Monument record TQ 87 NW 1286 - ?Medieval sea bank, St Marys Marshes

The earthwork remains of a probable former medieval or post medieval sea bank extendinding NNW from TQ 8116 7809 to TQ 8061 7898 through St Mary's Marshes from the edge of the marsh to the present-day sea wall around the northern edge of the marsh. The former wall appears as a linear bank extending for approximately 1100m. It is depicted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map published between 1805 and 1813 as a track, and is present on the 2nd epoch 1:2500 scale map of 1896 as a bank, though missing from the 1st epoch 1:2500 map of 1879.
Two irregular mounds, thought to be the remains of medieval salterns lie adjacent to the bank, the larger of which appears to have been slightly cut by and therefore predating the bank. (NMR Monument numbers: TQ87NW 83 and 85).
These features have been mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. (1-3)

<1> RAF, 1947, NMR RAF/CPE/UK/1923 3005 16-JAN-1947 (Photograph). SKE55858.

<2> Ordinance Survey, 1896, Ordnance Survey: Kent Epoch 2, 1:2500 1896 (Map). SKE55862.

<3> 1805-13, Ordnance Survey: Mudge 1st Series map 1805-13 (Map). SKE58909.