Pitmire Island

Before the advent of the railway, horse-drawn barges were a common feature along the Stour. On the bed of the river the foundations of one of the thirteen locks that existed between Manningtree and Sudbury, can still be seen. The lock-keeper's house, which was burnt down in the 1920's and finally dismantled in the 1930's, was on the island and some of his old fruit trees are still standing.

The rich silt from the flooding encourages stands of hemlock and giant hogweed. Both are poisonous and should be avoided. Also growing in this area is 'policeman's helmet' (Himalayan balsam), an introduced species that spreads rapidly and flowers in July and August. The thick bushes are ideal nesting sites for warblers, and other birds to be seen here include moorhen, dabchick, coot, swan and mallard.