Ray Island is in Essex, East of England, United Kingdom (postcode CO5 7QL), in the parish of Peldon.

How do I get to Ray Island?

The nearest railway station is Wivenhoe, about 7.7 km away. Drivers can use postcode CO5 7QL.

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.

Wildlife reserves · East of England

Ray Island

In or near Little Wigborough.

Essex Wildlife TrustFree admission♿ Wheelchair: limited🐾 Dog-friendly👪 Family-friendly

Ray Island — Essex Wildlife Trust Nature reserve.

Ray Island, wildlife reserves in Essex — 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

Getting there & planning your visit

To visit Ray Island, the nearest railway station is Wivenhoe, located 7.7 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is CO5 7QL, and entry to the reserve is free. Accessibility is limited for wheelchair users.

Directions on Google Maps →

Visit on essexwt.org.uk

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)

Other places nearby

Nearby

📷 7

Historic pubs · East of England

Peldon Rose Public House

Peldon Rose Public House in England East, United Kingdom.

📷 3

Archaeological sites · East of England

Mersea Mount

Mersea Mount — a archaeological in england-east, United Kingdom.

Free🐕↗ historicengland.org.uk

📷 5

Museums · East of England

West Mersea

West Mersea — a museum in england-east, United Kingdom.

👶↗ merseamuseum.org.uk

📷 3

Cemeteries · East of England

Barfield Road Cemetery

Barfield Road Cemetery is a cemetery in the United Kingdom.

🐕↗ merseamuseum.org.uk

📷 3

Gardens · East of England

The Sensory Garden

The Sensory Garden — a garden in england-east, United Kingdom.

🐕👶↗ merseamuseum.org.uk

📷 3

Theatres · East of England

British Legion Hall Cinema

British Legion Hall Cinema in England East, United Kingdom.

👶↗ merseamuseum.org.uk