Monument record TQ 77 SE 1068 - A hard or causeway at Hoo Salt Marsh, Hoo St. Werburgh

Appears in airal photographs to b a causeway. Marked as such in 1st and 2nd ed OS 6inch and as a hard in 3rd ed OS and current mapping (1,2,3). In ist ed OS the feature is crossed by a hardway that continuse out onto the marsh. Photographs (4-8).

The remains of a post medieval and twentieth century hard and causeway on Hoo Salt Marsh can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 1947. In 1867 Hoo Salts was a collection of islands near the northern bank of the Medway. They could be accessed form the shore at Hoo St. Werburgh via a hard circa 71m long and centred on TQ 7831 7110. This led to the north western corner of Ford Marsh (see NMR 1546739). The 1947 air photos also show a causeway at the south western corner of Ford Marsh which crossed a channel and provided access to one of the largest areas of saltings that made up Hoo Salts (centred on TQ 7845 7092). By 1909 the widespread destruction of the saltings (presumably for the local cement industry which utilised the local mud) had also destroyed much of this causeway. By 1933 this causeway had been reconstructed and this work is thought to be associated with the creation of Hoo Island in the early 20th century by the dumping of dredging waste on the southern end of Hoo Salts. The hard that linked to the mainland is now beneath a northward extension of Ford Marsh but the causeway still survives in parts and these can be seen on air photos taken in 2007. These were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project.(9-12)

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1862-1875, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1862-1875 (Map). SWX11831.

<2> Ordnance Survey, 1893-7, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 2nd edition : 1893-1898 (Map). SWX11832.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1905-10, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 3rd edition: 1901-1912 (Map). SWX11833.

<4> 2000, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10371.

<5> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10021.

<6> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9846.

<7> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9845.

<8> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9511.

<9> RAF, 1947, RAF CPE/UK/1923 3096-3097 16-JAN-1947 (Photograph). SKE59175.

<10> Ordnance Survey, 1905-10, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 3rd edition: 1901-1912 (Map). SWX11833.

<11> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1947, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947 (Map). SKE12644.

<12> Next Perspectives, 2007, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: TQ7870, TQ7871 21-APR-2007 (Photograph). SKE59176.