Canvey Island
| Canvey Island | ||
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| Waters | Thames | |
| Geographical location | 51 ° 31 '2 " N , 0 ° 34' 42" E | |
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| surface | 18.45 km² | |
| Residents | approx. 37,000 2005 population / km² |
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Canvey Island is an island in the estuary of the River Thames off the coast of Essex , England . Canvey Island is also the name of the city on this island, but it is often abbreviated to Canvey . The city is part of the Borough Castle Point .
Data
The island has an area of 18.45 km² and a population of approximately 37,000. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge. Other settlements on the island are Newlands and Leigh Beck . Nearby islands include Lower Horse and Two Tree Island . The name "Canvey" is of Anglo-Saxon origin and means "Island of the Cana", so that the component "Island" actually occurs twice in the name Canvey Island . The island was first mentioned in 1255 as Caneveye .
history
Canvey Island was originally part of the mainland until the coast broke into small pieces; today's island consists of five of these island pieces. Due to the geological history of the island, there has always been a risk of subsidence, so that dikes have been built against the waters of the Thames and the North Sea since the 14th century . In the early 17th century, Dutch construction experts were brought in to reclaim land from the Thames and strengthen the defensive lines. Because of this, Canvey Island has had a strong Dutch community that has left its mark on local street names, place names and architecture .
In 1791, 1881 and 1897 the island was almost completely submerged when the Thames became extremely flooded . There are now modern dykes, but in 1953 58 people died on the island in floods.
On the coast of Canvey stood the Chapman lighthouse , which is described in detail in Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness ( Eng . " Heart of Darkness "). It is believed that the Romans built a beacon in the area to warn of the danger of the shallows in front of Canvey. In 1851, engineer James Walker built a hexagonal iron lighthouse; he replaced the lightship that was previously moored off the coast. The lighthouse was demolished in 1957 because of its poor condition.
During World War II, the island was one end of the so-called " GHQ Line " , a series of concrete bunkers as a line of defense against the expected invasion of the Germans . Some of these bunkers are still standing today.
In the 1970s, Canvey Island was a center of the English pub rock music scene with artists such as Dr. Feelgood and Ian Dury .