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Similar Priory Park, Sealife Adventure, Adventure Island, Leigh Heritage Centre, Leigh‑on‑Sea railway station | ||
Two Tree Island, 257 hectares (640 acres), lies north-east of Canvey Island and south-west of Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, England. It is connected to the mainland at Leigh by a bridge.
Map of Two Tree Island, United Kingdom
The island was reclaimed from the Thames Estuary in the 18th century and used as pasture until 1910 when a sewage works was built on it. From 1936, the entire island was used as a landfill site; this was later reduced to a single small site on the island in 1974. It is now a nature reserve, run by Essex Wildlife Trust, and the eastern half is part of the Leigh National Nature Reserve. At the western end are two bird hides; one overlooks a purpose-built scrape or lagoon where waders feed. During the breeding season both waders (including Avocets) and gulls nest here. A nest watch has been organised for some years following a serious case of Avocet egg stealing. On the south side of the island, at the end of the island road, is a sloping concrete jetty, a boat storage area and two car parking areas.