Foulness Island's centuries of folklore and mystery explored

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 13:13 · Archive

Foulness Island in Essex, hidden behind Ministry of Defence barriers and surrounded by treacherous mudflats, has centuries of folklore and dangerous history.

Foulness Island in Essex is shrouded in mystery, with military checkpoints, isolated communities and centuries of folklore. Much of the island remains off-limits behind Ministry of Defence barriers and is surrounded by treacherous mudflats. In 1923, a Daily Mirror reporter visited the island for a story titled 'The Island That Hates To Be Visited'. He described a suspicious community where doors were never locked and locals spoke of a headless ghost haunting the island.

Before a military road linking Foulness with the mainland opened in 1922, the principal route was the notorious Broomway, an ancient track stretching across the Maplin Sands. The ten-mile route from Wakering Stairs to Foulness Point was marked by almost 400 'brooms' driven into the sand about 30 yards apart. The Broomway has long been regarded as one of Britain's most dangerous paths, with mist, quicksand and rapidly advancing water regularly claiming lives.

Bodies regularly washed ashore on the island due to tides in the estuary. In 1917, bailiff William Rogers's body washed ashore after he disappeared on his horse-and-cart journey home from Rochford market. In 1893, Francis Rodway, 25, fell overboard from the steamer Royal Sovereign while travelling to Ramsgate and his body eventually found its way to Foulness. Many who died on the Broomway ended up buried in Foulness Churchyard.

Foulness Island's centuries of folklore and mystery explored — Image: Brentwood Guardian

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Ghosts, giants and the Doomway: The mysteries of Foulness IslandGhosts, giants and the Doomway: The mysteries of Foulness Island and why October is the perfect time to explore some of Essex's most mysterious places.Brentwood Guardian · 10 Oct, 13:00
Ghosts, giants and the Doomway: The mysteries of Foulness IslandGhosts, giants and the Doomway: The mysteries of Foulness Island and why October is the perfect time to explore some of Essex's most mysterious places.Colchester Gazette · 10 Oct, 13:00
Ghosts, giants and the Doomway: The mysteries of Foulness IslandGhosts, giants and the Doomway: The mysteries of Foulness Island and why October is the perfect time to explore some of Essex's most mysterious places.Echo (Basildon) · 10 Oct, 13:00

In this story: Foulness Island · Essex · Ministry of Defence · Daily Mirror · Maplin Sands · William Rogers · Francis Rodway

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