillery fortification, guarding the mouth of the Colne, built 1543, a triangular earthwork bulwark, with semi curcular bastions at the apex of each 300 foot long side. However SMR record reads " Fort with 4-6 guns, ditch and drawbridge built in 1547. It was allowed to fall into decay but repaired in 1587 and was still considered effective in 1631. By 1656 it was in use as a house". A single turret is visible from the air in the saltmarsh beyond the sea wall.

This site has been described as a;
Artillery Fort.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TM07191516

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 924158

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 2217

Books

Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of East Anglia (Malvern) p28
Kent, Peter, 1988, Fortifications of East Anglia (Lavenham: Ternence Dalton)
Eddy, M.R., B Milton and Priddy, D. 1983, ‘East Mersea, Tudor blockhouse at Cudmore Grove’ in D Priddy (ed), ‘Work of Essex County Council Archaeology Section 1982’ Essex Archaeology and History Vol15 p145-9
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p147
Colvin, H.M., Ransome, D.R. and Summerson, John, 1982, The history of the King's Works Vol4: 1485-1660 (part 2) p404, 470
Page, Wm and Round, J.H. (eds), 1907, VCH Essex Vol2 p269-71

Journal Articles

1931, Essex Journal Vol30 p221-4
Sier, 1921, Essex Review Vol30 p220-4

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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