A military operation

The unique coastal habitat of Geedon marshes is the setting for a bracing day of sport for members of the Colchester Garrison shoot, run by and for soldiers who serve not only their country but also the countryside

- Miles Malone

THE MEETING of the Colne and Blackwater estuaries in North Essex forms an extraordinary coastal habitat, the Geedon marshes, rich with vast swathes of saltmarsh, deep patches of samphire, ancient oyster beds and Roman-era salt pans. The extensive saltmarsh and sprawling network of creeks encircle approximately 700 acres of preserved grassland, protected by a sea wall, creating a habitat chequered with weathered copses, freshwater splashes and flooding wetlands. In 1899 the area was acquired by the military and, ever since, has been an active firing range.

Military activities have necessitated the exclusion of development, protecting a rare old-Essex habitat, saved from the creeping urbanisation of nearby Colchester. Somewhat surprisingly, it is the busy military training regimen that is the driving force of preservation for this landscape; not in spite of but because of the live firing, human encroachment, public access and intensive farming practices have been limited. What remains is an undisturbed reserve, a haven for wildlife and a rare view of a landscape that, elsewhere, has mostly passed into history.