Foot Ferry,
Cudmore Grove is located at the eastern end of Mersea Island and covers an area of 38 acres and is owned and managed by Essex County Council. The site comprises an area of grassland; a cliff top grove of oak trees, a small sandy beach and fine views across the Colne and Blackwater estuaries. An added attraction in the summer is the passenger ferry to and from Brightlingsea.
Looking across the River Colne to Brightlingsea you can see many different types of boats including the majestic Thames Sailing Barges and large cargo vessels. The Colne is one of the busiest waterways in East Anglia with many ships importing timber, coal, fishmeal and soya from our European neighbours.
The base of a searchlight emplacement can be seen on top of the sea wall. Originally it formed part of the coastal artillery battery with two 4.7-inch guns, probably of World War One vintage. A Battery Observation Post was the central command position, horizontally-aimed searchlights swept the sea at night from concrete bunkers, and pillboxes guarded the perimeter against ground attack.
After 60 years, very few WWII 4.7-inch coastal artillery sites still survive in anything approaching significant form. All the remains at Cudmore Grove, including the extant pillboxes, the broken emplacements on the beach and the remaining searchlight base, are important features of WWII archaeology, part of the history and heritage of wartime Essex.
You are looking for a pot slightly smaller than a 35mm film canister. Bring your own pencil. Stealth is required.