It is a flat, raised area of marshland around 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) long and 200 metres (660 ft) wide among the tidal sand banks on the southern side of the estuary and separated from the British mainland of Chetney Marshes by a narrow channel known as Shepherd's Creek.

The town of Queenborough lies around one kilometre (0.62 mi) to the east across the West Swale channel.

Owned by Natural England, it is leased to two people, and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its importance as a nesting and breeding site for birds.

It is believed that the remains are those of men and boys who died of disease on board prison hulks, floating prisons that were moored in the area around 200 years ago.

[3] Originally buried in wooden coffins under six feet (1.8 m) of mud, coastal erosion and rising sea levels have washed away the mud to expose the remains at times of low tide.