The earliest traces of human activity on the island are from the discovery of Neolithic axes (c.10,000 - 4,000 BC) and Bronze Age jewellery (c. 4,000 - 2,500 BC). The presence of 'red hills' shows that the island was used for extracting salt from the salt-marshes, and this is thought to date as far back is neolithic times. However, it was during the Roman period that the salt production was at its most prolific. The earliest evidence of human settlement comes from the remains of Roman structures dating to AD 50 - 250. The Roman settlement is thought to have been a farmstead with a garrison and a burial ground. Post-Roman use of the island centred mainly around sheep grazing where there were also small huts used in the production of cheese from their milk.
As mentioned above, the island is low-lying. In fact it sits 3 metres lower than the mean high tide, therefore the island has always been at risk of flooding. It was in the middle ages (5th-15th centuries) that the first attempts at building flood defences were made, but it was in 1622 that the first proper defensive wall was built. This was the work of a Dutch engineer called Cornelius Vermuyden along with a workforce of 300 skilled Dutch sea defence workers. The project also involved the construction of dykes and other water drainage systems. The Netherlands is of course a low-lying country so it makes sense that the relevant expertise would come this area. The Dutch workers also built some Dutch cottages, two of which still remain and are Grade II Listed.
The island remained agricultural for many years and the population was under 100 until the late 19th century. It was in 1899 that the island began started to become more residential. The initial wave came from a project for residents in the east end of London who were sold 'dream homes' away from the crowded city. This also coincided with the island becoming a Victorian seaside resort and by the 1930s the main seafront esplanade had begun to take shape. This time period also marked the island's long association with the petrochemical industry, an industry that remains to this day. The Second World War saw the island used as part of the GHQ Line where 11 pillboxes were installed to guard against a possible German invasion. Only one of the pillboxes remains visible. There was also a land anti-aircraft battery and barges in the estuary housing anti-aircraft guns.
Post-war the residential areas continued to be developed, and the population soared until levelling out at the end of the 20th century. The North Sea Flood of 1953 was devastating for the island. 58 people died and all 13,000 residents had to be evacuated. During the 1970s and 80s, the defensive seawall was completely rebuilt. It is now 15 miles in length and surrounds 75% of the island, however even with this in place, the island is still at risk from occasional flooding. The main seafront area is located on its southern facing edge alongside the Eastern Esplanade. Here you will find a small concentration of typical seaside-related activities such as an amusement park, amusement arcade, restaurants, fish and chip shops, the Concorde Beach (sandy), and crabbing and paddling pools.
Just to the west of the central seafront area is Thorney Bay Beach and a small open grassy area called Wooden Park. This park is the meeting point for the island's free, weekly, timed 5km event called Thorney Bay Beach parkrun. The event takes place at 9am every Saturday and is open to all abilities including those who wish to walk and to wheelchair users. There are toilet facilities available at the newly-built Street & Co Coffee Shop, which is at the meeting point. Bear in mind the toilet facilities are limited to three unisex cubicles plus 1 accessible cubicle, so there may be a queue.
Travel to Canvey Island is fairly straight-forward by road using the A13 which of course links to the M25 at Thurrock. Thorney Bay car park is right next to the meeting point but is not large enough to accommodate all attendees. Helpfully there are a few other seafront car parks along the esplanade, the largest (and next closest) being Labworth car park. There is a fee to use the seafront car parks and this is currently £1.20 for an hour, £1.80 for two, £3.30 for upto three and finally £5.30 for over three hours. Payment can be made via card at the payment machine or by using the MiPermit website or app. The all-day parking expires at 7pm as the car park reverts to being free-of-charge after this time. Blue badge holders can park for free.
If travelling by public transport, the closest national rail station is Benfleet which is served by C2C trains between London Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness. From Benfleet Station the number 21 bus can be used to complete the journey all the way to Thorney Bay Beach. For any cyclists, there are some bicycle racks on the side of the Bay Museum building, but I imagine most people would just use the playground fence. For anyone that requires an overnight stay, there aren't as many options as you might expect for a seaside resort as the island is largely residential. The main hotel is the Oysterfleet Hotel, which is a 2-star hotel plus a restaurant and bar. The closest Premier Inns are in Basildon, just to the north of the island.
The meeting point doubles up as the start and finish points, and this is also where the briefings take place. The parkrun itself is a simple out-and-back route along the seafront with a clockwise lap of Wooden Park at the beginning and an anti-clockwise lap at the end. Underfoot is mostly tarmac/concrete but the section in the park features some gravel / stones. The course is perfectly flat with the exception of the ramps that connect the upper and lower promenade paths. Road shoes are fine at all times of year and people taking part with buggies or a dog are of course welcome.
From the start the route follows the perimeter of the park in a clockwise direction for almost a full circuit but heads onto the upper promenade path once reaching the Street & Co Coffee Shop. This path heads in an easterly direction and is on top of the sea defences with the highest part of the concrete sea wall to the right and a grass slope to the left. This leaves Thorney Bay as it bends around and passes the Labworth car park before heading around the back of the Labworth Beach Cafe. To the left is the main seafront central hub where you'll see the Fantasy Island Amusement Park, the bandstand and the main seaside parade of shops. The path continues straight along the sea wall until the turnaround point (2.5km) is reached.
At the turnaround point, the parkrun course goes down a short slope and onto the lower walkway where the route continues back along the seafront at beach level. Looking out across the Thames Estuary you can see the north coast of Kent just a short distance away and you may even see some of the huge container ships that frequently pass by. It is worth keeping an eye out for the murals on the sea wall as you pass by. Also keep an eye out for the striking international-modernist-style frontage of the Labworth Beach Cafe whose design is based on the bridge of the RMS Queen Mary ocean liner. The course eventually turns back into Thorney Bay and the distinctive roof of the new cafe building can be seen ahead. Up a short slope and back around the park, but this time anti-clockwise and the finish can be found right next to the playground. Barcode scanning takes place on the grass outside the cafe.
There were a few marshals positioned around the course. Notably at the turnaround point and at pinch points along the seafront, and as long as you turn around at the turnaround point, there's no possibility of getting lost. I will point out that there seemed to be quite a lot of (dog?) poo along the promenade, so watch out for that. Thinking about possible cancellations, as it is a tarmac course, ice or slippery conditions could be an issue in the winter, plus the low lying nature of the island means that the possibility of flooding remains a risk. I've had a look and can't see any other events that could cause the event to be cancelled, but if I find any further info I will share it here.
I recorded the course with my Garmin and the GPS data can be viewed on my Strava account. I also used the data to create a Relive course fly-by video and you can watch that on YouTube. The results for event 8 were published later that morning and there were 290 finishers. As it was early in the event's history, this is an inflated number due to tourists visiting and when it settles down I will update this with some information on the average attendances. For post-event refreshments, the obvious place is the Street & Co Coffee shop located right next to the parkrun. There are of course other options further along the seafront such as the Labworth Beach Cafe.
We had already decided to extend our visit beyond the parkrun, so had parked the car in the Labworth car park as it was more central for our post-parkrun activities. My son really wanted to check out Fantasy Island Amusements Park so we spent quite a while there sampling on the rides. We had some chips and then some ice cream while wandering along the seafront and found some crabs hiding in the rocks at Thorney Bay. We also managed to stop off and view the Dutch Cottage.
The island is known as being one of the few places in the UK that the Shrill Carder Bumblebee lives, and the island's proud link to this creature is commemorated with a 2 metre high iron sculpture of the insect installed in Labworth Recreation Ground. There is a pub on the island called The Lobster Smack which is thought to be the inn mentioned in the Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations, so that may be of interest.
By mid-afternoon we were pretty exhausted so headed off home. Canvey Island was pleasant and we hope to revisit before the end of the summer for another day out, which will of course start with a visit to the parkrun. Out and back along the seafront courses are probably my least favourite style of course, but it was a lovely event and we chatted to a few of the locals which was really nice. A huge thank you must go to all of the volunteers. Until next time!
Related links:
- Thorney Bay Beach parkrun GPS data (20 June 2026)
- Thorney Bay Beach parkrun Relive course fly-by video (20 June 2026)
